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{{Short description|Film-editing technique}}
{{for|the 2009 Canadian film|Smash Cut}}
{{for|the 2009 Canadian film|Smash Cut}}
A '''smash cut''' is a technique in film and other moving picture media where one scene abruptly cuts to another for æsthetic, narrative, or emotional purpose. To this end, the smash cut usually occurs at a crucial moment in a scene where a cut would not be expected. To heighten the impact of the cut, a disparity in the type of scene on either side of the cut is often present, going from a fast-paced frenzied scene to a tranquil one, or going from a pleasant scene to a tense one, for example.
A '''smash cut''' is a technique in film and other moving picture media where one scene abruptly cuts to another for aesthetic, narrative, or emotional purpose.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pardo |first1=Alejandro |last2=Heilbron |first2=Fabian Caba |last3=Alcázar |first3=Juan León |last4=Thabet |first4=Ali |last5=Ghanem |first5=Bernard |chapter=MovieCuts: A New Dataset and Benchmark for Cut Type Recognition |series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science |date=2022 |volume=13667 |editor-last=Avidan |editor-first=Shai |editor2-last=Brostow |editor2-first=Gabriel |editor3-last=Cissé |editor3-first=Moustapha |editor4-last=Farinella |editor4-first=Giovanni Maria |editor5-last=Hassner |editor5-first=Tal |title=Computer Vision – ECCV 2022 |chapter-url=https://hdl.handle.net/handle/10754/671220 |language=en |location=Cham |publisher=Springer Nature Switzerland |pages=668–685 |doi=10.1007/978-3-031-20071-7_39 |hdl=10754/671220 |isbn=978-3-031-20071-7}}</ref> To this end, the smash cut usually occurs at a crucial moment in a scene where a cut would not be expected, manipulating viewers' expectations by changing the order of a scene.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schrader |first=Paul |title=Transcendental style in film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer |date=2018 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-96914-8 |location=Oakland, California}}</ref> To heighten the impact of the cut, a disparity in the type of scene on either side of the cut is often present, going from a fast-paced frenzied scene to a tranquil one, or going from a pleasant scene to a tense one, for example.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Elaine |date=March 20, 2023 |title=What Is a Smash Cut? How to Use This Technique to Heighten Comedy or Drama |url=https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/smash-cut-film-example-76088/ |access-date=2024-06-05 |website=Backstage Magazine}}</ref> Smash cuts are sometimes defined as a subtype of [[jump cut]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McMullan |first=John |date=2021-01-21 |title=The great jump cut (r)evolution: A case for studying the evolution of vlogging production techniques |url=https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/10547 |journal=First Monday |language=en |doi=10.5210/fm.v26i2.10547 |doi-access=free |issn=1396-0466}}</ref>


A clichéd use of a smash cut is in a murder scene: the killer bring a knife plunging down into his victim, and just before the blade pierces the skin, the scene is suddenly replaced with a non-violent use of a cutting edge, such as the chopping of vegetables. Smash cuts are often used when a character wakes up from a [[nightmare]] to simulate the jarring nature of that experience.
For example, a smash cut could be used in a murder scene: the killer brings a knife plunging down into his victim, and just before the blade pierces the skin, the scene is suddenly replaced with a non-violent use of a cutting edge, such as the chopping of vegetables. Smash cuts are often used when a character wakes up from a [[nightmare]] to simulate the jarring nature of that experience.{{Original research inline|date=June 2024}}


Smash cutting can also be used to comedic effect, for example, directly after a prediction is made, cutting to the future showing the prediction to have been humorously, and often outlandishly wrong. One specific variety of smash cut is know as a ''Gilligan cut'', so named for the TV show [[Gilligan's Island]] which frequently depicted a given character resolutely declaring his or her intentions immediately before a cut to a scene depicting the character doing the exact opposite.
Smash cutting can also be used to comedic effect: for example, directly after a prediction is made, cutting to the future showing the prediction to have been humorously, and often outlandishly, wrong.<ref name=":0" /> One specific variety of smash cut, which depicts a given character resolutely declaring their intentions immediately before a cut to a scene depicting the character doing the exact opposite, is known in the United States as a '''Gilligan cut''', so named for the TV show ''[[Gilligan's Island]]''; and in the United Kingdom as a '''bicycle cut''', so named for a scene from ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://misterandyriley.com/2016/10/31/how-to-talk-comedy-writer-updated/|title=How To Talk Comedy Writer Updated! Andy Riley &#124; misterandyriley.com|website=misterandyriley.com}}</ref>


== See also ==
==See also==
{{Portal|Film}}
{{Portal|Film}}
* [[Jump cut]]
* [[Jump cut]]
* [[Match cut]]
* [[Match cut]]


== References ==
==References==
{{unreferenced|date=September 2013}}
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SmashCut Smash Cut] at [[TV Tropes]]


{{Film Editing}}
{{Film Editing}}


[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Film and video terminology]]
[[Category:Film techniques]]
[[Category:Cinematic techniques]]

{{film-term-stub}}

Latest revision as of 18:38, 15 July 2024

A smash cut is a technique in film and other moving picture media where one scene abruptly cuts to another for aesthetic, narrative, or emotional purpose.[1] To this end, the smash cut usually occurs at a crucial moment in a scene where a cut would not be expected, manipulating viewers' expectations by changing the order of a scene.[2] To heighten the impact of the cut, a disparity in the type of scene on either side of the cut is often present, going from a fast-paced frenzied scene to a tranquil one, or going from a pleasant scene to a tense one, for example.[3] Smash cuts are sometimes defined as a subtype of jump cut.[4]

For example, a smash cut could be used in a murder scene: the killer brings a knife plunging down into his victim, and just before the blade pierces the skin, the scene is suddenly replaced with a non-violent use of a cutting edge, such as the chopping of vegetables. Smash cuts are often used when a character wakes up from a nightmare to simulate the jarring nature of that experience.[original research?]

Smash cutting can also be used to comedic effect: for example, directly after a prediction is made, cutting to the future showing the prediction to have been humorously, and often outlandishly, wrong.[3] One specific variety of smash cut, which depicts a given character resolutely declaring their intentions immediately before a cut to a scene depicting the character doing the exact opposite, is known in the United States as a Gilligan cut, so named for the TV show Gilligan's Island; and in the United Kingdom as a bicycle cut, so named for a scene from Last of the Summer Wine.[5]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Pardo, Alejandro; Heilbron, Fabian Caba; Alcázar, Juan León; Thabet, Ali; Ghanem, Bernard (2022). "MovieCuts: A New Dataset and Benchmark for Cut Type Recognition". In Avidan, Shai; Brostow, Gabriel; Cissé, Moustapha; Farinella, Giovanni Maria; Hassner, Tal (eds.). Computer Vision – ECCV 2022. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Vol. 13667. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. pp. 668–685. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-20071-7_39. hdl:10754/671220. ISBN 978-3-031-20071-7.
  2. ^ Schrader, Paul (2018). Transcendental style in film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer. Oakland, California: University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-96914-8.
  3. ^ a b Roberts, Elaine (March 20, 2023). "What Is a Smash Cut? How to Use This Technique to Heighten Comedy or Drama". Backstage Magazine. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
  4. ^ McMullan, John (2021-01-21). "The great jump cut (r)evolution: A case for studying the evolution of vlogging production techniques". First Monday. doi:10.5210/fm.v26i2.10547. ISSN 1396-0466.
  5. ^ "How To Talk Comedy Writer – Updated! — Andy Riley | misterandyriley.com". misterandyriley.com.