To cut across at an angle or through the middle; to move in a diagonal direction; in film, to alternate between two scenes happening simultaneously.
From 'cross' (Old French 'crois') + 'cut' (Old English 'cyttan'). The term originated as a practical cutting technique and evolved into film editing terminology in the early 20th century.
Film directors discovered crosscutting creates tension and excitement by jumping between a hero escaping danger and a villain approaching—Griffith's 1916 film 'Intolerance' pioneered this technique to show simultaneous events across centuries!
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