Cutting On Action (Technique)

Cutting on action or matching on action is an editing technique in which the editor cuts from one shot to another view that fits in with the characters action or movement therefore helping to hide the cut. The cut will often go unnoticed by the audience as they will be focusing on the action in the scene.

One example of cutting on action could be if there was a man who was about to punch another man, cutting to another shot before or after the punch has been thrown will mean that the audience will notice the cut more. However if the shot changes just as the character throws the punch, the audience is less likely to notice the cut as they will be focusing more on the movement of the character.

The video below is a short clip from the film Kill Bill, it is an example on how cut on action makes the cuts less noticeable. In this short sequence, the shots are almost always changed during a movement or action, for example when Uma Thurman swings her sword at the start of the clip, the shot changes to a low-angle shot. Numerous times during this short sequence the cuts are made during the action for example when she is attempting to swing her sword at the man.