Quick answer: A cutaway shot is a brief shot of something other than the main subject, used in editing to add context, hide a cut, cover a jump in time, or give the viewer somewhere to look while the main audio continues. In business video, cutaways are most common in interviews and corporate explainers - the second hands typing, the listener nodding, the close-up of a laptop screen.

If you have ever watched an interview where the camera quietly moved to a shot of a coffee cup or a notebook for two seconds, that was a cutaway. It was almost certainly hiding an edit, and it almost certainly worked because you did not notice it. This guide explains what cutaway shots are, how editors use them, when to film them, and the common mistakes that make them stand out for the wrong reasons.

What is a cutaway shot?

A cutaway shot is any shot that breaks away from the main action or subject for a brief moment, usually one to three seconds. The camera "cuts away" from the primary subject (a presenter, an interviewee, a product) to something related but secondary (a hand gesture, a screen, a listener, an object on the desk). The audio from the main subject often continues underneath.

The purpose is editorial, not decorative. They let an editor remove a section of the main shot without the viewer seeing a jump cut. They also let the editor add context, build atmosphere, or simply give the viewer something fresh to look at when the main shot has been on screen too long.

How does a cutaway shot work in editing?

The mechanic is simple. The editor wants to cut a section out of the main interview - a stumble, a "um," a section that runs too long. Cutting straight from clip A to clip A would produce a jump cut: the subject's head visibly snaps to a new position. Inserting one in between (subject A, then the insert, then subject A again) hides the jump because the viewer's brain accepts the visual change as natural.

The continuous audio from the main subject is the other half of the trick. The inserted shot is silent on its own; the audio bed underneath stays locked to the original interview. The viewer hears uninterrupted speech while seeing a different image, which reads as a single continuous moment.

When should you use a cutaway shot?

Five scenarios cover most business video use cases.

Hide a cut in an interview. The most common use. Any time you trim a sentence, cut a stumble, or remove a tangent, a cutaway makes the edit invisible. They are why interview-led corporate video can look polished even when the original take was 45 minutes of imperfect speech.

Compress time. A 15-minute factory tour becomes a 90-second video by using cutaways - hands on machinery, products moving down the line, the operator's face - to bridge what would otherwise be visible jumps in time.

Add context. An interviewee says "we ship to 30 countries." A cutaway to a map, a logistics dashboard, or a product being packed makes the claim concrete. It is the visual proof for the verbal statement.

Build atmosphere. Wide cutaways of an office, a city street, or a venue establish where the video is set and give the piece a sense of place. These are sometimes called establishing shots when used at the start of a sequence.

Cover technical problems. Out-of-focus footage, a moment where the subject looked away, a coughing fit. A cutaway lets the audio survive even when the picture cannot.

What is the difference between a cutaway shot and B-roll?

The terms overlap. B-roll is the broader category: any supplementary footage that is not the main subject talking to camera. A cutaway shot is one specific use of B-roll - a brief shot inserted into the timeline to hide a cut or add context to the main A-roll.

In practice, the editing room treats them differently. B-roll is collected during a shoot as a general resource ("get me 10 minutes of factory footage"). Cutaways are placed in the edit ("I need two seconds here to hide this jump"). The same piece of footage often functions as both depending on how it is used.

What is the difference between a cutaway shot and a cut-in?

A cut-in is a closer shot of something already in the main frame - a close-up of the interviewee's hands, a tighter shot of the product they are holding, a detail of the document they are pointing at. A cutaway is a shot of something that was not in the main frame - the interviewer listening, a wall clock, a shot through the window.

The simple test: if the new shot zooms into something that was already on screen, it is a cut-in. If the new shot moves the camera somewhere new, it is a cutaway.

How long should a cutaway shot be?

One to three seconds for most business video. Shorter than one second feels like a flash and the viewer cannot register what they are looking at. Longer than three seconds and the viewer starts to wonder where the main subject went, which breaks the illusion.

The exception is the establishing shot at the start of a sequence (three to five seconds is fine) or a deliberate atmospheric beat between major sections. Inside an interview, two seconds is the sweet spot.

How do you film cutaway shots that work?

Five practical guidelines.

Shoot more than you think you need. The standard ratio is 3 to 5 minutes of cutaway material for every minute of finished video. Most edits run short on cutaways, never long. If you are filming an interview, schedule 30 extra minutes at the end specifically for them - it is the cheapest insurance you can buy.

Match the lighting and color. A cutaway filmed in daylight cut into an interview filmed in tungsten light will jar the viewer. Film them in the same room, with the same lights, on the same day where possible.

Vary the focal length. Mix wide, medium, and close shots. A run of all-close shots feels claustrophobic. A run of all-wide ones feels disconnected from the subject. The variety is the point.

Get clean motion. An insert that slowly pans or follows the action reads as deliberate. A static one reads as documentary. Both work, but jittery handheld shots with no motivation usually look like mistakes. Use a tripod or a gimbal where possible.

Capture the listener. The most useful single cutaway in interview work is the listener nodding or reacting. If you have a two-camera setup, the second camera should be on the interviewer for the entire conversation. If you are running one camera, schedule listener-reaction shots after the interview is finished.

What are the common cutaway shot mistakes?

The four mistakes that show up in business video edits all the time.

Cutaways that have no relationship to the dialogue. If the subject is talking about supply chain risk and the insert is a stock shot of a sunset, the viewer feels manipulated. They should support what is being said, not distract from it.

The same cutaway used twice. If the same two-second shot of a coffee cup appears at three different points in the edit, the illusion breaks. Each one should be unique unless you are deliberately using a callback.

Cutaways with audio. A cutaway should usually carry only the underlying interview audio. If it has its own audio (typing sounds, foot traffic, a slamming door), the new audio fights the interview voice and confuses the viewer.

Too many cutaways too fast. Cutting to a new image every two seconds makes the video feel anxious. Most edits work better using them sparingly - hold the main shot, let the speaker land their point, then cut away when the edit needs to move.

What cutaway shots work for corporate video?

The reusable list any corporate video team should have in their B-roll library:

• Hands typing on a laptop
• A finger pointing at a chart on a screen
• A team member nodding or smiling in a meeting
• A close-up of a product, document, or whiteboard
• A wide of the office floor with people moving
• A shot through a window onto the street outside
• A close-up of someone shaking hands
• A clock or wall feature that establishes the room
• The interviewer leaning forward listening
• Hands gesturing during conversation

If you are filming a corporate video and you capture all 10 of these during the day, you will have enough cutaway material to handle almost any edit. For longer interview-led pieces, see our guide to filming a two-person interview, which covers second-camera and reaction-shot setups.

How does Shootsta use cutaways in business video?

Shootsta editors use cutaways on almost every interview-led project. The standard workflow: the main interview is recorded with a primary camera on the subject, a second camera on the interviewer for reaction shots, and a third "wild" camera moving around the room capturing B-roll for cutaways. The editor then assembles the main interview audio first, identifies every cut that needs hiding, and places the right ones from the B-roll library.

This pattern shows up in our interview video production work, our testimonial video production, our recruitment video production, and most of the corporate video production projects we run for enterprise customers. The cutaway is the unsung hero of every polished business interview.

Cutaway shot FAQs

What is the 3-second rule for inserts?

It is a rule of thumb rather than a rule: hold an insert long enough for the viewer to read it, and cut before they start wondering why they are still looking at it. In practice that is one to three seconds. Establishing shots at the top of a sequence can run to five.

Do you need a second camera?

No, but it makes the edit far easier. A second camera pointed at the interviewer gives you reaction footage for the entire conversation, which is the single most useful insert in interview work. With one camera, film the same material separately once the interview is finished.

Can you use stock footage instead of filming your own?

For atmosphere and generic context, sometimes. For anything specific to your business, no. Stock reads as stock, and viewers notice the mismatch between a real office and a rented one. Filming 20 minutes of your own B-roll on the day is cheaper than licensing footage that does not quite fit.

What is an insert shot?

An insert shot is the broader editing term for any shot dropped into a sequence to replace the main image for a moment. A cut-in (a closer view of something already in frame) and a cutaway (something outside the frame) are both types of insert.

How much B-roll should you film for a 2-minute video?

Between six and ten minutes of usable material, covering a mix of wide, medium and close framings. Editors almost never complain about having too much. They complain constantly about having too little, and the fix at that stage is another shoot day.

Who cuts your interviews when the shoot is done?

Cutaways are cheap to film and expensive to place. Someone has to sit with the timeline, find every edit that needs hiding, and match the right B-roll to it, and that hour count is where most in-house video programs stall. Teams that film a lot and finish slowly usually fix the finishing, not the filming: see the best video editing subscription services compared for what that costs on a monthly model, or the best corporate video production companies if you want a partner handling the shoot as well.

Keep reading

• How to film a 2-person interview
• How to create a shot list for business video
• Video camera techniques for professional results
• Interview video production
• Corporate video production
• Voice over guide: how to record one yourself