Reaction shot

Watch as an animation →

In plain words

Instead of the event itself, it shows the reaction of the person watching to convey the emotion and the scale of the event.

When to use it

The moment a benefit is revealed, and between shots where the location changes a lot.

Example videos

Shot Reverse Shot: How to Shoot Reaction Shots and Film Coverage You Need (GoT Scene Study) — Explainer: See how reaction shots build emotion in a Game of Thrones scene.
Editing Tricks: Reaction Shots — Explainer: See in an editing example when to insert a reaction shot.
ALL Types of Cuts in AI Filmmaking | Full Showcase and Tutorial — AI: See an example of an AI character's reaction shot spliced in.

In AI video, like this

Actions like looking up or waving are simple, so the AI fails less often. Inserting a shot of "people looking up at the sky and pointing" between a sky shot and a ground shot removes the teleporting feeling.

One-click prompt

Two-shot sequence: Shot 1, a huge paper lantern rises from a rooftop into a dusk sky, 2 seconds; hard cut to Shot 2, medium close-up of neighbors in the street below looking up and pointing, faces lit by the lantern glow, quiet awe, 3 seconds, soft murmuring and a gentle gasp.

See it in real films and ads

Film Editing Pro — Editing Tricks: Reaction Shots

AI-made examples

Dom the AI Tutor — Reaction Cut (Shot / Reverse Shot) chapter

Recommended for scenes like these

Techniques that pair well

← Cut-inSmash cut →