Change in the relative degree of darkness and lightness, the amount of contrast and the degree of clarity in a visual image
Characteristics:
- Can be used as a visual introduction, fade in: transition from a uniform dark screen to a clearly perceptible image. Or as the opposite, fade out.
- Generally used to mark the beginning and end of a major film segment
- Sound usually follows the visual transition
- Part of the continuity editing conventions; usually represents a passage of time in the film
Related effects: Dissolve
Related induced effect: Temporal and spatial order
Opposite effect: Cut
(bordwell, 2009)