Cutting on Action for Smoother Edits and Better Continuity

Cutting on action means changing shots in the middle of a movement. A hand reaches for a door in a wide shot, and the next shot picks up the same hand turning the handle. The viewer's eye follows the movement across the join, so the cut passes without a bump.

Why it works

Movement holds attention. When the action continues across a cut, the viewer sees one event from two positions. The cut works best when the second shot has a clearly different angle or size from the first. Two near-identical framings with a cut between them look like a jump.

Find the cut point

1. Play the first shot and press Space to pause in the middle of the movement.
2. Step with the left and right arrow keys. While paused, each press moves one frame. Add Shift to move a full second.
3. Zoom the timeline in with the = key for a closer look, and out with -.

Make the cut

S cuts at the skimmer, the thin line that follows your pointer over the timeline, and at the playhead when the pointer is elsewhere. The toolbar buttons above the timeline work from the playhead, since your pointer is on the button.

1. With the playhead on the chosen frame of shot A, click the toolbar button titled Split and drop the right side. Shot A now ends mid-movement.
2. Play shot B, which now follows shot A. Pause on the frame where the same movement is under way.
3. Click Split and drop the left side. Shot B starts mid-movement and slides left to meet shot A.
4. Play the join. If the movement hitches or repeats, adjust by a frame or two.

Fine-tune the join

Select either clip and open the Trim tab on the right. Trim start and Trim end are jog controls. Press and drag right to move the edge later in the footage, or left to move it earlier. The farther you drag from where you pressed, the faster the edge moves. Release to stop it where it is.

You can also drag a clip's edge on the timeline. It snaps to nearby edit points. If you change your mind, Undo is in the toolbar.

Keep continuity across the cut

Continuity is the sense that two shots belong to one moment.

• Screen direction. A subject leaving the frame to the right enters the next shot from the left, so they keep travelling the same way.
• Position and props. A cup in the left hand stays in the left hand. A door that was open stays open.
• Sound. Let room tone or music run across the join. A steady bed of sound hides small mismatches in the picture.
• Light and color. Shots of one scene should match in brightness and warmth. The Color tab has the sliders.

Your next edit

Pick two shots of the same action in DepCut, cut the first mid-movement, and match the second to it. Play the join a few times and nudge it a frame at a time until the movement flows.