Wipe (transition) facts for kids

A wipe is a special way to change from one picture or scene to another in movies or TV shows. Imagine one picture sliding off the screen while a new one slides into its place. This can happen from the side, top, bottom, or even with a special shape!

Sometimes, a wipe happens from two opposite sides of the screen, moving towards the middle, or from the middle moving outwards. This is called a barn door wipe because it looks like a pair of barn doors opening or closing.

Different Kinds of Wipes

There are many fun and creative ways to use wipes in films and cartoons. Each type of wipe can give a different feeling to the scene.

Iris Wipe

An iris wipe is a special wipe that looks like a circle growing bigger or shrinking smaller. Think of it like an eye opening or closing! This type of wipe was used a lot in old cartoons, like Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. It often showed the end of a story. Sometimes, the circle would close around a character's face, making it a funny "last look" or a wink to the audience.

Star Wipe

A star wipe is a wipe that looks like a star growing or shrinking on the screen. It was often used to make something seem "extra special" or exciting. You might have seen a star wipe in old TV shows from the 1980s, like Guiding Light. While it was popular back then, many people now think it looks a bit old-fashioned. Sometimes, shows like The Simpsons even make fun of it!

Heart Wipe

A heart wipe is a wipe shaped like a heart that grows or shrinks. It's used to show feelings of "love" or "friendship." You'll often see heart wipes in videos for weddings, graduations, or bar mitzvahs. Even though some people might think it's a bit cheesy, it's become a common way to show sweet moments.

Matrix Wipe

A matrix wipe is a patterned way to switch between two pictures. It can use different patterns like a grid of squares, or even stars, to reveal the next scene. It's like the new picture is being built up from many small pieces.

Clock Wipe

A clock wipe sweeps around the middle of the screen, just like the hands of an analog clock. Because it looks like time passing, it's often used to show that a lot of time has gone by between the last scene and the new one. The TV show Regular Show used this effect. Also, The Red Green Show often used a clock wipe with a cartoon roll of duct tape and a loud "yanking tape" sound!

Invisible Wipe

The "Invisible Wipe" is a very clever wipe that you might not even notice! It happens when the camera follows a person into another room. As a wall or object passes in front of the camera, the filmmakers can secretly switch to a different shot. This makes the cut seem invisible. It's also used in fast camera movements during action scenes to hide a cut. A great example is in the movie Das Boot, where the director used it to make it look like the camera was moving between different u-boat pens, even though they only had one submarine for filming.

Creative Wipes

Some very creative wipes were used in the old Laurel and Hardy short film Thicker than Water. In this film, Laurel or Hardy would grab a curtain or another object at the edge of the screen and pull it across. As the object moved, the next scene would appear on it, making it look like the object itself was "wiping" away the old scene and bringing in the new one.

History of Wipes

The very first known example of a wipe in a movie was in George Albert Smith's film Mary Jane's Mishap, made in 1903.

Later, George Lucas used wipes a lot in his Star Wars movies. He was inspired by how the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa used wipes in his films.