A transition is not an effect.
It is the way the audience moves from one piece of the story to another.
Often the best transition is simply a cut.
Cut when the next information is clear
Maya says:
"I'm going to the library."
Cut to:
wide exterior of the library.
The audience understands.
No spinning page effect required.
Use an establishing shot when location changes
If the new place is not obvious, briefly show it.
For example:
- school exterior;
- city street;
- spaceship approaching planet.
Then move into the action.
Carry sound across the cut
A school bell can begin before we see the school.
Rain can continue across two locations.
Dialogue can start over the previous image.
Sound helps connect scenes.
Match movement
A character closes a door.
Cut to another door opening.
A ball moves left to right.
Next shot continues similar motion.
Visual relationships can make a scene change feel deliberate.
Use fades for meaningful time changes
A fade can suggest:
- ending;
- longer passage of time;
- memory;
- dream;
- softer transition.
Do not use one between every scene.
Let the story create the transition
Scene A ends with a character looking at a photograph of the beach.
Scene B begins at the beach.
That is stronger than a random visual effect because the transition comes from the story.
Watch for accidental jumps
If two shots are almost the same framing but the character changes position slightly, the cut can look like a mistake.
Either:
- make the framing more different;
- use another angle;
- insert a reaction/detail;
- match the action more carefully.
Where MyToonMaker fits
At publication time, Codex should state whether sequence assembly and transitions are handled inside MyToonMaker or in an external finishing tool.
Finish Your Cartoon.