Coverage & shot function · Working
Cutaway
ELI5
A shot of something outside the main action used for context, reaction, compression or editorial flexibility.
Used in conversation
“Can we add the cutaway to the shot plan for this scene?”
Pitch context
This term helps a treatment describe how the camera or light will shape the viewer's experience.
Why it matters: Explains what the image should look like and how it can be framed, captured and lit.
Connected terms
- Insert shotAn insert isolates a detail within the main action; a cutaway leaves the main action to show related material elsewhere.
Sources & evidence · 8
Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.
- Adobe — Adobe Premiere Pro User GuideDirect source · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- AICP — Suggested Best Practices for Bidding and Bidding Reference GuideDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Directors Guild of America — DGA Creative Rights HandbookDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX OverviewDirect source · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- ARRI — Lens and Camera Technical ResourcesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences / ACES — ACES Glossary and User GuidesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- ScreenSkills — Online Learning Glossary and Job ProfilesSupporting source family · institutional · checked 2026-08-14
- Epic Games — In-Camera VFX Best PracticesSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14