# Slow cutting

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Film editing technique

Not to be confused with [Slow slicing](/source/Slow_slicing).

**Slow cutting** is a film editing technique characterized by frequent [lengthy shots](/source/Long_take). Though it depends on context, it is estimated that any shot longer than about fifteen seconds will seem rather slow to many modern-day viewers, especially those who are accustomed to mainstream Western movies, where slow cuts are uncommon.

Slow cutting can be used to establish a mood before [fast cutting](/source/Fast_cutting) injects energy. Slow cutting may also be used in scenes of calm or reflection, and filmmakers can use slow cutting to slow down the pace, just as the second movement of a symphony or concerto typically does.[1]

## Films and television

*[The Stranger](/source/The_Stranger_(1946_film))* (1946), with slow cutting resulting in a lengthy shot

Notable films that use the slow cutting technique are: *[Citizen Kane](/source/Citizen_Kane)*, *[Russian Ark](/source/Russian_Ark)*,[2] *[2001: A Space Odyssey](/source/2001%3A_A_Space_Odyssey)*,[1] *[The Prisoner of Zenda](/source/The_Prisoner_of_Zenda_(1937_film))*, *[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs](/source/Snow_White_and_the_Seven_Dwarfs_(1937_film))*, *[The Adventures of Robin Hood](/source/The_Adventures_of_Robin_Hood)*, *[Mr. Smith Goes to Washington](/source/Mr._Smith_Goes_to_Washington)*, *[Grapes of Wrath](/source/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_(film))*, *[His Girl Friday](/source/His_Girl_Friday)*, *[Mildred Pierce](/source/Mildred_Pierce_(film))*, *[Treasure Island](/source/Treasure_Island_(1950_film))*, *[Darby O'Gill and the Little People](/source/Darby_O'Gill_and_the_Little_People)*, *[Psycho](/source/Psycho_(1960_film))*, *[The Omen](/source/The_Omen)*, *[Rambo: First Blood Part II](/source/Rambo%3A_First_Blood_Part_II)*, *[Robocop](/source/Robocop)*,[3] and *[A Clockwork Orange](/source/A_Clockwork_Orange_(film))*.[4]

American director [Ken Burns](/source/Ken_Burns) used slow cutting for his television [documentary series](/source/The_Vietnam_War_(TV_series)) about the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War).[5]

## Directors

Most of the early films directed by [Michelangelo Antonioni](/source/Michelangelo_Antonioni) use slow cutting.[1] Other directors known for the technique include: [George Marshall](/source/George_Marshall_(director)), [John Stahl](/source/John_M._Stahl), [Edmund Goulding](/source/Edmund_Goulding), [George Cukor](/source/George_Cukor), [John Farrow](/source/John_Farrow), and [Ernst Lubitsch](/source/Ernst_Lubitsch).[3]

## See also

- [Film portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Film)

- [Long take](/source/Long_take)

- [Motion picture terminology](/source/Motion_picture_terminology)

- [Fast cutting](/source/Fast_cutting)

- [Slow cinema](/source/Slow_cinema)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-phillips_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-phillips_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-phillips_1-2) Phillips, William H. (1999). "Editing: Pace And Time". [*Film: An Introduction*](https://archive.org/details/filmintroduction0000phil/page/n3/mode/2up). Boston; New York: [Bedford/St. Martin's](/source/Bedford%2FSt._Martin's). pp. 154–164. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-312-17818-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-312-17818-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-brown_2-0)** [Brown, William](/source/William_Brown_(author)) (2013). [*Supercinema: Film-Philosophy for the Digital Age*](/source/Supercinema) (1st ed.). [Berghahn Books](/source/Berghahn_Books). p. 43. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-85745-949-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-85745-949-7).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-salt_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-salt_3-1) Salt, Barry (March 23, 2022). "The End Of The Great Speed-Up—And After". *Digital Scholarship in the Humanities*. **37** (1): 218–228. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/llc/fqab049](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fllc%2Ffqab049).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-amercine_4-0)** LoBrutto, Vincent (January 30, 2018). ["The Old Ultra-Violence: A Clockwork Orange"](https://theasc.com/articles/the-old-ultra-violence-a-clockwork-orange). *The American Society of Cinematographers*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-fatah_5-0)** Fatah, Sonya (January 2017). "Alchemy And Archive; Ken Burns Is Putting The Finishing Touches On His Latest Film, The Vietnam War, Blending The Best Of Historical Material With Modern Editing Techniques To Create A Truly Immersive Experience". *[RealScreen](/source/RealScreen)*. p. 62.

## Further reading

- Lindgren, Ernest (1970). [*The Art Of The Film*](https://archive.org/details/artoffilm00lind/page/n3/mode/2up) (2nd ed.). New York: Macmillan.

- Stephenson, Ralph; Phelps, Guy (1989). [*The Cinema As Art*](https://archive.org/details/cinemaasart0000step/page/n3/mode/2up) (Revised ed.). London; New York: Penguin. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-14-011981-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-14-011981-7).

- Barker, Adam (1990). Elsaesser, Thomas (ed.). [*Early Cinema: Space, Frame, Narrative*](https://archive.org/details/earlycinemaspace0000unse/page/n3/mode/2up). london: BFI Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-85170-244-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-85170-244-5).

- Tian, Feng; Zhang, Yan; Li, Yingjie (March 17, 2021). ["From 2D to VR Film: A Research on the Load of Different Cutting Rates Based on EEG Data Processing"](https://doi.org/10.3390%2Finfo12030130). *Information*. **12** (3): 130. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.3390/info12030130](https://doi.org/10.3390%2Finfo12030130).

v t e Film editing Concept Choreography Synchronization Attentional control Master shot Parallel cut Technique Clues Cutaway Eyeline match Points of view Multiple exposure Optical illusion Split screen Transition Insertion Dialogue Match cut Long shot Insert Timelapsing Cut Jump cut Axial cut Wipe Dissolve Slow motion Prelap Other Fast cutting Invisible cut Montage Supercut Storytelling Cut on action Contrast cut Shot/reverse shot Flashback / Flashforward Action Smash cut Cross cut Slow cutting Walk and talk Rule 180-degree rule 30-degree rule Term Reaction shot Kuleshov effect Establishing shot Long take Internal rhythm External rhythm Footage B-roll Stock footage Editing Continuity editing Soviet montage theory Post-classical editing In-camera editing Video editing Linear video editing Non-linear editing (NLE) Video editing software Offline editing Online editing Real-time editing Vision mixing

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Slow cutting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cutting) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow_cutting?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.