SCENE BREAKS

Each scene ends with a Scene Break. This is usually a simple "CUT TO:" and two blank lines. Other choices are "DISSOLVE TO:" and "FADE OUT:" The Cut To means that only a moment or two has passed between the end of this scene and the beginning of the next. The Dissolve indicates a longer passage of time. Using Fade Out (and Fade In before the next Scene Slug) means that this is a major break in the story, a closure of one segment of the story, and that something very different is coming ahead. Using any of these does not necessarily mean the film will have these specific filmic transitions, but the readers will understand how the story is moving along.

In certain cases you will not want a Scene Break when there is no time transition at all, not even a moment. If a character walks from the living room to the kitchen you may not want a "CUT TO:" if you want to indicate that it is a smooth walk and probably just a camera move or pan. Instead of a Scene Break which takes four lines (a space, the Scene Breaks and two blank lines) before the next Scene Slug, use three blank lines. By doing this you suggest that the camera should move from one room to the next.

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