What is a bridging shot?

Films are stories told through the visual medium. And the camera is a filmmakers pen. To keep the viewers glued to the screen, filmmakers have to employ numerous visual ploys, including camera techniques and special effects. Today, let's look at one such creative technique called bridging shot.

What it does:

These shots are inserted in a film to indicate the passage of time between two scenes. Much like a literal bridge, they connect two scenes to allow time jumps in the narrative.

Such shots are necessary to maintain the film's pace. Some commonly used bridging shots are calendar pages flying, montages of newspaper headlines, and time-lapse shots of clouds passing, and lines drawn across a map to indicate travel.

Where was it used:

In "New Moon", the second film in the "Twilight" saga, the scene with Bella Swan sitting in front of a window watching the seasons change, is a classic example of bridging shot. So, the next time you watch a film, keep your eyes open for a bridging shot and try to identify its purpose.

Picture Credit : Google