An editing technique in which the exact same action (such as a Talking Head) is filmed from various angles all around the subject, then edited together with Jump Cuts amongst all the different angles. Similar to the Repeat Cut, except that the action is not actually repeated.
Typically, the talking head will focus on one particular camera angle as if it is the only camera recording; all other angles show the subject from the side or even from behind, calmly nattering on whilst facing away from the camera.
The technique is most commonly used with stunt work or similar action sequences, particularly vehicular stunts. In this case the trope is fully justified; most stunts, by their very (destructive) nature, can be performed only once, and those that can be re-done require time- and money-consuming re-setup, making it more desirable to get it done in one take anyway. Multiple camera setups are used to provide the director and editors with plenty of footage.
Outside of stunt work, the Multi-Take Cut tends to be more common in television commercials, but can also be utilized for talking heads in some movies and TV shows, often in combination with the Jitter Cam. The intention seems to be to add a sense of movement or frenetic excitement to an otherwise dull, boringly static scene. It can also be a bit discombobulating to the viewer, an effect which might actually be desirable in, say, a mystery or thriller.
Many local news shows have reporters record on-location promotional blurbs. Of course, it's also common in music videos.
Because this trope is so ubiquitous in stunts, please submit Non-Stunt Examples only:
- Soul Eater: Whenever Death the Kid fires the Death Cannon, there are four takes of the show from different angles (counting the first one) the one exception in the anime is the final fight against the Kishin, where he fires it multiple times without the cuts.
Films — Live-Action
- Bicentennial Man: In the scene where Andrew is telling jokes to the family, the camera starts as if it is placed on the table looking up at him, but Jumps around so that we can get everyone's reactions as they dissolve into uncontrollable laughter.
- The Dark Knight: Downplayed. As shown here
, Christopher Nolan filmed the hospital explosion from several angles, but decided to put only two in the finished movie.
- G.I. Jane: The scene in which Demi Moore's character shaves her head.
- NCIS: The series uses it in pretty much every establishing shot, with a few seconds clearly passing between each cut. Presumably done to give a sense of hurry.
Music
- Céline Dion: In "Then You Look At Me", Dion is in the middle of a lab where they're building NDR114 robots. She stays in one spot, dancing in a skimpy outfit, while the camera jumps around the entire room, sometimes focusing on her from the front, the sides, or on all the equipment.
- Vitas: The music video of "Love Me" is made up entirely of the camera panning around Vitas at various angles.
- Abobo's Big Adventure: The Coup de Grâce Cutscene for the Final Boss shows Abobo's uppercut close in at four different angles. Those same four angles are then shown again in quick succession, this time with the punch connecting.
- The Darkness: Nicky has a series of monologues while he's sitting or standing under a spotlight during the loading screens. He talks directly ahead but the camera will constantly change angles.
- Super Mario Galaxy: In the final battle with Bowser, this happens when Mario lands the finishing blow.
- Viewtiful Joe 2: Sexy Silvia's exclusive power is to playback the same attack three times for triple damage, even though you only attacked once.
Web Animation
- Banana-nana-Ninja!: When Baninja pokes Sumo Baker in the navel, the ensuing High-Pressure Blood torrent that blasts Baninja away is seen from different angles.
Web Videos
- Simon Says: Let's Play Video Games: The Grand Theft Auto V: Online Heist videos (specifically The Prison Heist, the Hydra hijack mission for the Humane Labs Raid, the Raid itself, and the actual heist part of the Pacific Standard Heist) cut between gameplay footage and rendered camera shots of the action (made possible by the Rockstar Editor). In the Pacific Standard, this is what lets the viewer watch Brian and Chronos as they complete their task in the bank.
- Smosh: MANSPIDER! plays this one with Rule of Cool and Rule of Funny. There's a scene where a guy removes his towel and then asks "Who wants to go skinny dipping?" only for Manspider (Anthony) to answer "No one!" and then whip the towel at him, making him fall into the pool. Cue the montage of numerous takes of the guy's falling in different angles.
- Strong Bad Email: Wildly-changing cuts, zoom-ins, and camera angles are heavily abused in the Cheat's attempt at "Youth Through Editing" in "Looking Old".
