Ordering your video sequences in a deliberate manner not only
permits you to produce certain effects, but even enables you to
convey messages that cannot or should not be shown in pictures.
There are basically six methods of conveying messages through cuts.
Let’s look at each in turn.
Associative cuts
Shots are strung together in a certain order to trigger associations in
the mind of the viewer, but the actual message is not shown.
Example: A man bets on a horse race and, in very next scene, we see
him shopping for an expensive new car at a car dealership.
Parallel cuts
Two actions are shown in parallel. The film jumps back and forth
between the two actions; making the shots shorter and shorter until
the end. This is a way of building suspense until it peaks. Example:
Two different cars drive from different directions at high speed
toward the same intersection.
Contrast cuts
The film purposely cuts unexpectedly from one shot to another, very
different shot, in order to point up the contrast to the viewer.
Example: A tourist lying on the beach; the next shot shows starving
children.
Substitutionary cut
Events that cannot or should not be shown are replaced by other
events (a child is born, but instead of childbirth, the blossoming of a
flower bud is shown).
Cause and effect cuts
Shots are related by virtue of cause and effect: without the first shot,
the second would be incomprehensible. Example: A man fights with
his wife and, in the very next shot, is seen sleeping under a bridge.
Formal cuts
Shots that vary in content can be strung together if they have
something in common – the same shapes, colors, or motions, for
example. Examples: A crystal ball and the earth; a yellow raincoat
and yellow flowers; a falling skydiver and a falling feather.
