The Language
of Editing

The raw footage that has been shot for the film. Everything captured before any editing begins.

Historical editing slang for discarded footage — shots that didn't make the final cut.

The mathematical comparison of how much was shot vs. the final duration. A 20:1 ratio means 20 minutes shot for every 1 minute of final film.

The most common camera movements. Pan = left or right. Tilt = up or down. Zoom = in or out.

Secondary images of a person, place, or thing used to illustrate what characters are talking about. Not decoration — an emotional delivery system.

A chain of linked shots that illustrate a piece of action or event over time. Each shot is a link in a chain — together they form a mini story arc.

Standalone images of a person, place, or thing. Not part of a chain — positioned at precise dialogue moments to create emotional meaning.

B-roll shots positioned over shooting or structural errors like jump cuts. Essential for maintaining visual continuity.

An essential shot that is missing from the rushes and needs to be reshot or captured separately.

The speech from characters in the film. The primary narrative driver in most documentary and branded content.

A construction of speech from characters — the selected and arranged dialogue that builds the story.

A narrative path in speech that tells a coherent story. Characters move through a beginning, middle, and end in how they speak.

The individual sync groupings that make up the constructed stages of a sync arc. Each island is a chapter of the character's story.

The natural or constructed speed at which a character talks in a scene. Can be manipulated by the editor.

A sync-based construction technique used to build coherent sentences out of individual words or phrases from different parts of an interview.

A technique that speeds up a character's sync by cutting out all pauses between words — tightening the energy without losing meaning.

The journalistic reduction or expansion of a character's sync or sync tempo in a scene to serve the story's pacing needs.

The rise, fall, and modulation of pitch in a character's voice. Great editors choose sync cuts that preserve natural intonation.

A positional technique where the editor decides which parts of a character's interview to show on camera and which to hide with cutaways.

Creative techniques where a character's sync is positioned under a different shot to create geographical or temporal fluidity within a scene.

Narration that accompanies a film and gives a deeper layer of narrative clarity. Spoken by a character or narrator not necessarily on screen.

The ability for an editor to see the finished scene in their head before cutting the footage. The mark of an advanced editorial mind.

A creative technique that links strong, visually connected shots with their corresponding sync. The most direct and powerful image-to-word connection.

An advanced technique that uses visual metaphor and symbolism to connect shots with sync. Creates subtext and emotional depth beyond the literal.

The piecing together of two shots with repetitive action to create seamless action from one to the next.

The weaving together of two or more elements to create a coherent sequence or narrative. Common in parallel storytelling.

A stylisation technique that selects and weaves together separate shots to form a continuous whole — often used to compress time or build emotion.

A creative technique where specific visual elements within a scene are matched with musical sounds that illustrate them.

The quickest and easiest edits that create the biggest results in complex sequences. Start here before solving harder problems.

The conscious and unconscious movements and postures of a character by which feelings, emotions, and attitudes are communicated on screen.

An involuntary facial expression from a character that exposes their true emotion. One of the most powerful tools in an editor's arsenal.

A creative technique allowing enough subconscious time in the mind of the audience for a character to change geographical position between cuts.

The specifically designed speed or motion in a scene or piece of music. Controls how the audience experiences time and emotion.

A creative technique used to deliberately alter the speed of cutting for a specific dramatic purpose — like shifting from slow to rapid-fire cuts.

A progressive increase (crescendo) or decrease (diminuendo) in the intensity or speed of a scene or piece of music.

The creation of potential problems, loss, harm, or failure of characters in the minds of the audience. A key driver of tension.

The specific emotion elicited from the audience by a piece of music, scene, character, or story arc. Every cut is a tonal decision.

The unique style an editor chooses that encompasses pacing, structure, and stylisation. The editor's fingerprint on a piece.

The specific music tracks woven into the film. Works in partnership with picture to control tone, pacing, and emotional impact.

The organisation and compartmentalising of raw footage into different structural groups before editing begins.

An early stage assembly of a scene, act, or whole film. Structural, not refined.

A highly refined cut close to completion. All major decisions are locked; only refinements remain.

The completed film edited to correct duration. No more changes to the edit after this point.

A preliminary structural technique that groups relevant sync with relevant pictures on the timeline before fine-cutting begins.

The fluidity with which shots are cut together in a sequence. Poor shot flow pulls the audience out of the story.

The maintenance of continuous action and detail in a sequence. Breaks in continuity distract and disorient the viewer.

Two shots cut together with the same frame size — creates a visual jolt. Sometimes intentional for style; usually avoided for smoothness.

A constructed set of connected events that creates the story. Not what happened — what the editor chose to show and in what order.

A narrative path in pictures that tells a coherent story. The visual equivalent of the sync arc.

A style or category of film, television program, or music. Sets audience expectations from the first frame.

An editor's best friend.