Shot Reverse Shot: Reaction Shots, Cutaways, and Coverage

Shot Reverse Shot

Basics of shot reverse shot

Shot reverse shot is a narrow label, and it is rooted in the most basic concept of cinema known as the Kuleshov effect. But how are they different, and how can you use shot reverse shot for better scenes?

The standard operating procedure for shot reverse shot is to use matching shots, meaning the above considerations are identical in each shot, but you can make a complex statement about your scene by adding variance.

Reaction Shots In Movies

Reaction shot examples

Reaction shots can really add to your scene, but how do you build a shot list that gets you the reaction shots you need to build an effective moment.

Reaction shots may not be the first thing you build in your shot lists, but perhaps they ought to be. Often the effectiveness of a scene requires a good reaction shot, maybe even from an ancillary character in a scene.

Pro Tip: Build a single setup that allows you to pan or use dolly movement during that allows you to capture all of the necessary character reactions without the need to relight your scene or move the overall camera setup.

Or try to bucket your main coverage and character reactions one after another. You may have to move the camera, but can retain your lighting.

Another clever idea is to place actors in the background, or use two-shots so that both the action and the character reactions can be seen on screen.

This will allow for a more efficient shooting schedule.

Let’s take a look at some great reaction shot examples.

REACTION SHOT EXAMPLE | SCARFACE

This violence in the scene was considered to be so gratuitous that the MPAA that they decided to give the film an ‘X’ rating.

Universal Studios appealed the decision after a few small cuts were made to the scene, and the film eventually earned an ‘R’ rating.

According to Brian De Palma, he then secretly put everything back in and the picture was eventually released with the original ‘X’ rated edit.

De Palma told the MPAA that the scene should have an ‘R’ rating because you don’t actually see any of the violence on screen.

What do we actually see during this scene?

Tony’s reaction to the violence off screen.

You can see in the shot list below how each shot helps to build the scene, but also how important the character reactions.  

Analyze this shot list, and while you do, consider the sound effects, special effects, and acting that helped to cement this great moment in film:

The MPAA were so horrified by the advanced usage of film grammar that they tricked themselves into thinking the scene was more violent than it actually was, and this shows De Palma’s prowess as a director.

In my opinion, watching waves of faceless people destroyed by super villains or even watching evil henchmen gunned down by an action hero is objectively more violent than watching an accurate portrayal of a gang related death scene… especially one that doesn’t show any of the violence.

De Palma made such an intensely effective scene that he brought undue scrutiny over the film. This is the ultimate power of a good reaction shot.

REACTION SHOT EXAMPLE | SEINFELD

Reaction shots can be used to create terror, but they can also be used to create one of the funniest moments in television history.

This scene is one of my all-time favorites in sports films, and it has reaction shots everywhere, many of which required their own setup.

Lou the manager, the color commentator next to Bob Uecker, the pitcher - each have their own unique reaction to Jake calling his shot.

The fans reacting to the chin music. The shortstop’s reaction to the bunt, even the owners reaction to the result. There is a silent dialogue that occurs on screen, and the filmmakers had to make big decisions.

Which reactions do we get? Which do we skip? How do we cut them?

All of these decisions combine to make a great cinematic moment.

Scene Coverage In Movies

Scene coverage examples

Scene coverage is probably the biggest problem early filmmakers run into. You may have a great scene in your script, but how you cover your scene will determine your ability to effectively reveal the events of the scene.

There is no ‘right way’ to cover a scene, but professional filmmakers often try to get as much coverage as possible in hopes that a larger amount of footage and options will lead to a more complete edit, and thus film.

Others may elect to intentionally cover a scene with limited camera setups both for on-set efficiency, but also to gain psychological effects like:

• Claustrophobia
• Momentum
• Confusion
• Focus

There are others, but the reasons above layout some of the most effective viewer reactions from scenes with a very small range of coverage.

Let’s look at an example of scene coverage, and talk a bit about how the filmmaker planned their shots, and the emotions elicited by the coverage.

SCENE COVERAGE EXAMPLE | INSOMNIA

This scene from Insomnia is a great example of scene coverage. This is a relatively simple scene, but it has large narrative implications, multiple actors in the space, and the coverage varies as the scene changes.

Try to count the camera setups in the video below:

How many did you count?

The video above only shows the second half of this scene, but there are at least fourteen camera setups that make-up Nolan’s scene coverage.

Let’s take a look at each setup in our shot list:

We have our master shot (1) positioned behind Dormer’s shoulder. We have a medium close-up (2) on Duggar, and a close-up shot (3) on Burr.

We have at least two separate shots on Finch, one is a medium close-up (4) at eye level positioned from the front, but the second is a medium close-up (5) shot at a high angle positioned from Dormer’s side of the room.

Dormer’s coverage includes a medium close-up shot (6) during the first half of the scene, but once Duggar crosses the room to request the warrant, we get a medium shot (7) on Dormer with Finch in the foreground.

Duggar also gets new coverage in the form of a medium shot (8), but this setup is used for another shot later in the scene… so keep this in mind.

We have a medium shot (9) on Rich as he requests the warrant by phone.

Then we move to a medium shot (10) positioned from the bullpen aimed into the interrogation room at Dormer who looks super sleepy.

When Dormer tries to leave the room, we track with him until he lands and turns around, and we get a sort of awkward OTS two shot (11).

We cut back and forth with these shots (9, 10, 11) but then Dormer slams the door. This is where Nolan uses his earlier coverage on Duggar (8) for a ‘new shot’ on Dormer, which helps signal the change in our scene.

Dormer is scrambling to do damage control all throughout this scene, and each time he changes his tactics or makes a new decision, Nolan switches shots to visually show us this change in overall behavior, but….

Nolan knew he could combine some of the coverage in a way that made his day a little easier. It’s a great example of Nolan using a single camera setup to capture two separate pieces of coverage used in the scene.

Dormer steps forward into a medium close-up, but this is still just a continuation of this earlier camera setup (8), but there is more…

While Dormer and Finch argue, we get a quick reaction shot on Duggar, which may be the camera setup that was Dormer’s original MCU (6).

If so, this could also suggest that attitudes and positions have changed within the mind of Duggar, though I think the camera is much more keen to represent Dormer’s emotions and the general plot of the scene.

The clever blocking allows for richer, better scene coverage in less time. Nolan presumably gets more coverage out of a single setup, because he understands coverage is about the important decisions made by Dormer.

As Dormer gets right up in Finch’s space, we return to camera setup (7), which if you remember was the medium with Finch in the foreground.

Again, no need for the production to build an entirely new setup.

Dormer moves even closer, and camera setup (5) pushes in closer and higher, amplifying both the high angle and the tension in the scene.

When Dormer becomes more accusatory, the camera moves to a close-up shot (12) matched both on Finch (13) and on Ellie when she stands up (14).

When Duggar restrains Dormer on the other side of the room, I believe we cut back to our tracking shot camera setup from earlier (11).

While fourteen setups for half a scene may seem like a lot, it could have been twenty or more if Nolan didn’t combine his coverage.

Cutaway Shots In Movies

Cutaway shot examples

Cutaway shots are a great way to build context, subtext, and to give your editor some room to work, but they are often confused with inserts.

So... what is a cutaway shot?

Cutaways can also be used to create a flashback effect, or to add new information to a scene which completely alters our view.

Let’s look at a cutaway shot example.

REACTION SHOT EXAMPLE | THE MATRIX

This scene features a subtextual cutaway that is cued by a line of dialogue and supports the theme of the scene as well as injecting some important philosophy into a film that benefits from moments like the cutaway in this scene.

The cutaway occurs after the line, "ignorance is bliss".

The cutaway shot occurs when Cypher states that, “ignorance is bliss.”

What practical value does the cutaway of the harp strum add to this scene?

I’d argue very little because most viewers understand the physical chain of events that occur during this scene, and the harp adds little to it.

So why use it? What does the viewer gain from this cutaway shot?

It helps to cement the Cypher’s motivation.

The harp strum supports the idyllic world created by the machines for humanity, and helps to further explain the core statement of the film:

Opening your eyes to the possibilities of existence often presents itself as a burden, and that those who occupy the real world are blessed with the curse of knowledge… fruit from the forbidden tree.

The red pill in The Matrix is a metaphor for the forbidden fruit (apple) on the tree of knowledge, located in the garden of Eden in Genesis.

While biblical interpretations often suggest Adam and Eve betrayed God and ultimately humanity by eating the forbidden fruit, the Wachowskis suggest the fruit (red pill) to be a necessary path to a greater truth.

That ignorance is the true betrayal of God and humanity - not knowledge.