Close-ups
Don’t be stingy with close-ups of important things or persons. Close-
ups usually look better and more interesting than long shots do on a
television screen, and they work well in post-production effects.
Long shots / Semi-long shots
Long shots provide the viewer with an overview and establish the
scene of the action. However, these shots can also be used to tighten
longer scenes. When you cut from a close-up to a long shot, the
viewer no longer sees the details, and it is thus easier to make a
chronological jump. Showing a spectator in a semi-long shot can
also provide visual relief from the main action, and the opportunity
of a transition away from the action if desired.
Complete actions
Always shoot complete actions with a beginning and an end. This
makes editing easier.
Transitions
Cinematic timing requires some practice. It is not always possible to
film long events in their entirety, and in movies they often have to be
represented in severely abbreviated form. Nonetheless, the plot
should remain logical and cuts should almost never call attention to
themselves.
This is where the transition from one scene to the next is important.
Even if the action in neighboring scenes is separated in time or
space, your editorial choices can make the juxtaposition so smooth
that the viewer bridges the gap without conscious attention.
The secret to a successful transition is establishing an easily-felt
connection between the two scenes. In a plot-related transition, the
connection is that of successive events in an unfolding story. For
example, a shot of a new car might be used to introduce a
documentary about its design and production.
A neutral transition doesn’t in itself imply a story development or a
change of time or place, but can be used to smoothly connect
different excerpts from a scene. For example, cutting away to an
