Film Making Tips 101 Cutaways / Reaction Shots

Cutaways are shots which literally are taken in case during editing there needs to be something to “cut away” from the action. If there’s a long monologue and we start to get bored staring at the particular subject (though we’re interested in what they’re saying), a cutaway can provide a nice breath of change to break up the monotony of seeing the one subject. A cutaway does not have to be a human or animal response; it can be action taking place on the street or something relevant in the background.

It’s also labeled as a reaction shot when it’s of a human or animal responding to what’s being said.

Inserts

Inserts are shots which help further explain or focus on an aspect of the action/story. If a man getting his key out of his wallet is relevant to the action, then a close up shot of his hand pulling the key out of the wallet and placing it into a lock may be extremely helpful to see close up. These are referred to as inserts.