Cutaway
Also known as: cutaway shot, cut-in, B-roll cutaway
A shot of something other than the main action, inserted briefly before cutting back. It adds context, hides jumps and gives the edit breathing room.
Updated
What it means
A cutaway interrupts the main shot with something related: the view from the chairlift during a ski story, a friend watching from the beach while a surfer rides, the waves crashing between two interview answers. Then the edit returns to the main action, often with renewed attention from the viewer.
Editors use cutaways to show context and reactions, to compress time and to hide problems. If a long take has a boring middle or a jump cut would look awkward, a cutaway covers the gap and makes the edit feel seamless.
Cutaways are usually drawn from B-roll footage, which is why filming plenty of extra material on every shoot matters so much.
How it works in practice
While filming, collect cutaways deliberately: faces, hands, gear, signs, landscape details, the crowd, the camera crew, the sky. Each one only needs a few seconds, but having many to choose from makes editing much easier later.
In the edit, insert a cutaway for one to three seconds, then return to the main shot. A reaction shot of a friend cheering after a big jump is a classic cutaway that adds emotion.
Cutaways also make interviews and talking shots easier to edit, because you can remove pauses and mistakes underneath them while the audio continues naturally.
What to watch out for
Cutaways that are unrelated to the story confuse viewers. Keep them connected to the place, the people or the moment, so they add meaning instead of noise.
Too many cutaways break the flow of action. In fast sequences, a cutaway can interrupt momentum, so use them between moments rather than in the middle of a run, where they would steal the tension.
Cutaways with different color or lighting from the main footage stand out. Film them in the same light, or match them in the edit so they sit naturally between the main shots.
How RawClip handles it
Upload your details, views and friend shots from the whole day along with your action clips. RawClip can use them between the strongest moments, giving your highlight context and breathing space.