GlossaryPage elements
CUT TO:
Also: cut · hard cut
CUT TO: is the most basic transition: one scene ends and the next one starts instantly. It sits on the right side of the page in caps. Most modern scripts leave it out, because a new scene heading already means a cut.
Because every new scene heading already implies a cut, writing CUT TO: between every scene just adds clutter. Save it for a moment where you want the reader to feel the jump, like cutting from a quiet line straight to a loud place.
If you want a sharper or softer join, there are variations: SMASH CUT TO: for a jarring contrast, MATCH CUT TO: for a visual rhyme, DISSOLVE TO: for a slow blend.
SAM
Nothing ever happens in this town.
CUT TO:
EXT. TOWN SQUARE - NIGHT
A police car is on fire.