How Pro Video Editors Approach Every Edit

Most of you reading know HOW to make an edit, but do you know WHERE to make an edit?

I’ve been a pro editor for over 20 years and today I’m going to tell you how I decide where to cut in and out of shots.

I’ll come right out and give you the answer: I cut IN at the beginning of an action and I cut OUT at the end of an action.

Thanks for reading.

In all seriousness, it sounds simple, but as you dig in, it becomes apparent that the options are endless.

 First we have to ask, what constitutes an action?

In my view, an action is anything happening in the frame. It can be as big as a giant spider monster or as small as an eye movement. It can also be the camera movement itself.

Second, you might be wondering when exactly you cut in and out. Is it the exact frame the action starts and the frame the action ends? Well, it depends. 

Are you cutting an action scene? You might cut right on the frame the action starts, or you might even cut in a bit after the action starts for a certain effect. And you might cut out before the action finishes, giving a sense of urgency. 

Are you cutting a dramatic exchange between actors? Let’s say the action is an actor finishing a word. You might wait a whole beat after the action before cutting away.

The possibilities are endless. The goal of this article is not to give you all the answers, but rather a starting place. My challenge for you is to be more deliberate with your in and out points on each shot. 

On your next project, ask yourself, “what is the action of the shot and does the timing of the in and out points add to the emotion of the story?" You will begin to notice there is a cumulative effect on the quality of your videos when you take this into account.

Austen is an ADDY award-winning film & commercial editor with over 20 years of experience. He has worked with global brands like Meta, KPMG, SAP, and Christianity Today. His PSA work has championed causes like school safety (with Matthew McConaughey), driving safety, and anti-tobacco. A thought leader in the editing field, his online lessons quickly amassed over 100K views after launch.