skills/ai-film-pipeline-master/references/phase-03-shooting-script/vlb-cuts-in-scene.md

# 10 — Cuts and In-Scene Transitions

From the Visual Language Bible. Start from `./vlb-decision-tables.md`: name the change you want in the scene, take the technique it hands you, and read its card here.

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## 10 — Cuts and In-Scene Transitions


### The Governing Law
A cut is not the end of a shot — a cut is **a sentence**. Every cut says something: *and then*,
*meanwhile*, *notice this*, or *something just broke*.

**Murch's hierarchy** — when a cut cannot satisfy everything, sacrifice from the bottom up:

1. Emotion (51% — never sacrifice this)
2. Story
3. Rhythm
4. Eye-trace
5. Two-dimensional plane of screen (the 180-degree line)
6. Three-dimensional continuity of action

Which means: **a cut that is continuity-perfect and emotionally dead is a failed cut.** And the
reverse also holds.

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`vlb.cut.the_governing_law`

- **10.1 The Hard Cut Family** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.hard`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.the_hard_cut_family).
- **Standard Cut / Hard Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.hard`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.standard_cut_hard_cut).
- **Cut on Action / Match on Action** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.on_action` · `cut.match_action`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.cut_on_action_match_on_action).
- **Eyeline Match** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.eyeline`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.eyeline_match).
- **Graphic Match** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.graphic_match`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.graphic_match).
- **Match Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.match_idea`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.match_cut).
- **Smash Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.smash`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.smash_cut).
- **Jump Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.jump`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.jump_cut).
- **Cutaway** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.cutaway`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.cutaway).
- **Cut-In / Insert** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.insert` · `size.insert` · `cut.insert` · `size.insert` · `cut.insert`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.cut_in_insert).
- **Cross Cut / Parallel Cut / Intercut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.cross`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.cross_cut_parallel_cut_intercu).
- **Contrast Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.contrast`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.contrast_cut).
- **Rhythmic / Beat Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.rhythmic`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.rhythmic_beat_cut).
- **Concept / Idea Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `scene.montage_intellectual` · `cut.kuleshov`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.concept_idea_cut).
- **Invisible / Hidden Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `cut.invisible`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.invisible_hidden_cut).
- **10.2 Audio Transitions — the Strongest Device in Modern Cinema** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.j_cut` · `sound.l_cut` · `sound.bridge` · `sound.prelap`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.audio_transitions_the_stronges).
- **J-Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.j_cut`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.j_cut).
- **L-Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.l_cut`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.l_cut).
- **Sound Bridge** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.bridge`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.sound_bridge).
- **Pre-Lap** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.prelap`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.pre_lap).
- **The Silence Cut** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `sound.silence_before`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.the_silence_cut).
- **10.3 Optical Transitions** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.dissolve` · `trans.fade_white` · `trans.wipe` · `trans.iris`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.optical_transitions).
- **Dissolve** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.dissolve`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.dissolve).
- **Fade to Black** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.fade_out`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.fade_to_black).
- **Fade to White** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.fade_white`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.fade_to_white).
- **Fade to Colour** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.fade_colour`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.fade_to_colour).
- **Wipe** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.wipe`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.wipe).
- **Iris In / Out** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.iris`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.iris_in_out).
- **Flash / Light Flash Transition** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.flash`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.flash_light_flash_transition).
- **Glitch / Datamosh** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.glitch`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.glitch_datamosh).
- **Morph** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.morph`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.morph).
- **Blur / Defocus Transition** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.defocus`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.blur_defocus_transition).
- **Object Wipe / Whip Wipe** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.object_wipe`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.object_wipe_whip_wipe).
- **Through Black / Natural Black** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.through_black`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.through_black_natural_black).
- **10.4 Dead Transitions — Use Only as Deliberate Irony** - retired as a mirror on 2026-09-23. The card lives at `trans.wipe_star` · `trans.page_turn` · `trans.cube` · `trans.wipe_clock` · `trans.blinds`; this was the Visual Language Bible's copy (its id was vlb.cut.dead_transitions_use_only_as_d).