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10 Great Transition Scenes

By Meredith Alloway · September 15, 2011

The best films use every single second of footage to their advantage. A lot can be said in a minute or less; and a good transition packs a punch. The following transition scenes are used to clue the audience in on important information and either take them comfortably out of the previous scene or prepare them for the next (or in a great case, both). Whether it be introducing us to an environment, character or giving us the facts we need to understand what’s coming next, transition scenes are key to the fluidity of film.

10. Elf (2003)

Buddy the Elf has just left the North Pole on a journey to New York City to find his biological father. One important transition scene crucial in showing how Buddy gets from his snowy home to the monstrous metropolis is when Buddy is in the tunnel leading from Brooklyn into the city. Instead of driving like most, he scoots along up against the walls, inching his way cautiously. Clearly, he walked his entire journey. Already, we see how strange his shift from the North Pole and into the big city will be.

9. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

An example of a transition used to frame a scene, leading into and out of it, comes in the form of lazy rollerblading. Napoleon’s brother asks him to pull him into town because they’re going to a karate class together. We see Napoleon struggling on his bike and his brother holding a string, rollerblading behind him and doing none of the work. They use the same means of transportation on the way home, after the scene at karate class. This transition is both hilarious and helpful in understanding the dynamics of the brothers’ relationship.

8. Finding Nemo (2003)

The wonderful world under the sea is magically introduced to us as Nemo takes his first ride to school. Nemo and his classmates hop on the back of a stingray, giggling with anticipation. The stingray sweeps through the ocean, weaving in and out of colorful coral. Nemo responds with, “Whoa”, as he is exposed to parts of his home he’s never seen before. As he smiles, we can’t help but also feel the beauty of the ecosystem. This short transition not only introduces us to the environment, but also to Nemo’s fascination with it. This short transition also leads us into the scene where Nemo is separated from his father, and it’s important in informing us that Nemo is brave and eager to explore the ocean, which contrasts with his father, who is timid about the danger of the deep blue sea.

7. Black Hawk Down (2001)

War movies often have similar transition shots: all involving landscape, weaponry, and location. Black Hawk Down utilizes this to demonstrate a transition from a scene in Somalia where civilians prepare for battle to the scene when the Americans attack. We see choppers flying over the sea, tanks trudging through the sandy beaches, and soldiers sweating, waiting for attack. This transition builds the audience’s anticipation, clues us in on the amount of superior power the Americans have and shows us the location where the battle will take place.

6. Up in the Air (2009)

Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) travels approximately 270 days a year. He doesn’t want to get married and rarely stays in one place long enough to form a meaningful relationship. He meets Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) who travels just as much as he does and begins to fall for her. An important, short but sweet, transition scene occurs when Alex comes back to Ryan’s hometown. They pull up in front of his high school and sliding in the snow, they try to get into the building. Ryan finds that the door is locked, shrugs and Alex says, “Really, is that all you got?” Using a credit card she fiddles one of the windows open and crawls in. Ryan shakes his head and smiles: he likes this girl. Alex opening the window symbolizes her encouraging Ryan to open himself up to her. This evolves into them exploring his old stomping grounds, where Ryan shows her his past.

5. The Dark Knight (2008)

Unlike transitions that are self-evident in a singular scene, sometimes a group of short scenes (quite common in the action genre) are grouped together to illustrate a larger transition. This type of transition is used during the transfer of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who has just confessed to be the real Batman, to central holding by the police department. Officer Gordon (Gary Oldman) hopes that this will lure the Joker (Heath Ledger) to them and are using Harvey as bait. The transition out of the scene where Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhaal) attempts to change Harvey’s mind and into the car chase scene is important in showing us how seriously the police are taking this transfer. Five S.W.A.T. cars and a helicopter surround the truck Harvey is in as they drive the empty streets of Gotham. Police sit in the back of the truck with Harvey, weapons ready to fire if necessary. The units are forced to divert to lower 5th because of an obstruction: A burning fire truck in the middle of the road. We start to feel uneasy, and that maybe the Joker is in on this. The line of police cars drive past the burning truck into a tunnel, and sure enough the Joker is there to create some problems. The smooth, cautionary transition the department hopes for is immediately contrasted with the Joker’s brutal interception of Harvey and the team protecting him.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

The golden ticket holders and their parents await Willy Wonka (Johnny Depp) outside his factory. The transition is used to give us a final reminder of characters competing for the big prize: Veruca Salt (Julia Winter) demands that her daddy “make time go faster;” Augustus Gloop (Phillip Weigratz) chomps on a chocolate bar; Violet Beauregarde (Annasophia Robb) has her, “Eyes on the prize;” and Mike Teavee (Jordan Fly) is already bored. But Charlie (Freddie Highmore) asks his grandpa if he thinks Wonka will remember his grandpa. Unlike the other children, Charlie’s main concern is not about winning, but instead, he wants his grandpa to be happy. So when the gates open and the contestants rush forward, we clearly understand who to cheer for as the competition begins.

3. Casablanca (1942)

The transition from the scene where we are introduced to our Nazi antagonists to when we meet our protagonist Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is used to show us how much Rick’s American Café is a place of refuge and also the hottest joint in town.  We follow guests from the outside in the damp street into the warm, lively restaurant. The piano player Sam (Dooley Wilson) sings the song, “It had to be you,” as woman coo around him. Various guests covertly talk about their plans to try to get out of Casablanca. People exchange money quietly, sip their brandy, and puff on cigarettes. The transition welcomes us to enter the world of Rick’s Café and like many other of the city’s occupants, we feel at home right off the bat.

2. Alice in Wonderland (1951)

One of the most famous transition scenes of all time is when Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) enters Wonderland. She follows a rabbit with a clock, crawling into a hole in the ground. All the sudden, she falls down a long tunnel. As she drifts down she sees mirrors on the walls, begins to read a floating book, rocks in a rocking chair as the tunnel changes colors by the second. When she hits the ground, she sees the rabbit again and chases after him, going through small and then smaller doors. This transition leads her into the scene where she drinks a magic potion and shrinks. Her journey down the mysterious tunnel informs us that she’s entering a magical, topsy-turvy world.

1. Chicago (2002)

Movie-musicals are tricky. The transitions from scene to scene no longer have the ability for the lights to swell or the red curtain to drop like on the stage. Chicago manages on multiple occasions to transition from scene to musical number in creative ways. For example, the scene where Roxie admits to being pregnant moves smoothly into the song “Mr. Cellophane.” She escapes a swarm of photographers, being driven away in the back of a car. Amos, her husband, is left in the snow, looking longingly after her and receiving no sign of warmth or kiss goodbye from Roxie in return. Then, he’s revealed in vaudevillian attire performing “Mr. Cellophane” to an empty theater. The transition begins to make us pity Amos, which the song serves to further illustrate.