Cutaways

Cutaways

Cutaway shots are often included in a scene of action. This is where there is a shot of something else in between that action.

Cutaways enable the director to include breaks at different periods of time during the action, keeping the audience ready and wanting to see more. 

However, cutaways can make the audience lose interest and patience due to consistent interruption. 

Cutaways can also be used to: 

• Create suspense.
• Give the audience a sense of place and time.

This extract from The Godfather is a clear example of a cutaway; for around a minute the main character (Michael) speaks about his family, engaging both the person he is speaking to and the audience into the story he is telling. The man Michael is talking about his father being close to is the singer that the camera cuts to right before he says "That's my family, Kay". This leaves creates suspense for the audience, making them want to watch more into the story.