# FADE IN / FADE OUT > Classic bookend transitions: FADE IN: opens a script (or sequence); FADE OUT. or FADE TO BLACK ends it. They mark soft boundaries rather than hard cuts. Also known as: FADE IN:, FADE OUT., FADE TO BLACK **On the page** ``` FADE IN: FADE OUT. ``` ## In practice FADE IN: at the top of a draft is industry habit — many readers expect it, and software often inserts it. FADE OUT. (or FADE TO BLACK.) closes the story with a deliberate settle instead of an abrupt CUT TO. Mid-script fades can signal time, memory, or a chapter break, but stacking them every few pages dilutes the effect. Modern specs vary: some skip FADE IN entirely and open on the first scene heading; others keep the ritual. What matters more than orthodoxy is consistency and meaning. If every act ends with FADE TO BLACK, ask whether you needed a softer landing or were avoiding writing a sharper cut that actually turns the story. Do not confuse a fade with CONTINUOUS or LATER — those are time-of-day cues on headings, not optical transitions. When you experiment with title cards, crawls, or blackouts between chapters, keep the surrounding scenes clear so production never mistakes a stylistic fade for a missing slugline. ## Common questions ### Is FADE IN required on every spec? Many professional drafts still open with FADE IN:, but plenty of modern specs start on the first scene heading. Follow the expectation of your target readers; consistency beats superstition. ### What is the difference between FADE OUT and FADE TO BLACK? In practice they are close cousins. FADE TO BLACK names the destination; FADE OUT. is the classic close. Use one form consistently rather than inventing a third synonym mid-draft. ### Can I fade between scenes in the middle of a script? Yes when the soft transition is the point — memory, elegy, a chapter hinge. If you only need a hard scene change, a new heading (and an occasional CUT TO:) is usually cleaner. ### Should every act break use FADE TO BLACK? Not by default. Act breaks live in story turns. Optical fades are optional punctuation; overusing them trains readers to expect a commercial bumper instead of a narrative pivot. ## Related terms - [Transition](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/transition): An editing instruction between scenes — CUT TO:, DISSOLVE TO:, SMASH CUT TO:. Modern specs use them rarely; most cuts are assumed. - [DISSOLVE](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/dissolve): A transition where one image gradually replaces another. On the page, often written DISSOLVE TO: to suggest time passage, memory, or thematic linkage rather than a hard cut. - [Scene heading (slugline)](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/scene-heading): The line that opens a scene: interior or exterior, location, and time of day — for example, INT. KITCHEN — NIGHT. It orients the reader and anchors production breakdowns. - [Cold open](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/cold-open): A teaser before titles — common in TV pilots and episodes — that hooks the audience before the episode’s formal act structure begins. --- Canonical page: