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Dictionary by pitch.dog
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.
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Sources & evidence · 8

Direct term-level sources and supporting source families.