Cutting a Simple Sequence
You will often find that you have to cut together sequences where the same subject features in a number of consecutive shots. I have already suggested as an example two shots of a man walking down a street. Consider another example, and the choice of possible cutting points. The sequence might perhaps show a car arriving, the driver getting out and walking off. The scene may have been shot from three different positions. There may first be a long shot showing a section of the street with the car drawing up. Then there may be a medium shot concentrating attention on the man. This could be followed by a close-up, again featuring the man. Now, when you assemble these shots, where should you cut? Your aim should be to preserve the visual continuity of the scene and to avoid a double take. You can do this by matching the action at your cutting point.
Matching action cuts
In the long shot we see the car draw up and stop. The man gets out and walks away. In the close-up the car has already stopped and we just see the car door opening and the man getting out and walking away. Now, when you cut from the long shot to the medium shot you must avoid a repetition of the action — like the car door opening twice. Let the car stop in long shot then cut, before the car door opens to the medium shot. Alternatively, let him get out of the car in the long shot and cut to the medium shot later, carefully matching his position and actions so that they are precisely the same in the long shot and the medium shot at your cutting point. Make sure the man is doing the same thing in the same way at the same point. He must not be looking down in the long shot and ahead in the medium shot. Is his mouth closed and are his hands in the same position in both shots at your cutting point? Match the action here and when you cut from the medium shot to a close-up and you will preserve the continuity of the scene.
Avoid a double taka
When cutting out of the long shot of the car arriving and stopping (A) into the close up (B) you must match the action at your cutting point. If you cut at (C) after the car has stopped but before the door has opened, the cut wiM work. If you cut at (D) you will have a double take, allowing the car door to open twice.