Looking at effects and transitions

Being the editor in my group means I have to decide on appropriate film effects and transitions to apply to our sequence. Below is a short film using images from 'Galleryplayer' to demonstrate various effects and transitions that we could use:

Many different effects and transitions have been applied, some noticeable and some not. Each effect and transition between each image adds to create a certain feel towards the film. Below I've analysed each image to explain what has been applied:

1. Image 1 is of a a green leaf. The image fades in from black, so it is slowly introduced to the audience. It also reinforces the vibrancy in colour of the image.
2. Image 2 is of an orange rose. The transition applied between Image 1 and Image 2 is a dissolve, as the audience can see the beginning of Image 2 appearing over Image 1. This gives a soft and gentle feeling, which helps to represent the characteristics of the rose in Image 2.
3. Image 3 is of seashells and starfish. A black and white effect has been applied to this image to give connotations of old and the past. The transition between Image 2 and Image 3 is known as a 'checkerboard'. The effect is common in cartoons but otherwise isn't used as it breaks up the atmosphere created previously, and gives the film a cheap amateur feel. We won't be using this transition in our film noir opening sequence as it wouldn't set the right mood for our audience, and it isn't very noiry either.
4. Image 4 is of a spider's web. The transition applied between Image 3 and Image 4 is called a 'cut', and it is the most simple of all transitions. One shot appears directly after another shot, and the 'cut' is where the 2 shots come together. It is basic but is used frequently in many types of visual media (tv programmes, films etc.). We will be using the cut the most in our film opening as it is basic and gives a sharp, snappy rhythm to the film, which is what we want since our film involves lots of fast-paced action.
5. Image 5 is of a snowy landscape. The transition applied between Image 4 and Image 5 is called 'pixelation', and is common in TV programmes and films to show a character's ill mental state or emotion (e.g. a migraine or headache, confusion or in a nightmare scene). The images blur together to confuse the audience, which could be the same feeling the character shown is feeling too. We won't be using this transition in our film as it doesn't suit our narrative and would break up the tension we are trying to create through our footage. Image 5 fades out to white at the end, which matches with the snow theme from the image. We want to use this effect at the beginning of our film sequence, to give connotations of death just before the anonymous dead body is shown, and also to mark a change in location. Or maybe at the end to mark the death of one of our characters and the beginning of the film.

As demonstrated through the short film above, even motionless images can create a certain atmosphere or feeling when a certain effect or transition is applied. That is why it is very important that we choose the right transitions and effects in our film sequence, as we want to ensure there is tension and enigma so that it fits in with the noir genre style.

The images used can be found from http://www.galleryplayer.com or from the 'Sample Images' file located on most 'Microsoft XP' computers.