Reducción del riesgo

keep the principal subject framed; be aware of the change of perspective on the background; use the movement sparingly—only when motivated for dra- matic effect or to reveal the most appropriate visual in- formation in the most effective and timely manner. (See Figure 4-7.)

Special-Use Shots

This category of shots is defined by the function of the shot and not by the focal length, framing, or camera movement. These shots usually serve as transitions from one part of the visual story to another or as aids in the editing process to maintain continuity. The fol- lowing shots allow the editor to take the viewer smoothly through the flow of the story while not af- fecting the visual style.

The Cutaway Shot

As its name implies, the cutaway shot is used to cut away from the action. When an editor is putting to- gether a series of shots and wants to avoid a jump cut

(a break in continuity), a cutaway is used to take the viewer to a different subject so that time or subject po- sition can change on the first subject without disturb- ing the continuity within the overall flow of shots. (See Figure 4-8.)

The most basic example of this is during an inter- view in which two different soundbites are butted

(used back to back). The interviewee’s head is not in the same exact position from one shot to the next, and therefore the edit can result in a jump cut: the inter- viewee’s head jumps instantly through space and time to another position. This is a break in continuity for the viewer, who is used to the illusion of real time within a story.

In TV news, the solution to the problem is a cut- away shot to the reporter listening to the interviewee. This shot (picture only) is often called a reversal; it re- verses the viewer’s perspective from the person being interviewed to the reporter. It is inserted over the edit so that the audio is not disturbed and the bridge in time is not noticed by the viewer. This type of shot is

Figure 4-7 For this scene, the shooter could crane or tilt up from the man’s shoes to reveal him standing forlornly in

the rain, perhaps having missed the bus for a date. Figure 4-8 In the series of photos of the sculptor, this shot of his hands coming into the frame to exchange one tool for another is a cutaway from the main action of sculpt- ing. It is still part of the story, but does not involve the main action of the subject.

76 Chapter 4: Part One: Framing—The Range of Shots

often used in an action sequence in which time com- pression is necessary; that is, when the subject must get from one part of the scene to another in less time (or more) than it really took. In a sports story in which the beginning and end of one boxing round is to be shown, the editor must cut out the middle of that round. To avoid the appearance of the boxer instantly jumping from one part of the ring to another, the edi- tor uses a shot of the crowd for a few seconds between the first and second shots of the fight. The audience’s attention is momentarily diverted by the crowd cut- away. This type of cutaway is sometimes called a reac- tion shot; it shows the reaction of a person or persons to the action. Both reaction shots and reversals are spe- cific forms of cutaways.

Another type of cutaway is the insert shot. This shot—usually a close-up—reveals some element within the longer shot in a closer perspective. In the boxing example, some tight shots of the boxers’ fists flying and feet dancing and faces grimacing would be inserts. As is the case with all edits, continuity should be maintained with insert shots.

The generic cutaway is any shot away from the ac- tion or subject but related to it. It can be a wide, me- dium, or close-up shot. A good cutaway should fit with the other shots, just as all shots in a story should blend together. In the two examples above, the cut- aways are shots of people involved in some way with the subject, either listening or watching. These usually make the best cutaways, but sometimes they are not available to record. Often you have to find another re- lated shot. It might be the scoreboard at a sports event, or the clasped hands of a couple being interviewed, but it must always relate to the subject.

The cutaway is used within a sequence of shots in- volving the same subject in the same location; it is not

a transition shot. To go from a shot of the mayor in an office to a shot of the mayor at a fundraiser is not nec- essarily a jump cut. The audience knows there is a change of time with this edit and perceives it as natu- ral. In the movies and higher-quality video produc- tions, very few, if any, cutaways are used, and no one misses them. The reason is that the sequences are so well thought out that the action flows naturally from one shot to the next. Even in shooting news, with a lit- tle practice, you can learn which shots to get and how to piece them together so that no cutaways are needed.

In some instances, cutaways slow down the pace of a story without adding any new information to the subject. In many cases, the reporter cutaway can be eliminated by editing in shots of what is being dis- cussed. If the mayor is talking about cutting spending on street maintenance, then why not show shots of the types of maintenance being cut? If you find creative ways not to use cutaways or to use cutaways that illus- trate the story, your video pieces will generally look much better and be more interesting.

The Transition Shot

Thetransition shot is an editing tool that allows visual continuity and flow while avoiding abrupt changes in the sequence of shots. Unlike a cutaway, which covers jump cuts in the middle of a single action such as an in- terview, a transition shot gets the subject or flow of ac- tion from one location or action to another. Any two shots edited together that are very similar in composi- tion can create a jump cut. You can’t go from the sub- ject talking on the phone to the subject typing at the computer in the same location. A transition such as a tight shot (XCU) of the phone receiver being hung up or an XCU of fingers on the keyboard would bridge the two action shots. The former ends the phone action shot, leaving the subject free to start the next action, and the latter begins a new action. You would use one or the other, not both, because by themselves they are similar shots; they are both XCUs of the same hands.

A subject moved from one location to another in an edit sometimes results in a jump cut if the shots are too similar. The simplest example of a transition shot to use in this case is a cleared frame. Keep the camera recording as the subject moves out of the frame. You are left with an empty picture for a second or two and are now free to establish the character anywhere else you wish. The reverse of this is also true. Start with an empty frame for your next location and let your sub- ject walk into the shot. In some cases, it might be eas- ier to pan to or away from the subject to get the subject in or out of the picture.

One very common transition shot in both ENG and EFP is the building or room exterior shot. It is usually used to start the next sequence of shots. This is useful as a transition for a subject who is changing geo- graphic locations, because it not only avoids a jump

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