Brief shots cut away from main action — reactions, details, inserts. Save every edit when continuity breaks or timing demands trimming.
Cutaways are your lifeline in the editing room when things get tight. You have two takes of a dialogue, both technically usable, but one doesn't fit the scene's rhythm — or the actors made continuity errors that become visible in the master shot. This is where you cut away: a close-up of the other person's reaction, a detail of the environment, a gesture — something that belongs chronologically to this point in the scene but doesn't necessarily show the main speaker. These short insertions bridge gaps, hide jump cuts, and give you the freedom to shorten or change the dialogue without it being noticeable.
The classic application: You're sitting with your editor and realize the scene is three seconds too long. Instead of shortening the dialogue — which means manipulating lips or risking awkward cuts — you insert a close-up of a reaction at an inconspicuous moment. Suddenly, the length is right, the actors can continue speaking without you having to see their lips. In multi-camera shoots, this is standard: you use the B-camera (often on the listener) to capture precisely these moments. Without cutaways, modern dialogue films would be technically almost impossible to make.
In practice, you set up these shots during filming. Good directors request extra reaction shots at the end of a take — ten seconds of pure reaction without the other person speaking. This gives you complete control later. You can also subtly shift emotions with them: the listener appears skeptical or approving, depending on which reaction you cut in. This is low-level editing cinema, but don't underestimate it. A cutaway can make a mediocre acting performance invisible or make a good one seem even better.
Important: Cutaways only work if they fit the scene visually and temporally. You can't just cut a reaction from side A into side B if the eyeline is wrong — the viewer will notice immediately. And continuity in details counts: hand position, hair, clothing, lighting situation must be consistent. The best cutaway work is invisible. The viewer doesn't see that you've cut — they only see the natural story.