Editing & Post-Production

Smash cut

The join is a plain cut. What makes it a smash cut is the contrast either side: a quiet room to a screaming crowd, a confident claim to the wreckage that followed. Setup is everything, so hold the first shot a beat longer than feels comfortable and let the audience settle. Sound carries most of the effect, and a level jump does more work than any picture change.

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All 131 Editing & Post-Production terms

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