CUTS AND TRANSITIONS
Cutting on the Action
The cut occurs right in the middle of some type of action.
Cut Away
Cut away to a different shot, then cut back to the first shot.
Cross Cut
Cutting back and forth between two different shots or locations.
Jump Cut
Skipping ahead over and over to show the passage of time.
Match Cut
Cut to another shot that matches the first shot (in some way).
Smash Cut
Cut to a shot that is very different from the first shot (loud to soft, soft to loud, fast to slow, slow to fast, etc.)
Invisible Cut
A cut that is hidden (in a whip-pan, when the camera looks into total darkness, when something passes in front of the screen, etc.)
Fade
One shot dissolves into another shot.
Fade
The shot fades in or fades out.
Dissolve
One shot dissolves into another shot.
Iris
Mimics an iris closing on the shot.
L-Cut and J-Cut
These cuts are related to the audio from a shot.
If you cut to another shot but you still hear the audio from the first shot, it's called an "L-Cut."
If you hear the audio from the next shot early, it's called a "J-Cut."
