Glossary
What is a cutaway?
By the KeyMo team · Updated
A cutaway is a shot that briefly leaves the main subject to show something related, such as an object, a place or someone's reaction, then returns. Editors use it to add context, hide an edit or show what a speaker describes. A short podcast clip of one person talking rarely needs one.
How a cutaway works
The main shot carries the scene. A cutaway interrupts it for a few seconds with a different shot that connects to what is being said or done, and then the picture goes back. The sound often keeps running underneath, which is why a cutaway feels like a glance, not a scene change.
- Reaction: the other person listening while the first one talks.
- Detail: a close shot of the thing being discussed, such as a product, a document or a hand.
- Context: a place, a photo or an archive clip that shows what the speaker is describing.
- Cover: a shot placed over a jump so a trimmed sentence does not visibly jump.
A cutaway in an interview
Example: a founder is describing how the first workshop looked. The editor keeps her voice running and shows a photo of that workshop for four seconds, then returns to her face. The viewer gets the picture of what she means, and the edit in her sentence is hidden. When the audio carries over the cut like this, the move is close to a J-cut.
Cutaways are usually kept short and are tied to the words. A cutaway that arrives late or shows something unrelated looks like a mistake.
Why a podcast clip rarely needs one
A clip of 20 to 60 seconds with one speaker in frame gives the viewer a face, a voice and captions. Those are enough to hold attention, and a cutaway adds work and risk. You need a source for the extra footage, and an inserted film clip or song can bring a copyright claim.
| Situation | Cutaway worth adding? |
|---|---|
| Audio-only episode | No footage exists. Captions and a waveform do the work. |
| One host, one camera | Usually no. A punch-in or caption change gives variety. |
| Two cameras on a guest and a host | A reaction shot is available, but that is multicam switching, not a cutaway. |
| A speaker describes something visual | Yes, if you have a clean image or clip you have the right to use. |
| A trimmed sentence leaves a jump | Maybe. Often a tighter cut or a punch-in is simpler. |
Mistakes with cutaways
- Cutting away from the punchline, so the viewer misses the reaction they were waiting for.
- Using stock footage that only loosely fits the words.
- Holding the cutaway too long, so the speaker's voice drifts from the picture.
- Forgetting that inserted footage belongs to someone, and needs permission or a licence.
- Using cutaways to make up for weak audio. Fix the moment you picked first.
Near neighbours and where KeyMo fits
A cutaway is footage used inside the cut. Secondary footage of this kind is often called B-roll, while the main interview shot is the A-roll. A cutaway leaves the scene; a cut-in is a closer look at the same subject. In sitcoms, a cutaway gag is a short scene cut to for a joke, and on a guitar a cutaway is a scooped-out body shape, which are different uses of the word.
KeyMo cuts your source video into vertical clips, tracks the face to keep the speaker framed, trims silence and adds word-by-word captions. It does not claim to add cutaway footage, so if you want inserts, add them in your own editor after export.