Transitions

Transitions are necessary in films to move us from one scene to another.  Without them, a film would drag on and lose it's excitement as we would have to watch the character's every movement as they go from one place to the next.  

A transition that I am particularly fond of is the use of lap dissolves.  A lap dissolve is a transition in which the previous scene fades into the next scene in the film creating an interesting transition.  

I have chosen an interesting example from the movie Citizen Kane. Here we see the actor walking through swinging doors as this scene dissolves into the newspaper headline of the next scene.  This transition is done so smoothly that it almost tricks your eyes.  Beautifully done!