Cutaway Shots Explained | Improve the Storytelling in Films and Videos

Cutaway shots are an essential technique in filmmaking, often used to enhance storytelling and maintain the flow of a scene. For beginners, learning when and how to use cutaways is essential for creating smoother transitions between key moments and making their films to a professional standard. In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of cutaway shots, their purpose, and how you can effectively incorporate them into your projects to improve your filmmaking skills.

What is a cutaway shot

A cutaway shot is a brief clip that interrupts the main action of a scene to show related details, objects, or background elements. It's often used to provide additional context or highlight important aspects without being distracted from the primary storyline. Cutaways help maintain continuity and add visual interest, creating a more dynamic and engaging film.



Differences between the main shot and a cutaway shot

The main shot in filmmaking is the primary visual that focuses on the central action or subject of the scene. It is crucial for advancing the story and ensuring the audience stays connected with the key events unfolding. Main shots often establish the characters and setting, keeping the narrative clear and focused.

In contrast, a cutaway film shot briefly moves away from the main action to provide additional information. It can show details like a character’s reaction or an object relevant to the scene. Cutaways are useful for adding depth, maintaining continuity, and preventing visual monotony by offering a change in perspective.

Importance of cutaway shots in films

Cutaway movie shots serve multiple purposes, offering more than just visual variety. Here’s how they help boost a film’s visual storytelling:

• Enhances storytelling
• Cutaway shots add depth to the narrative by providing visual cues that support the story, helping viewers better understand the emotions and themes at play.
• Covers transitions
• They help seamlessly bridge different scenes or actions, making transitions between shots feel smoother without jarring the audience.
• Builds tension
• By shifting focus to secondary details, cutaway shots can build suspense, heightening the emotional impact and keeping viewers on edge.
• Shows key details
• Cutaways highlight important details that may otherwise be overlooked, allowing filmmakers to draw attention to crucial plot points subtly.
• Improves pacing
• These shots offer brief breaks from the main action, helping to regulate the pacing of a film and prevent the story from feeling rushed or too slow.

3 best examples of cutaway shots

Here are three examples that demonstrate how cutaway creates deeper connections between characters and their surroundings, establish pacing, and build tension:

1. Cutting between the character and an object
2. Cutaway editing in the scene can reveal a character’s focus or internal state by showing an object of interest. For instance, a shot of a character gazing upwards can be followed by a close-up of a ticking clock, then returning to the character’s excited expression. This sequence implies that the character is anticipating an event related to the clock, giving insight into their emotional state.
3. Cutting away to show the passage of time
4. To indicate a passage of time without disorienting the audience with jump cuts, editors can use the cutaway shot. For example, after showing a character going to bed and then waking up, a cutaway of a clock or the moon can be inserted between these shots. This approach subtly communicates that time has elapsed, linking the two main shots smoothly.
5. Cutting from a character to a location
6. Cutaway shots can build tension by shifting focus to a location or object related to the scene. In a horror film, for example, cutting from a frightened character to a dark, ominous alley creates suspense. This technique heightens the audience's anticipation and dread as they wait to see how the scene will unfold when the focus returns to the character.

How to employ cutaway shots effectively

To make the most of the cutaway shots in your film, careful planning and creative execution are essential. Here's how to use them effectively:

1. Research extensively during preproduction
2. Before filming, study cutaway shots from renowned filmmakers. Analyze how they integrate cutaways and the purpose they serve in the narrative. Taking notes and crafting a storyboard can help align your vision with that of the director and crew, ensuring thoughtful use of cutaways during editing.
3. Incorporate relevant b-roll during filming
4. Cutaways often come from b-roll footage, which adds depth to the story. Select the b-roll that is engaging and relevant to the scene to ensure the cutaway is impactful. Having a variety of well-shot b-rolls provides more options to include cutaway shots during editing efficiently.
5. Enhance character interiority
6. Cutaways can provide insight into a character's thoughts, emotions, or motivations. Whether depicting a memory, fantasy, or a subtle emotional cue, a well-placed cutaway helps the audience connect with the character on a deeper level, enhancing the narrative.
7. Use cutaways to mark the passage of time
8. When your story includes moments where time needs to pass quickly or show a change in location or mood, in that case, a cutaway can be an effective way to transition smoothly between these moments, creating a cohesive flow without disorienting the audience.
9. Ensure continuity in the narrative
10. Review your footage to identify any scenes that might feel disjointed or abrupt. A cutaway shot can bridge these gaps, maintaining the film's continuity and making transitions feel more natural and fluid.
11. Experiment with creativity
12. Some of the most iconic cutaways in cinema were born out of experimentation. Take the time to explore different cutaway options from your footage and b-roll. You might discover unexpected ways to enhance your story through creative cutaway shots.

Create dynamic cutaway shots with the CapCut desktop video editor

CapCut desktop video editor is a versatile tool for creating dynamic cutaway shots. With features like easy splitting and trimming, it allows precise editing to insert cutaways smoothly into your footage. Its advanced tools let you refine your videos further, whether by adding transitions, effects, or syncing audio. CapCut makes professional-level video editing accessible, giving you creative control over every detail.



Key features

• Split and cut scenes
• This feature allows users to split videos into smaller segments, making it easier to insert cutaways and organize footage effectively.
• Precise clip trimming
• Users can trim the clip to fine-tune the length, ensuring smooth transitions between scenes and enhancing the overall flow of the video.
• Incorporate video transitions
• CapCut offers smooth video transitions between clips, helping to create a polished, professional look in any project.
• Multiple video overlays
• This feature allows the layering of multiple videos, enabling more dynamic storytelling and creative visual compositions.
• Customizable templates
• CapCut provides a range of editable templates that can be tailored according to your project, speeding up the editing process while maintaining a unique style.

How to create cutaway footage in CapCut

Start by downloading the CapCut desktop video editor for free using the button below. Once installed, follow the steps outlined to create cutaway shots in CapCut.

Step
1. Upload the video
2. Launch CapCut and start a new project. Next, click "Import" to upload the video file from your device.
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Step
4. Create a cutaway scene
5. After uploading your videos, add them to the timeline. Split the video into segments and trim any unnecessary parts. Rearrange these segments to integrate your cutaway shot. Once your cutaway is set, explore additional editing tools to refine your video further. You can add video transitions between clips, apply filters, adjust the audio, and use other advanced features to perfect your video.
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Step
7. Export and share
8. When you're done, click on the "Export" option. Customize the video settings such as resolution, codec, bitrate, and frame rate to your liking, then select "Export." Furthermore, you can directly share your video on TikTok or YouTube.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, mastering cutaway shots can profoundly enhance the quality of your film projects by adding nuance to your narrative. By skillfully integrating cutaways, you can guide your audience’s focus, smooth out transitions, and enrich the narrative flow.

For an easy and efficient way to incorporate cutaway shots into your projects, try the CapCut desktop video editor. Its powerful tools for splitting, trimming, and adding transitions can help you create professional-quality cutaways and enhance your video projects.

FAQs

1. Is a cross-cut short different from a cutaway shot?
2. Yes, a cross-cut shot alternates between scenes happening simultaneously in different locations, while a cutaway shot shifts focus to a different subject within the same scene to provide additional context. To create precise cutaway shots, consider using the CapCut desktop video editor, which offers features like splitting, trimming, and rearranging clips to perfect your edit.
3. Where to use cutaway cuts in films?
4. Cutaway shots are perfect for revealing a character's emotions, providing context, or smoothing transitions between scenes. They enhance the narrative and highlight key elements. If you want to integrate cutaways into your videos, use the CapCut desktop video editor, which enables you to trim clips, add transitions, and overlay scenes for a smooth editing experience.
5. What does a cutaway shot look like?
6. A cutaway shot typically features an external detail related to the main action, such as an object or a reaction from a character. It gives the viewer more information without being distracted from the primary scene. You can easily create and layer these shots in CapCut by using its video splitting, trimming, and overlaying tools for professional results.