A nod shot, noddy headshot or noddy is a type of camera
reaction shot
In film production, cinematography and video production, a reaction shot is a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character to it, a basic unit of film grammar.
A reaction shot usually implies the display o ...
used in recorded news or current affairs interviews. They consist of nods and other similar "listening gestures" made by the interviewer. If only one camera is available at the interview site, then these shots are recorded after the actual interview takes place. The shots are spliced into the interview during the editing process to mask any cuts that have been made. This editing technique is universally "read" by audiences as expressing realism and therefore creates the illusion of a seamless dialogue in the interview.
The earliest use of the term recorded by the ''
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...
'' dates from 1982. It was explained more fully by
John Fiske in 1987: "the camera is then turned onto the interviewer who asks some of the questions again and gives a series of "noddies," that is, reaction shots, nods, smiles, or expressions of sympathetic listening. These are then used to disguise later edits in the interviewee's speech... Without the "noddy", the visuals would show an obvious "jump" that would reveal the edit."
Controversial use
In the United Kingdom, the term came to public prominence in 2007 when it was revealed that a BBC programme inserted noddies featuring the senior broadcaster
Alan Yentob
Alan Yentob (born 11 March 1947) is a BBC presenter and retired British television executive. He stepped down as Creative Director in December 2015, and was chairman of the board of trustees of the charity Kids Company from 2003 until its collap ...
into interviews that he did not conduct, creating the impression that he had been present.
This controversy, which was covered in many newspapers as ''Noddygate'', came at a time when the BBC was already under scrutiny for falsifying certain aspects of entertainment shows for editorial reasons. These scandals prompted several British broadcasters to reevaluate the use of trick editing on their news programs.
See also
*
Cutaway (filmmaking)
In film and video, a cutaway is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually followed by a cut back to the first shot. A cutaway scene is the interruption of a scene with the insertion of ano ...
References
Media studies
Film and video terminology
Television news
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