Cross-cutting is a video editing technique that cuts between two or more scenes taking place in different locations, often giving the impression that the action occurring in different locations is unfolding at the same moment. It is also known as parallel editing. Cross-cutting is used to weave together storylines and show the visual and narrative link between situations while building tension. It is most often used to build anticipation and show a large scale operation at work. Cross-cutting can also establish deeper meaning, as in the climax of Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather.

Cross-cutting is a powerful editing technique that can be used to enhance film action and leave audiences on the edge of their seats. It is a mainstay of film and video editing and has been used for decades. The technique is not overly strict, but the majority of cross-cuts are used to show large scale events that occur across multiple locations.

There is no specific name for a seamless cross-cutting transition that uses similar looking elements of each scene to transition back and forth between two scenes happening at the same time.