Types of Transitions

In film editing, transition refers to how one shot ends and the next begins,
and the filmic device that bridges one to the other. Many different types of
transitions have been employed since the early years of cinema. Some are
outdated, used mainly to refer to those first years, but others are still
greatly used today. Each type invokes a different emotion. Understanding
those emotions is essential to master editing.

Cut
The most basic and common type of transition is the cut. A cut happens
when one shot instantly replaces the other. Cuts are so widely used that
feature movies normally count thousands of them.
Cuts are essential for the effects of juxtaposition, especially as
demonstrated by the Kuleshov Experiment. Although most cuts exist
simply for a technical need, the abrupt replacement of one shot by the
other often demands a certain interpretation from the viewer.
Cuts became industry standard for two reasons: First, during the early
years of cinema, when editing actual film, the editor could very easily cut
the celluloid strip with a blade or scissors and splice it together. Any
other type of transition would require further processing from a
specialized lab; therefore, increasing costs. Second, the other types of
transition are more distracting. Cuts allow for a better flow of the movie.

Fade in/out
Fade ins and fade outs are the second most common type of transition.
Fade outs happen when the picture is gradually replaced by black screen
or any other solid color. Traditionally, fade outs have been used to
conclude movies. Fade ins are the opposite: a solid color gradually gives
way to picture, commonly used in the beginning of movies.
Despite being the second most used transition, fades are seldom adopted
by editors. An average feature film will have only a couple of fades, if that.
Fades are used sparingly because they imply the end of a major story
segment. Fades are also utilized when allowing the audience time to
catch their breath after an intense sequence. In Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp
Fiction (1994), one fade out takes place right after Butch (Bruce Willis)
rams his car into Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames), an unexpected
accident that drastically alters the lives of those two characters.

Dissolve
Also known as overlapping, dissolves happen when one shot gradually
replaces by the next. One disappears as the following appears. For a few
seconds, they overlap, and both are visible. Commonly used to signify the
passage of time.

Wipe
Wipes are dynamic. They happen when one shot pushes the other off
frame. George Lucas deliberately used them throughout the Star
Wars series.

Iris
An old-fashioned transition hardly employed today is the iris, when a
circulars masking closes the picture to a black screen. Irises are found in
some cartoons

Nowadays editing programs have introduced several other types of irises,

like a star or heart. Though they have no place in serious filmmaking,
those are great tools for homemade videos.