What are transitions in video editing?

• A. They crop the video frame.
• B. They are effects used between scenes to impact viewer perception, such as cuts, dissolves, fades, and wipes.
• C. They set the soundtrack's tempo.
• D. They adjust color grading.

Answer: (B)

Transitions are the effects used between shots to move from one scene to another and shape how the viewer experiences the change. They influence pacing and mood, guiding how seamless or abrupt the jump feels. Common examples include cuts, dissolves, fades, and wipes. A cut switches instantly from one shot to the next, creating immediacy. A dissolve blends the end of one shot into the start of the next, suggesting a passage of time. A fade softens the image to or from black, signaling a longer pause or a new sequence. A wipe reveals the next shot with a moving edge, often with a stylistic flourish. These transitions differ from actions like cropping, which changes framing, color grading, which alters color and tone, or audio tempo, which changes sound pacing. So, transitions are the on-screen changes between shots that influence how the viewer perceives the shift from one scene to the next.