Reaction shot
Also known as: reaction, reaction cut
A shot of someone responding to the action, such as friends cheering, a rider laughing or a gasp after a crash, adding emotion and human connection.
Updated
What it means
A reaction shot shows how people feel about what just happened. In action videos, it might be friends shouting after a clean landing, a rider grinning at the bottom of a run, a nervous face at the top of a drop or a crowd turning to watch.
Reactions turn spectacle into story. A big jump is impressive, but a big jump followed by friends losing their minds is memorable. They also confirm to viewers that a moment was special, which makes them feel it more strongly.
Reaction shots are a type of cutaway, filmed with a second camera, a phone or the rider own front-facing camera.
How it works in practice
Keep a camera on friends during key attempts, not only on the rider. A phone on a tripod at the bottom of a jump or a second rider filming the group often catches the best reactions.
In the edit, cut to the reaction right after the action peak, for one to three seconds, then continue. A reaction can also come first, building curiosity about what they are looking at.
Natural sound, such as cheering and laughter, makes reactions much stronger. Let it play under or instead of the music for a moment before the beat comes back.
What to watch out for
Staged reactions look fake. Real moments, even small ones, beat acted excitement, and viewers can tell the difference instantly.
Reactions that do not match the action, like cheering for a modest move, can feel awkward. Use them for moments that genuinely earned them, and let smaller moments speak with natural sound instead.
Ask before filming and posting people who are not part of your group. Strangers in the background reacting to your crash may not want to appear online, so check consent and privacy rules where you live. Keep reaction moments short and to the point.
How RawClip handles it
Upload clips of friends and onlookers from the whole session together with your action footage. RawClip looks for faces and peak moments, and it can include reactions alongside the action in your highlight.