Film editing essentials for independent filmmakers

While film editors don’t get as much attention as directors, writers, or performers, their work is crucial in moulding a film’s final edition. So let’s dive in and find out more about film editing and, ultimately, why it’s so critical to a film’s success.

   

So, What Is Film Editing?

Film editing is the process of arranging shots into a motion picture to realise the director’s vision. Film editors are responsible for both compiling film footage using video editing software and making aesthetic choices that affect a film’s storyline. Therefore, editing is both a technical and creative talent. Cutaways, crosscutting, parallel editing, continuity editing, and match cuts are all editing techniques used by film editors to reimagine the scripted version of a film’s plot and bring it to life. Before you complete a final cut of the film, it will go through several rounds of shaping, refining, and fine-tuning.

 

Why Is Editing a Critical Part of the Filmmaking Process?

Whether you’re producing your first indie short film or a feature film, don’t underestimate the importance of editing! Editing has four major effects on the story of a film:

 

Film editing regulates when the audience receives information

For dramatic or comedic effect, editors have the ability to rearrange scenes and skip forward or backwards in time. An editor can intentionally withhold material to better set up a twist ending. Similarly, they can hold a shot longer so the audience picks up extra information.

 

Film editing dictates pacing

Editors assess pacing on a scene-by-scene basis as well as in the context of the entire picture. In order to enhance suspense, an editor might use slow, lengthier shots in a certain scenario. In the same film, the editor may eliminate a whole scene in order to speed up the overall pacing.

 

Film Editing protects shot continuity

Editors are in charge of ensuring a smooth transition from shot to shot. If a character passes through a door and the editor cuts to a shot on the other side of the door, it would be disorienting if the character was significantly more steps ahead of where they were before the cut. Editors carefully time their cuts to ensure that the sequences flow smoothly. This is especially significant when films are shot in multiple locations and then edited together to appear as if they were shot in the same area.

 

Film Editing heightens emotion

Editors can use transitions and shot selection to create a variety of moods for the viewer. Consider a classic horror movie jump cut, in which the editor cuts to a terrifying visual at the same time that a startling sound effect plays. The editor can create terror in the viewers by cutting away at a surprise point and punctuating the cut with an audio cue.

 

The 4 key Stages of the Film Editing Process

Editors use a sequence of versions or ‘cuts’ in the film editing process. They are called cuts because editing used to require the cutting/slicing up of physical film strips. The following workflow resulted in these cuts:

 

Logging

Logging is the process of categorising and arranging unedited, raw video (sometimes known as “dailies”), which is usually handled by an assistant editor. Directors and cinematographers frequently mark certain scenes as ‘favourites’ during filming to aid the video editor once the footage is logged.

 

First assembly

The editor’s first cut of the complete film is known as the first assembly, or assembly cut. The editor compiles all of the usable footage and arranges it in a chronological order that conforms to the plot of the film. The editor works on the assembly of individual sequences while the film is being shot. This is especially true for huge-budget Hollywood movies with high-profile production companies.

 

Rough cut

The rough cut might take months, and it’s usually the editor’s first time working with the director. Minor changes may be made to the rough cut, or the filmmaker may decide to go back to the drawing board and start over for certain sections of the film. In addition to swapping in new shooting angles and performance takes, the director will frequently want to reorganise, chop, and trim sequences. Only simplified placeholder titles, graphic effects (if any), and sound effects are included in rough versions.

 

Final cut

The editor applies the finishing touches to the film once the director and producers are satisfied with its state. Sound effects, music, visual effects, titles, and colour grading are all included.

 

The Most Popular Editing Systems Currently Used in Postproduction

The majority of movies and television shows are now edited using non-linear digital editing methods. In the early 1990s, several software systems gained popularity and changed postproduction by making editing faster and easier.

You can transfer media to a computer, save it as digital files and arrange it into bins or folders in postproduction. Editors access a clip by double-clicking on it, just as they would with any other document. Every element in a film, such as video, music, or sound effects, has its own track (denoted by a row). This allows editors to alter the positioning and levels of each one independently.

In postproduction, there are various editing systems to choose from, and it typically comes down to personal preference. Popular postproduction editing programmes are Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro X, and Adobe Premiere Pro. Check out more, right here!

 

8 Essential Film Editing Tips 

Film editing is frequently a time-consuming trial-and-error procedure. Use these suggestions to cut down on your editing time and learn some new editing approaches.

 

Use movement to mask your cuts

Move around to hide your cuts. Cutting while there is either on-screen action (such as a punch or a kick in a fight sequence) or camera movement is a simple approach to make seamless transitions between images (like a whip pan).

 

Keep it succinct

Consider whether it’s necessary to see a character walk up a flight of stairs or go through their morning ritual. Subsequently, edit out any footage that slows down the film’s pacing. Long pauses between lines of actor talk are similarly problematic. Experiment with switching between different camera perspectives or deleting all extraneous video to speed things up.

 

Stress the purpose of the scene

Edit each shot such that it complements the scene’s major theme. For example, if a character’s current behaviours are influenced by a former event, you can use flashback cutaways to explain their actions. You might also use many cuts back to the countdown in a scene with a ticking time bomb to add suspense.

 

Use audio match cuts

The editor may produce strong effects with the audio track in addition to visual editing capabilities. Matching cut dialogue and sound effects are just as effective as matching cut graphic elements. The sound of whirring helicopter blades during combat in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) continues into the next scene, where Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) rests in bed beneath a spinning ceiling fan, in a famous sound effect match cut. Willard’s struggle to escape his memories of battle is reflected in the sound of spinning chopper blades matched to the sound of spinning ceiling fan blades.

   

Use motivated cuts

A motivated cut establishes a causal link between two shots. For example, when a character acknowledges something offscreen and you cut to that precise thing. I.e., a shot of a figure waving to someone off-camera, followed by a cut to a shot of that person. Motivated cuts may also add suspense to a scene. For example, when you show a character’s eyes steadily expanding as they stare off-screen in horror before cutting to the source of their terror.

 

Use insert shots to expose information

Close-ups of an item (a clue at a crime scene, for example) or movement (hands playing the piano) that assist focus the audience’s attention on a specific element are known as insert shots. Insert shots not only give variety to your shot compositions, but they can also aid in transitioning between scenes.

 

Avoid cutting audio and video at the same time

To put it another way, don’t cut to another shot at the same precise moment the audio stops. You’ll attract attention to the cut if one character concludes a line of speech and you cut to the person to whom they’re speaking. Instead, start the audio for the following shot slightly before or after you cut—this is called pre-lapping and post-lapping, respectively.

 

Invest in a multi-screen workflow

When you edit video clips on a single monitor, it’s easy to get cramped and waste time switching back and forth between windows. Using a second monitor gives you the extra screen real estate you need. Keep your editing timeline distinct from your audio and video file folders.

 

 

Film editing: one small part of a whole.

If diving into film editing has piqued your interest, visit our recent 9-step guide to post-production in film!