What Is a Cutaway Shot? Complete Video Editing Guide

Cutaway

A cutaway is a supplementary shot that temporarily leaves the main action to show a related person, object, location, reaction, or event outside the primary framing. The edit then often returns to the main action.

Cutaways can provide context, reveal information, control pacing, hide an edit, illustrate narration, or redirect the audience's attention.

Cutaway vs. Cut-In vs. B-Roll

Term	What It Shows	Example
Cutaway	Something related but outside the main action or primary frame	Interview subject speaks, then the edit shows a listener reacting
Cut-in	A closer view of something already within the main scene	Wide view of a repair, then a close-up of the screw being tightened
B-roll	Supplementary footage used to illustrate, add context, or cover edits	Exterior footage, process details, archive images, and cutaways
Insert	An isolated detail important to the scene	A close-up of a phone notification or product label

Cutaways can be B-roll, but B-roll is the broader category. A cutaway is defined by its relationship to the main action in the edit.

What Can a Cutaway Show?

• A listener's reaction during an interview
• An object being discussed
• A clock, sign, screen, or environmental detail
• The audience at an event
• A second activity occurring nearby
• An exterior location during interior dialogue
• Hands, tools, ingredients, or results related to narration
• An archival photo, graphic, map, or screenshot

Why Creators Use Cutaways

• Hide edits: Cover a removed pause, mistake, or shortened answer.
• Show rather than tell: Let viewers see the object or process being described.
• Add context: Reveal where the action occurs or what surrounds it.
• Control pacing: Break up a long static interview or demonstration.
• Build meaning: Connect dialogue with a reaction, symbol, or related image.
• Maintain clarity: Show the result before returning to the instructor.

Cutaways in Talking-Head Videos

In a talking-head video, a cutaway can cover a jump cut while the speaker's audio continues. Useful options include product footage, screenshots, documents, photographs, location footage, reactions, or a close-up demonstration.

The cutaway should support the current idea. Random stock footage may hide the edit but weaken trust or comprehension when it does not accurately represent what the speaker says.

How to Plan Cutaways

1. Read the script or interview topics and mark claims that benefit from visual proof or context.
2. Add specific cutaway needs to the shot list.
3. Capture wide, medium, and detailed variations when useful.
4. Record clean beginnings and endings so the editor has room to cut.
5. Hold static shots long enough to be usable.
6. Record relevant natural sound when it adds information.
7. Label footage so the editor can find the correct subject quickly.

How Long Should a Cutaway Last?

There is no universal duration. It should remain long enough for viewers to understand the image and short enough to preserve the intended pace.

A complex document or product control may need more time than a simple reaction. Readability, movement, narration, and the destination of the next cut all matter.

Continuity and Cutaways

Cutaways can conceal continuity problems, but they can also create new ones. A product should not change position, a person's clothing should not change unexpectedly, and a screen should not display a later step before the narration reaches it.

Capture cutaways during the same setup or document the state of props and actions carefully.

Cutaways and Copyright

A cutaway does not become legally reusable merely because it is brief. Footage, photographs, music, screenshots, and artwork may still require permission, a license, or a valid legal exception.

Use original material, properly licensed assets, public-domain material, or content you are legally entitled to include.

Common Cutaway Mistakes

• Calling every piece of B-roll a cutaway.
• Using unrelated footage solely to hide a jump cut.
• Showing the wrong model, location, interface, or process.
• Recording clips too short for the editor to use.
• Creating continuity errors between the main action and supplementary shot.
• Using a cutaway so long that viewers forget the main speaker or action.
• Assuming brief copyrighted footage is automatically permitted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a reaction shot a cutaway?

It can be when the edit leaves the primary action or speaker to show another person's reaction.

Is a cutaway the same as B-roll?

No. B-roll is a broad category of supplementary footage. A cutaway is a specific editorial move away from the main action.

Can a cutaway hide a jump cut?

Yes. The main audio can continue while the image cuts to relevant supplementary footage, hiding the visual discontinuity.

Do cutaways have to be filmed at the same time?

No, but later footage must accurately match the topic, product, location, continuity, and rights requirements.