What is a Dissolve Transition in Film and Videos?

Definition: What is a Dissolve in Film?
Top 3 Most Notable Visual Characteristics of the Dissolve Transition
Types of Dissolves and Best Uses
When and Where to Use the Dissolve Transition?
A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Dissolve Transition Effect
1. Add the Dissolve Transition Between Clips in Filmora
2. The Top 2 Most Common Issues with the Dissolve Transition

Understanding Dissolve in Film

The dissolve transition effect is famous for being used in one of the most important movies of all time, Citizen Kane, which was released in the early 1940s. In it, the director, Orson Welles, used this soft transition effect in the famous breakfast montage scene, compressing years of a deteriorating relationship in a short and comprehensive sequence. It was as impactful then as it is now.

Ever since then, it has been one of the most famous and widely used transitions in film, TV, and artistic videos in general. By gradually fading the first scene into the next one, you can create a poetic bridge between scenes or tell a story about a time shift, a dream sequence, or something else.

dissolve transition created in filmora example

Definition

The dissolve transition is a specific type of effect that creators use to calmly transition from one scene to the next. The first scene fades out while the second scene simultaneously fades in, creating a smooth connection and giving artists a lot of room to experiment. It is most commonly used to show the passage of time, but you can also use it to indicate a location shift or simply to make people feel calm when watching the video.

Top 3 Most Notable Visual Characteristics of the Dissolve Transition

If we break the dissolve transition effect down to its key components, we can identify the top 3 visual characteristics. Let's elaborate on each.

Gradual Opacity Shift

This gradual and soothing transition effect will always calm viewers. In comparison to an abrupt cut, which works most of the time, the dissolve transition is much more elegant and should be reserved for scene transitions that require a slow pace and where it will have more meaning.

Smooth Passage of Time or Scene Change

Instead of going with a montage, you can simply use a dissolve to introduce a scene that is going on a long while into the future.

Soft Blending Between Shots

There are instances where two scenes are so diametrically different from one another that an abrupt cut would just be unpleasant to watch. The soft blending effect between shots can relieve a lot of that unpleasantness, and if you use it artistically, you can blend colors during the effect.

Of course, the dissolve transition effect has evolved over almost a century of development, and there are now several different types.

Types of Dissolves and Best Uses

If we consider every dissolving transition in film and TV, we would have thousands of different types, all slightly different from one another. However, as with everything in life, certain types are more common than the rest. We have identified the three most common types of dissolves. Let's discuss them and explore what makes them unique.

Cross Dissolve

When you think of the dissolve transition, you are probably thinking of the cross-dissolve. It is the standard version of this transition effect, offering a smooth shift between scenes. The opacity of the former scene deteriorates while the following scene comes into focus. It is widely used in all types of films, series, and videos in many different scenarios.

Blur Dissolve

We can combine the dissolve transition with other effects. In this instance, we are combining it with the blur effect. As the opacity of the first scene goes down, so does the focus, and the image fades out into a blur. The second image begins fully blurred, fades in, and comes into focus. This is excellent for combining two scenes that feature different locations and colors.

Glitch Dissolve

The glitch effect has become very popular in video editing, and people are combining it with traditional effects, like the dissolve transition. In the example above, we actually have a combination of three effects. The dissolve effect is combined with the fade-to-black and fade-from-black transitions, while we also have the glitch effect. This is perfect for sci-fi.

There are many more types, such as the film dissolve effect, which mimics old techniques where editors physically overlapped film strips to create the effect, and the wipe dissolve, which adds screen movement. Discover them as you improve as a video editor.

When and Where to Use the Dissolve Transition?

We use the dissolve transition in video editing to create a smooth, gradual change between two shots. Let's see the application of the dissolve transition effect in film and video editing.

Genre-Specific Applications of the Dissolve Transition Effect

Dream Sequences or Flashbacks in Film

If you want to switch from a scene where the character is falling asleep to a dream sequence, or from a character thinking about the past to that moment in the past, the dissolve transition should be your go-to choice. You can prepare the two scenes to have overlapping objects or shapes, and when you transition, these elements will remain intact as they will fade in and out of each other, and the time or emotional shift in the character will be apparent.

Time-Lapse or Passage of Time in Documentaries

Documentaries can sometimes tackle topics that span hundreds of years. If you are making a historical documentary, for example, you can show how a certain location shifted between centuries with the dissolve transition. You can focus on an element, like a monument or a building that stood the test of time, make that the focal point, and showcase how the surroundings changed through the ages by creating a collage using dissolve.

Emotional Scene Changes in Music Videos or Dramas

A drama movie or a pop music video about love is all about emotions and different ways to bring them to the screen. If there is a shift in the overall emotion in the story, you need a good way to present it to the audience. If you need to switch from a happy scene to a sad one, you can make the shift gradual by using the dissolve transition. This will ease viewers into the next scene and give them time to process the emotional change.

Use the Dissolve Transition in Unison with Other Creative Techniques

Given its sheer versatility, the dissolve transition is also excellent when combined with other creative video editing techniques. Let's check out the top three options.

Pair the Dissolve Transition with the Slow Motion Effect: Dissolving into the next scene is all about creating something calm and smooth. Combining it with slow motion will exponentially increase that smoothness and make the transition all the more seamless. You can use this combination to create wonderful art.

Example: In a music video featuring a rock ballad, you can use the slow-motion effect with all the band members playing their instruments. After that, you can combine these clips and use the cross-dissolve transition to create a collage video of them playing the song.
Enhance the Dissolve Transition with Ambient Sound: Videos and music go hand in hand. Silent clips can be interesting, but they become way more interesting when you add sound, whether it is a full song or a small sound effect. Enrich your dissolve transition with soothing ambient sound and enhance the visual flow of the video.

Example: In a war documentary, transitioning between A-roll and B-roll footage uses the dissolve transition. The moment the speakers start talking about a significant event, introduce some emotional ambient sound, giving the audience an emotional cue.
Use the Dissolve Transition after a Hard Cut: If you're creating a dynamic video and frequently use hard cuts, it's wise to break the tension and occasionally introduce the dissolve transition. Pick a moment when the action dies down and use it to let the audience know that they can take a breather and prepare to continue.

Example: In an action movie, after a big shootout and a series of hard cuts, use the dissolve transition to show scenes of the fight's aftermath. This way, you show the contrast between actions and consequences and give the audience a peek at a different perspective.

The 3 Most Common Dissolve Transition Tips from Artists

Emotional Tone and Narrative Meaning

If you use it during a moment in the story where this type of transition adds to the narrative (like showing that a lot of time has passed), then you will enhance the story.

Pacing and Duration of the Dissolve

Depending on the story, you can shorten the dissolve effect to last only a few frames, but you can also stretch it and make it longer, even 10 seconds in some instances.

Visual Match Between Outgoing and Incoming Shots

If you want to create something truly artistic, create a dissolve transition between two scenes that are almost identical but have a changing element. That way, the entire scene will appear static while the dissolve transition will make the change only in the part of the scene that has focus.

That pretty much covers all the theory relevant to this creative technique. The only thing left is to give you a short tutorial on how to achieve this effect.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Dissolve Transition Effect

One of the best tools for adding transitions between clips is Filmora. When it comes to transitions, Filmora comes with hundreds of templates and creative assets that you can use out of the box. Additionally, it features the same number of useful effects, animated text, and filters, all arranged in an intuitive interface that will make you feel right at home.

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Add the Dissolve Transition Between Clips in Filmora

If you want to use Filmora to create a dissolve transition between two clips, download and install Filmora on your PC or laptop and follow the steps below to create a cool dissolve transition.

Step 1

Click on the Import button and add two clips to the Filmora project.

Step 2

Drag the videos to the timeline and arrange them one after the other.

Step 3

Go to the Transitions tab and search for the Dissolve transition. Then, simply drag it to the timeline.

drag dissolve transition between two clips

In just three steps, we managed to create a soft and smooth transition between two clips.

dissolve transition effect filmora result gif

The Top 2 Most Common Issues with the Dissolve Transition

Before you start working on your first project where you want to apply the dissolve transition technique, please be sure to check out the two most common issues to avoid if you want to get a stellar video.

Overuse Leading to Clichés or Dated Aesthetics

How to avoid

Don't use the dissolve transition too much. It's not perfect for every scene transition, and if you use it all the time, it will look dull and uninteresting.

Loss of Narrative Clarity if Used Between Unrelated Scenes