The Downward Retention Curve: Transitions

If you’re like past me, you are very familiar with the downward curve on your retention graphs. It’s brutal to see a 60% retention at the beginning of an episode become just 25% by the end. Where are they all going? Why aren’t they staying??

And if you’re also like past me, you have tried everything. The slightly frustrating / happy truth is that the reason why this is happening is actually quite simple.

The moment in-between.

You’ll remember from my last newsletter that a common mistake is to deliver on a payoff before setting up a scene. And because your audience already knows the setup is resolved, they become bored.

Well, the same happens BETWEEN scenes. The moment a setup is delivered upon with a resolution, your viewer is looking for the next set up. It’s that moment in between scenes that you are most likely to lose viewers.

So how do we keep them?

The key is to minimise the space between scenes to pretty much zero. That means any overarching context to the story, character building or information about the location is only added once there is a new setup.

For example:

“Now it was time to get back on the road to head south (scene set up). We chose to head south because…(adding extra story context).”

The Goal of a Transition

Now, transitions deserve more thought than just, “As soon as you are done with one scene, open the next”. Transitions also act as punctuation marks, influencing how viewers feel and understand the flow of the story. Transitions also aid in pacing and emphasize specific moments, setting the tone for what comes next.

So, putting thought into HOW you transition is equally important as minimising that time between scenes. Here are a few scene transition options and how they should be used:

Straight Cut

A straight cut is the most common transition of them all, where one clip ends and the next begins without overlap. While often unnoticed, straight cuts can also be used dramatically for a jarring effect when used BETWEEN SCENES. While you are a beginner, I recommend primarily using straight cuts to maintain high production quality. Too many fancy cuts can quickly make your edit look cheap.

Fades / Dissolves

Fades and dissolves transition a scene to black or white (fade out) and then to a new scene (fade in), often indicating the passage of time or a shift in perception, like falling asleep or waking up. This transition provides a sense of closure or continuity.

Cross Fades / Dissolves

Cross fades dissolve one shot into another without fading to black or white. This overlapping effect can represent time passing or the merging of thoughts, making it useful for scenes that explore memory or introspection. I have used this transition to show people my internal thoughts.

Match Cut

Match cuts transition between scenes with similar visual compositions, like a sunset fading into a sunrise. These seamless transitions can be based on shapes, movements, or colors, creating a smooth flow between scenes. This cut is great to show similarity between scenes, such as waking up at the same anchorage as you went to sleep in. I’ve also used a match cut of me in fancy outfits in one scene and adventure clothes in the next to show the contrast of my different sides.

Visual Metaphors

Visual metaphors use transitions to add symbolic meaning to a story. For example, in a video where I am moving from one city to the next, I may close a door at the end of a scene to symbolise a change that is coming.

How to think about transitions:

There are many more transitions that you likely have within your editing software, but there are two important rules to follow when choosing your transitions:

1. Does this transition represent the EMOTION I want my audience to feel? Be very cognizant of how a transition feels when usingf it.
2. If it is anything other than a straight cut, how many have I used so far? Cuts that are fancier than a straight cut can become overused very very fast, so it’s important to not overuse them, otherwise it can make it hard to follow your story as the viewer gets overwhelmed.

Action

For your next episode, pay close attention to where one scene ends, and the next begins. Experiment with different transitions to see how you can effectively close one scene and introduce the next, enhancing the storytelling flow.