Editing grammar & transitions · Working
Hard cut
Also called: straight cut
ELI5
A direct transition from one shot to another without a dissolve or effect.
Used in conversation
“The hard cut changes the audience’s experience, so judge it against the whole scene.”
Pitch context
You may encounter “Hard cut” in editing, colour, post & delivery conversations or materials.
Why it matters: Explains how recorded material becomes a finished, approved and technically deliverable work.
Connected terms
- Smash cutThe search label “Hard cut” can route to both entries.
Sources & evidence · 4
Supporting source families. This entry is an editorial synthesis rather than a quotation from one canonical glossary.
- Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Reference ManualSupporting 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
- Netflix — Partner Help Center Delivery SpecificationsSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14
- European Broadcasting Union — EBU R 128 Loudness Normalisation and Permitted Maximum Level of Audio SignalsSupporting source family · primary · checked 2026-08-14