match on action

Match On Action

Match on action a film editing and video technique. where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot’s action. By having a subject begin an action in one shot and carry it through to the next, the editor creates a visual bridge which distracts the viewer from noticing the cut or noticing any slight continuity error between the two shots. 

+------------------------------------+
|                                    |
|                                    |
|       __                           |
|      /  \   ^                      |
|      |  o   |                      |
|      |@  \  |                      |
|      \__-   |                      |
|      /  \                          |
+------------------------------------+

Shot 1: In this shot, we see the person beginning to get up from a sitting position.The arrow indicates the person's direction of motion.

+------------------------------------+
|                ___                 |
|               /   \                |
|               |o o|                |
|               | v |   ^            |
|               \_-_/   |            |
|              /     \  |            |
|             /       \ |            |
|             |       |              |
+------------------------------------+

Shot 2: There is a cut to this shot, which shows the person finishing standing up. The main difference from shot 1 to shot 2 is the position of the camera.

        _
       / \                     
-------|O )-------->[2]-----------------