On Mon, 3 Jul 1995, Mark C. Pizzato wrote: > > My student was asking about the end of certain films when a black dot grows from > the center of the screen, rather than a cut or fade or dissolve to black--as a > way to end the movie. This transition is called an Iris Out, and may be used at the end of any sequence, not just at the end of a film. D.W. Griffith used the effect extensively, but I think I remember reading he didn't invent it. To get an iris effect, a rubber diaphragm is fitted onto the lens. As it slowly opens (Iris In to the next shot) or closes (Iris Out) it mimics the iris of the eye, letting in light in proportion to its degree of openness. Bordwell and Thompson must have a succinct definition of the Iris transitions. Irises are usual roundish, but _The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari_ has lovely diamonds and rhombuses and so on. Some modern movies use Iris Ins/Outs as a way of getting an old-fashioned look: _Chaplin_, _Age of Innocence_, maybe _Dick Tracy_. Sylvia Swift [log in to unmask] ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]