Dear Mark -- It seems as if you and your student are talking about an iris, a common silent film effect used to end scenes, films, elide time/space, etc. Most recenlty it was used in DON JUAN DE MARCO, and is often invoked self- consciously in films of a nostalgic vein (see THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, for example). Is this what you meant? Nina Leibman ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]