Cutting cameras

The following are general rules and classic television theory, ft doesn’t mean you can’t break them, but you should know and understand the rules first, and break them for good reasons.

Most cutting is obvious, and there is a danger of over-intellectualising it instead of simply cutting when your gut instinct tells you to. The main point is that cuts should be motivated. This motivation might come visually from inside the frame, from sound or from the dramatic content.

Visual motivation

You have a wide shot of a set at the beginning of a scene (sometimes called the scene setter). A door opens. Cut to the door. This is a clear visual motivation. Who is coming through the door? Is he being inquisitive? Is he sneaking in or is it ...

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