Don’t mind me. I’m organizing my notes from this Youtube video.
According to Studiobinder, there are nine ways to seamlessly connect scenes together. Whenever I can, I’m getting examples from the show I’m currently watching, “Doctor Slump.”
1. Fade
– when a shot fades or “dissolves” to or from a solid color
– solid color: generally, it’s either black or white solid color
a. Fade FROM black
– commonly used in the beginning of the film
– first there’s solid black, then cut to the next scene.
b. Fade TO black
– for closure, like opening and closing a book
– can also be found in the middle of the film, to indicate end of a chapter
Example: in Episode 1, viewers were watching HaNeul paralyzed in the middle of the road with the truck barreling towards her. She was thinking that it only took three minutes to alter lives and to die. The camera focused on her face.
Pushing the camera closer to her face was a great way to connect viewers with HaNeul’s thoughts. The viewers are “entering” her mind.
Next, the camera faded to black.
Then this black screen cut to JungWoo’s face in his surgeon’s garb: head covering, mask, and gown.
Just like that, the audience was transported from the street to the operating room. The interesting thing here is that although the camera showed two different faces, there was commonality here. They both were one thing running in their heads at that moment: death.
c. Dip to black
-when editors fade in and out of blackness within the same scene
d. Fade to White
– instead of black, there’s strong light
– often used to to indicate that character is entering a dream-state or is dying.
– it gives the opposite feel of a closure; it conveys ambiguity.
2. Dissolve
– instead of fading into a simple black/white, there’s a fading into the next scene
– used to suggest passage of time
– also, used to suggest memory or a dream
Example: in Episode 5, viewers were watching JungWoo sleeping restlessly. Then the view of his head dissolved into a blurry shot of white crocs on bloody floor. Viewers entered his dreamscape.
See the dissolve? His face was being merged with the crocs?
Camera alternated between his face and the face with surgical stitches on the eyelid. Then the images dissolved into one another as he woke up from his terrifying nightmare.
Variation: superimposed dissolve
– when two scenes are dissolved into each other or superimposed.
– effective in creating a parallelism and comparison.
I like how the visuals of the dead patient and sleeping JungWoo were superimposed. Obviously, a parallelism was being drawn between their closed eyes. Her eyes were closed since she was dead. His eyes were closed because he was asleep yet he was dreaming of her death.
The interesting part here is when the patient’s eye was forced open to check on her pupil and confirm death, that was the moment when JungWoo opened his eyes from his nightmare. Again, there was a parallelism going on.
To me, that was great editing. The images were superimposed and manipulated to convey one point: that he felt guilty for his patient’s death.
3. Match Cut
-when transitioning into next scene, the editor match Scene A with Scene B with a visual or audio element found in both scenes
– What can be matched? shapes, composition, colors, movements, or sounds
– Note: this isn’t a gradual transition, but abrupt, instantaneous
– this is great for drawing similarity and differences between scenes
– Also useful in bridging time and space
– Note: when a match cut shows faces, it’s done to indicate that the character grew older in time
Example: In Episode 5, to show that HaNeul and JungWoo stayed overnight at Hwabon, the camera showed the moon up in the sky then replaced it with a sunny side up egg that Dr. Bin was cooking for his daughter in the next scene.
Variation: match dissolve
– to eliminate the abruptness of a typical match cut, just to a match DISSOLVE.
– transition is smooth because items are matched and faded/dissolved into next scene
– useful to show the slow progression of time
Examples: I already discussed this in my Episode 4 highlights.
a. The mung beans
The image of JungWoo and HaNeul dissolved into a tray.
A tray of mung beans which her mom was working on. Clever, right?
b. The cherry blossoms
He carried her backpack. Her wrists were injured, not her shoulders, but he still took her backpack. So much for knowing anatomy.
He tried to hide his gallant move by acting a bit curt and gruff with her.
The camera panned to the cherry blossoms in full bloom above their head.
Then, the scene transitioned from daytime to nighttime with the same view of the cherry blossoms.
When the camera panned downward, it showed JungWoo and HaNeul as grown-ups walking under similar cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
4. Iris
– old fashioned but can be stylistic
– like a fade transition because of the use of black, but it uses a circle
– the circle decreases or increases in size
– also effective in emphasizing a detail
– like zooming in on a single detail to show emotion or theme
5. Wipe
– instead of a circle, it uses a line sliding in the screen to reveal the next scene
– like wiping a fog on bathroom mirror to reveal face
– done in “Star Wars”
Variation: doesn’t have to be a line, can be many shapes, star, clock
-great for creating vintage look
6. Passing or pass-by effect
– instead of circles, lines, or shapes, the camera follows a moving character.
– when the moving character enters a new room, building, etc., he/she is actually opening the next scene.
Example: From Episode 7, viewers followed the crying JungWoo to his home, when he entered the gate, he transitioned into a teenager. What a great way to show a) that time had passed by, and b) though he was visibly carrying the seeds anymore, he still carried the insecurity/rejection/anxiety inside of him.
7. Whip Pan
– the camera whips around to reveal the next scene
8. Smash Cut
– similar to a whip pan, but more abrupt and shows contrast
Example: In Episode 7, JungWoo and HaNeul were choosing ice cream. Inebriated, he suddenly dunked his head inside an open freezer. But before his head could smash the freezer, the scene shifted into the next scene where they were both calmly gazing at the moon.
This abrupt transition showed notably different moods.
Observe that bright light in the ceiling. It would become the moon in the next scene. That was a good match.
9. The audio transitions
-instead of a visual element, viewers HEARS the introduction to the next scene.
a. J-Cut
– when the audio of next scene is introduced and heard even before the transition.
b. L-Cut
– when the audio from the previous scene continues on or carried over to the next scene.
Example of J-Cut can be found in Episode 3. Dr. Bin and the bestie were crossing paths in front of the elevator as JungWoo could be heard commenting that it felt like a movie scene. He wasn’t actually talking about the missed connection between Dr Bin and the girl. He was talking about the moon in the following scene.
The fact this scene with Dr Bin and the friend was shot with a hazy filter gave it the movie feel.
Those are the nine scene transitions according to Studiobinder with examples from “Doctor Slump.” When I spot more interesting scene transitions from this kdrama, I’ll update this list.
This is helpful, @Packmule3. In another thread you wrote that you don’t like posts that mindlessly praise cinematography, and I felt guilty as charged. Because I’m not well versed in cinematic methods, I don’t know how to identify and explain what resonates with me. Just as when I view a piece of modern art: I know I like–or don’t like–it, but can’t always put into words why.
A few days ago I binge watched A Killer Paradox, and it is filled with match cuts, smash cuts, and the like. The jerky juxtaposition of scenes and characters show connection, but is unsettling. The way I describe to myself the show’s appearance is “aggressively artsy.” There are times images flash by so quickly they border on subliminal. The result is confusion and dread felt by me, the viewer, which parallels the confusion and dread experienced by the characters I’m watching.
I am rewatching “my lovely kim sam soon”. It was disconcerting to have the screen go black between scenes And more than once. Something I will keep my eye on as I watch the show. From the cinematographic point of view, All the long hallways in this show and and how they film Characters walking up or down them to very funny accompanying music Is of note.
Very cool info! Thanks @PM3 for sharing. This enhances the watching experience and exercises the critical eye. It’s good to have a name for the styles as well as examples from Dr Slump. I love the different cuts!
This is so educational! Thanks for looking into it and sharing your words of wisdom with us @PMule3! Understanding transitions adds another layer to understanding drams and the techniques the producers and camera crew used to help show, not just tell us the story.
I’m really enjoying your insights about Doctor Slump. It’s helped me realize how intentional the production team is in making sure all the details come together so we, the viewers, can experience the emotions our main characters are having.
The first time I grasped the importance of transitions was when I realized preceding events or conversations were followed by the person or future event that had been augured. The obvious example is when the bad guy is being talked about But we don’t know who it is. And then the next scene is the bad guy.
There are more. I take your reference “studio binder”, on their website:
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-jump-cut/
You can see important ones here, like CUTAWAY or JUMP CUT.
Jump cut was used in W episode 1. Yeon-Joo father disappeared, “what happened?” ask Yeon-Joo to Soo-Bong. He looks on his left… JUMP CUT… into a FLASHBACK in the same room where he looks at. It wasn’t in the script.
You can look on internet about normative keywords for screenplay about scene transitions instead of Studio Binder, there are a tons of them. But the main point isn’t the technical term, it’s you saw it and can explain how and why it happens.
In old times, like 60s, screenplays were directing more on the page. Example, the well know series “the twilight zone”. Screenplays are difficult to read because there are camera moves, shots, exact transitions. It’s what we call now “production script”.
Today, spec scripts are more simple, focused on the story. Can be western screenplays or kdrama ones. For example, W screenplay have only a few “fade-out fade-in” the writer wanted, nothing more, same about some other kdrama screenplays.
About MATCH CUT, no need to say the technical term, descriptions in the scenes is enough. Western screenwriters stopped to use a systematic “CUT TO” at the end of each scene, while in the past, it was like mandated.
So, for screenplay, use a scene transition when it can be ok. I used many, can be MATCH CUT, CUTAWAY, DISSOLVE TO, but I never use the technical word, because I write for ordinary people reading novels (maybe) but not screenplay. So I don’t bother people with technical stuff, I just make things clear with normal language. If I end the scene with a character looking at a tablet, and next scene, I start description with a closeup on a tablet (in a different place), it’s obvious we have a match cut. Concrete case I used in an episode. In W screenplay, SJJ used some match-cut like that. No keyword, just the obvious while reading the script.
Pro-screenwriters may use it. But anyway, there isn’t a lot to do it now. The main point about transitions is “is it natural?”. Here I have a case in my episode 39: I know it’s not natural, I’ve a bad transition, nothing to hang on. So need to work on that and create a transition. But most of the time, transitions are ok. Then, the director and/or the editor take care of that. Can make it better.
To resume: the screenwriters take care of a transition when there is an idea, when it’s important, when they really want that like that. Else, it’s not them doing it. Of course, there are a lot of transitions in the screenplay, but not as transitions but scene order. I gave examples on episode 11-12 of “marry my husband”. PRELAP (what’s called J-CUT here) are often in the screenplay, same for L-CUT. Because it’s often voice-over. CUTAWAY is often in the screenplay because it needs to write an INSERT, or a short SCENE. But many other aren’t into it.
Another example from W, episode 1, not in the script. It’s TV news scene. Next scene is Prosecutor questions Kang Chul. Here the director put the TV news in a TV screen facing the interrogation room. I don’t know how to call that. It looks like a match cut. Anyway, it’s well made. I used exactly the same thing in my episode 1. Just here I wrote it in the screenplay. We are watching TV set, and as the view recedes, we find it’s a TV screen in another place.
About your blackscreen example: sorry, I don’t remember the scene. But is it progressive? If it’s a brutal BLACK SCREEN, then it’s not a FADE OUT but a SMASH CUT.
I made a mistake for the first example. The cut about flashback in W ep1 was an INVISIBLE CUT (with camera move) and not a JUMP CUT. JUMP CUT is rather a short skip of time.
INVISIBLE CUT were used in Sisyphus the myth during the fight scene episode 2. It’s a long sequence shot, but it’s impossible to perform as it is, too complicated for the actors. So, the director hides the cuts in this way. But it’s not a changement of scene type of cut, while in my W example, it’s a changement of scene.
Here another video about that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAH0MoAv2CI
In this video, some cuts don’t have a scene change. Some can be created by director/editor, some others can be in the script.
There is a lot of cuts in this I forgot the name. Like the CUTAWAY. While I use it often. But using an INSERT into a scene give this feeling.
These are my favorite type of posts from you! The way you take the time to elucidate camera work, themes, directors’ intention, etc.. is much appreciated.
I am posting so that I get the emails although I did post earlier, but I am not getting any emails
Thanks, @birdie007. 🙂 I’m not a director nor cinematographer. My mother was a big art patroness though and she dragged my brother and me to many museums and exhibitions to explain art. 😂😂 When my sons were little (and not that involved in travel sports and academics), I tried to continue the “tradition.” I dragged them and their Cub Scout pack to the Smithsonian and “interpreted” Picasso, Rubens, and so on for them. A number of times, I’d find that our small group would be joined by museum visitors, thinking I was a volunteer docent. 🤪🤪🤪 Maybe when I retire….
@pm3 I agree with @Birdie – it was like going to film school or class. Your ability to actually show examples from the drama really taught me something I hadn’t thought a lot about. I usually don’t notice transitions unless they’re really memorable (Titanic comes to mind) or bad like when a show has an abrupt transition where a commercial would normally be. After reading this post now all I am seeing is the style of the transitions. It is like learning a new vocabulary word and then noticing that it is used all the time. So thank you again for adding to the viewing experience.