Dip to Black

The picture gradually darkens to black or emerges from black, with no second shot overlapping.

This is for a motion graphics video. Close [scene] with a "Fade" (also called a fade out or fade to black): the picture gradually darkens to black.
Fade to plain black with no second shot showing through — unlike a dip to black, it does not carry on into another shot. For a fade in, run it the other way and let the picture emerge from black.
Run the fade over [duration], at an even pace.

The outgoing shot is blurred out of focus and the next shot is pulled into focus, hinting at dreams or time passing.

This is for a motion graphics video. Join two shots in [scene] with a "Defocus Transition" (also called a defocus or blur transition): the outgoing shot drifts out of focus until it is a soft blur, and the next shot is pulled into focus out of that blur.
Swap the shots while the picture is at its softest so the change itself is never seen sharp — unlike a dissolve, the two pictures do not overlap in focus, and unlike a dip to black the screen never goes to a solid color.
Run the transition over [duration], blurring out and focusing in at the same gentle pace.

A very brief shot, often one to three frames, jammed into the sequence for a near-subliminal jolt.

This is for a motion graphics video. Add a "Flash Cut" to [scene]: jam a shot lasting only a few frames into the sequence, then snap straight back.
It should register as a jolt more than as an image — unlike a cutaway, the viewer gets no time to read it.
Fit the sequence into [duration], and make the inserted shot differ strongly in brightness from the shots around it so the flash is felt.

One shot is instantly replaced by the next with no optical effect; the baseline every other transition is compared against.

This is for a motion graphics video. Join the shots in [scene] with a "Hard Cut" (also called a cut or direct cut): one shot is replaced by the next instantly.
Put no fade, wipe or any other effect on the cut — unlike a smash cut it is not meant to shock, it is just the plain shot change.
Fit the shots into [duration], and place the cut on a beat or a finished movement so it passes unnoticed.