Fast Cutting

Fast cutting is a film editing technique that refers to the joining of multiple consecutive shots within a short period of time (for example, 3 seconds or less). It can be used to convey a large amount of information quickly or to suggest chaos. Fast cutting is also often used when filming dialogue between two or more characters, changing the viewer’s perspective to focus on another character’s reaction to the conversation, or to draw attention to the speaking character’s nonverbal actions.

A famous example of fast cutting is the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho (1960). More recent examples include the musical numbers in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge!.

The film Pi (The Chinese title given in the original text appears to refer to Pi, but note that the description here corresponds more to Pi’s use of rapid montage) makes extensive use of fast cuts, conveying hundreds of brief scenes within fifteen minutes. In Run Lola Run, fast cutting is used to quickly tell the stories of minor characters, showing how the protagonist’s seemingly casual actions have a profound impact on what happens to them. In various moments of the Saw films, fast cutting is frequently used in the trap scenes to depict the frantic struggle of characters trying to escape. Director Michael Bay makes extensive use of fast cutting in many of his feature films. He most prominently employs this technique in action sequences, where it serves to make the action more energetic and intense.

Fast cutting includes two stylized editing methods: fragmentary editing and hip hop montage.

Fragmentary Editing:

Fragmentary editing is a modern editing style that differs from traditional editing. It does not have to follow the conventional rules of shot-size continuity in traditional editing and can be cut freely to create montage. The narrative becomes more free and fluid. Some uses of it do not follow conventions, some are unconventional and idiosyncratic, and it can also make the visual style appear cooler.

For details, see: Fragmentary Editing

Hip Hop Montage:

Hip hop montage uses a series of rapid, simple actions accompanied by sound effects to depict a complex action. The technique was first named by Darren Aronofsky, who used it in his films Pi and Requiem for a Dream to portray scenes of drug use. According to the director’s commentary on Requiem for a Dream, the hip hop montages in the film are like samples used in hip hop music, repeatedly using certain film or video clips throughout the work to achieve an effect. The technique originates from the hip hop culture of the 1990s and incorporates jump cuts first pioneered by the French New Wave. It was used early on in Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. Guy Ritchie also used this technique in Snatch. Edgar Wright’s works—most notably his collaborations with Simon Pegg (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End)—employ this technique to generate comedic effect. Joseph Gordon-Levitt also makes extensive use of it in Don Jon (2013) to depict the protagonist’s habits.