Fast Cutting

Fast cutting is a film editing technique that refers to the connection of multiple consecutive shots within a short period of time (for example, 3 seconds or less). It can be used to quickly convey a large amount of information or to suggest chaos. Fast cutting is also frequently used when shooting 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 non-verbal actions.

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

The film A Beautiful Mind makes extensive use of fast cuts to convey hundreds of short 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 casual actions have profound effects on what happens to them. In various moments of the Saw films, trap scenes frequently use fast cuts to depict the frantic struggles of the characters as they try to escape. Director Michael Bay uses fast cutting extensively in many of his feature films. He most prominently employs the technique in action sequences, where it is used to make the action more energetic and intense.

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

Fragmentary cutting:

Fragmentary cutting is a modern editing style that differs from traditional editing. It does not have to follow the conventional rules of shot-to-shot continuity in traditional editing, allowing for free-form cutting to create montage. The narrative becomes more free and agile. Some approaches break the rules, some are unconventional, and they can also make the visual style appear cooler.

For details, see: Fragmentary cutting

Hip hop montage:

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