Image gradually dissolves to black (or white) — or emerges from it. Classic transition between scenes, signals time passage or emotional break.
Fade
A fade works with the gradual disappearance or appearance of the image—usually to or from black. In contrast to a cut, which separates abruptly, a fade creates a deliberately designed caesura. The viewer registers this pause as a temporal or emotional incision. It is not created on set—it is built in the edit or realized directly in-camera with a fading iris (digitally or optically). The duration determines everything: two, three frames appear almost imperceptible; two seconds create calm and weight.
In practice, we distinguish between fade to black (image fades to black), fade from black (image appears from black), and less commonly fade to white or other colors—for example, in dream sequences or for stylistic breaks. A fade says more than a mere cut: it signals the end of a chapter, a time jump, inner reflection. Fading to black after a confrontation scene gives the moment resonance. Classics like Kubrick's 2001 used the fade as a rhythmic design element between sequences—not out of technical necessity, but as a conscious artistic decision.
In digital editing, the fade is a standard transition in any NLE (Avid, Premiere, Final Cut). The curve—linear, logarithmic, or with custom easing—determines the quality of the transition. A logarithmic curve feels more natural than linear. Important: Fades need space. Don't use too many, or they lose their impact. They work best after long takes or at the end of scene blocks. In contrast to fast montage or a jump cut, they cause deceleration—a formal statement.
Technically during export: check the RGB value of black (true black = 0,0,0 or 16 for 8-bit), adjust overhang for format safety. For TV delivery, fades can cause trouble due to chroma shift—test. Rule of thumb: use fades for breathing room between scenes; use cuts for tension within a scene.