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Dissolve

A gradual overlap of outgoing and incoming images signals passage or associative logic.


Technological Roots

Optical printers combined two film strips, controlling exposure overlap to produce dissolves. Though digital compositing simplifies the math, visual effects teams still tweak gamma curves so mid-tones transition smoothly, preventing muddy mid-grey periods.

Storytelling Modes

  • Time Passage — Seasonal dissolve montages in The Godfather.
  • Dream Logic — David Lynch feathers dissolves with audio whooshes to blur reality.
  • Thematic Coupling — Overlapping lovers’ faces with crashing waves (a cliché now parodied).

Decline and Revival

Widespread overuse in 1990s soap operas rendered the dissolve passé for a decade, but 4K HDR grading resurrected its subtleties—high-dynamic-range content retains highlight detail during overlap, avoiding flat greys previously mocked by DPs.


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