Screenplay format guide
Screenplay Transitions: CUT TO, DISSOLVE TO
Screenplay transitions are short instructions like CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO: and MATCH CUT TO:, written in capitals, set flush right, and followed by a colon. In a modern spec script, use them rarely. Every new scene heading already implies a cut, so save transitions for moments where the cut itself means something.
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INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Lena drops the plate. It shatters across the tiles.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. FREEWAY - NIGHT
Lena drives fast, knuckles white on the wheel.
She flicks the headlights off.
MATCH CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Her son flicks off his lamp, listening for the car.
Write your own
Type in plain text. A name in caps right above a line becomes dialogue, and lines starting INT. or EXT. become scene headings.
INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT
Lena drops the plate. It shatters across the tiles.
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. FREEWAY - NIGHT
Lena drives fast, knuckles white on the wheel.
She flicks the headlights off.
MATCH CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Her son flicks off his lamp, listening for the car.
How to use it
- 1
Write the transition in capitals on its own line, ending with a colon, like DISSOLVE TO:
- 2
Place it after the last line of the outgoing scene and before the next scene heading.
- 3
Only add one when the cut changes meaning: a time jump, a jolt, or a visual rhyme.
Common transitions and when they earn their place
| Transition | What it tells the reader |
|---|---|
| CUT TO: | A plain cut. Usually implied, so most writers leave it out |
| SMASH CUT TO: | A sudden, jarring cut, often from quiet to loud |
| MATCH CUT TO: | The next shot rhymes visually with the last one |
| DISSOLVE TO: | One image melts into the next, often time passing |
| FADE OUT. | The ending of the script, or a big act break |
| FADE IN: | The very first line of most screenplays |
Where does a transition go on the page?
A transition sits on its own line, in capitals, aligned to the right side of the page, between the last line of one scene and the heading of the next. Screenwriting software places it for you once you mark the line as a transition. In plain text, any capitals line ending in TO: is read as a transition.
FADE IN: is the exception. It opens the script at the left margin, before the first scene heading. FADE OUT. closes the script, with a period instead of a colon.
Should I use CUT TO: between every scene?
No. Older scripts did, and some shooting scripts still do, but in a spec it reads as padding. A new scene heading tells the reader the scene has changed. A line of CUT TO: adds nothing except length.
Keep transitions for the cuts that carry meaning. A SMASH CUT from a whisper to a scream, a MATCH CUT between two similar images, or a DISSOLVE that tells us years have passed. Used that way, they guide the reader through the rhythm you want.
Is a transition directing on the page?
Sometimes. Editors and directors make the final call on how scenes join, and a page full of DISSOLVE TO: can feel like the writer is doing their job. One or two transitions that land a joke or a shock rarely bother anyone. A dozen will.
More from the format guide
- How to Write a Montage in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flashback in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Phone Call in a Screenplay
- How to Write Text Messages in a Screenplay
- Dual Dialogue in a Screenplay
- Voice Over in a Screenplay: V.O. Narration
- How to Introduce a Character in a Screenplay
- How to Use Parentheticals in a Screenplay
- How to Write an Intercut in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Title Card in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Series of Shots in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Flash Forward in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Dream Sequence in a Screenplay
- Smash Cut: What It Is and How to Write One
- O.S. in a Screenplay: Meaning and Format
- How to Write a Pre Lap in a Screenplay
- Subtitles in a Screenplay: Foreign Dialogue
- How to Write a Split Screen in a Screenplay
- How to Write Slow Motion in a Screenplay
- How to Write a Freeze Frame in a Screenplay
- How to Write Song Lyrics in a Screenplay
Questions writers ask
How do you write a transition in a screenplay?
Write it in capitals on its own line, set flush right, ending with a colon, such as CUT TO: or DISSOLVE TO:. It goes between the end of one scene and the next scene heading.
Do I need CUT TO: between scenes?
No. A new scene heading already implies a cut. Most modern spec scripts leave CUT TO: out and keep transitions for cuts that mean something.
What is a match cut?
A cut where the next shot echoes the last one in shape, motion or sound, like a spinning coin becoming a spinning planet. Write MATCH CUT TO: and make the rhyme clear in both action lines.
How do you end a screenplay?
Most scripts end with FADE OUT. on its own line, sometimes followed by THE END.