Match on Action

Matching on Action (or Cutting on Action) is an editing technique that is used to help to ensure that any actions occurring on screen will flow nicely between multiple shots when they are joined together during the editing process (ie. when different camera angles or distances are used to show the same action).

Let’s look at a simple example - a scene where a character is picking up a gun from a table and we want to see this action from both wide and close up angles.

Here, the character might begin the action in a wide angle shot (for example he reaches towards the gun).  It would be usual for the editor to join this shot with the next shot at a point that the same action is being completed (for example, as they actually pick up the gun, as seen in close up).

Although these two shots could have been filmed at different times or even different locations (they could have been filmed hours or even days apart), if we always match the edit point at the point that the action is occurring (in the middle of the action) we encourage the viewer to think about the action and not about the editing or the change in shot type.

Matching on Action requires the actor(s) to try to perform the same movements the same way each time the scene is filmed.  Matching on Action not only helps to make the action flow nicely, it can also help to disguise any continuity problems that may exist.

A great example of Match On Action (done correctly and incorrectly) can be seen in this youtube video below from FilmRiot (5 Tips for Acting).

(Example video from Film Riot - please skip to 7 minutes).