If you don't have time to watch a movie in one sitting, obviously you can watch it in segments. The best places to step away from a movie is during act breaks. An act is a segment of narrative. In film it is common for the acts to be separated from each other with a fade to black. Any time you see the screen go completely black or fade to a passive shot of a location or close up an object, this is an act break. The use of the black screen or a lingering shot on something other than an actor gives the audience a cue that a new segment of the story is beginning. You can stop the movie at these moments. You've digested a full portion of the film and will be able to rejoin it at a logical place.

Labels: movie watching tip