• An editor's first job is to tell a story -- no matter the genre

​

• An editor can make a good film great, an OK film good, and a bad film short
 

• A movie is made three times: first when it's written, then when it's shot,  and then

  when it's edited
 

• A good story has a three-act structure  (Plus an exciting intro)
 

• “A film consists of a beginning, a middle, and an end, though not necessarily in that         order.” - Jean-Luc Godard
 

• Every scene should also have a beginning, middle, and ending
 

• And every scene should be dramatic
 

• A great ending surprises, satisfies and/or devastates.  Plus it resonates
 

• Watch ALL the footage.  Footage before "action" and after "cut" can save an edit
 

• Movie 1st, Scene 2nd, Moment 3rd
 

• Montage Fact 1: In essence, a cut highlights the difference or similarity between two

  shots
 

• Montage Fact 2: A cut creates meaning not inherent in the individual shots
 

• Montage Fact 3: Montage allows you to tell a story in compressed time.  And it can        make a gradual change more dramatic
 

• Tell the story with cuts!  It's what separates motion pictures from other art forms
 

• Understand the Kuleshov Effect

• Directors: read On Directing Film by David Mamet to learn how to tell a story with cuts
 

• Each shot already has an inherent beginning and ending -- it's life.  These are your        edit points
 

• Start the scene as late as possible
 

• End the scene as early as possible
 

• A cut should make the audience understand the story
 

• Make it easy for the audience to see what's important
 

• Every cut should be motivated
 

• A cut should move the story forward
 

• If not sure what to cut to, ask yourself what the audience would want to see
 

• How does a cut make you feel?
 

• Don't underestimate the intelligence of your audience
 

• "Show [the audience] everything, tell them nothing." - Ernest Hemingway
 

• Use all the angles that were shot
 

• Use cutaways

 

• Reactions are as important as dialogue
 

• Pay attention to sight lines
 

• Weave story lines with parallel editing

• Time does not have to be linear (refer to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity)

• Make everyone on camera look good

• Cut on motion

• Match action across edits

• Edit (and shoot) for continuity as characters move through space

• When in doubt, cut

 

• An action scene is a dialogue

• When acting and/or cinematography is beautiful, don't cut!

• 3 is a magic number.  2 is a coincidence.  4 is boring

• Remember Ekman’s Six Universal Emotions: Anger, Fear, Disgust, Surprise, Happiness,        and Sadness

• A good cut flows like a piece of music 

• The director and actors have established a rhythm during shooting. You can change    tempo and pace, but you must find this rhythm in your edit. Then create counterpoint    to this rhythm with your edit

• Music also establishes a scene's rhythm. And your edit should create polyphony with      the soundtrack

 

• If you cut on the one of every measure, your edit will get boring. Use action in the shot    to accent beats - not just cuts 

• Musicians make great editors

• "Hitchcock only finishes a picture 60 percent. I have to finish it for him." 
   -- Bernard Hermann, Composer

 

• Use room tone/nat sound.  Insist that the crew records it

• Add sound effects

• Force the footage to work -- Zoom in, reposition, flop, color correct, composite, loop        audio, etc.

• If possible, make it shorter
  (However, suspense comes from slowing things down) 

 

• Slow motion can make an emotion more dramatic. Or silly

• Even if the long, complicated and highly choreographed tracking shot doesn't work,      the director will insist that it be used, so put it in your cut

• Actors: read On Acting  by Sanford Meisner, On the Technique of Acting by Michael        Chekhov, Acting in Film by Michael Caine (see video too)

• Cinematographers: Watch Visions of Light

• Cinematographers: Please shoot chip charts for every scene

• Don't get too attached to your edit. The director and then the producer have the last    word...

​

• Watch these films for picture, sound and story editing:

  ALL THAT JAZZ (1979)
  AMELIE (2001)
  APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
  BREATHLESS (1960)
  BUGSY (1991)
  CINEMA PARADISO (1990)
  CITIZEN KANE (1941)
  CITY OF GOD (2002)
  DEAR ZACHARY (2008)
  DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS (2001)
  DONNIE DARKO (2001)
  GOODFELLAS (1990)
​  THE GRADUATE (1967)
  A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964)
  HAROLD AND MAUDE (1971)
  JFK (1991)
  LOVE IN THE CITY: "PARADISE FOR THREE HOURS" (1953) 
  MEMENTO (2000)
  NATURAL BORN KILLERS (1994)
  PULP FICTION (1994) 
  RAGING BULL (1980)
  SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
  TRAINSPOTTING (1996)
  THE TREE OF LIFE (2011)

• Pay your people as soon as you receive their invoices.  Pay them even if your client        has not paid you.  They have a contract with you -- not with your client!  This builds        loyalty
​
• Fast, cheap or good. You may only pick two

 

TECH TIPS:

​

• 24fps usually means 23.976

• 60fps usually means 59.94
 

• 1080i Field Dominance is Upper-Odd

 

• 16:9 Aspect Ratios: 
  The A.R. Formula is  x÷16=n×9=y​
  7680 x 4320 - 8K
  4800 x 2700 - 5K  
  3840 x 2160 - UHD
  1920 x 1080 - 1080 HD
  1280 x 720 - 720 HD
  960 x 540
  640 x 360
  480 x 270

• 1.90∶1 Aspect Ratios:
  4096 x 2160 - 4K
  2048 x 1080 - 2K

• 4:3
  1440 x 1080

​ 10

• Instagram Reels & Stories(24 hours) /TikTok Videos/You Tube Shorts

  1080 x 1920 (9:16, full vertical display) or 1920 x 1080 (16:9, landscape, bars on top and          bottom)
  16 Mbps

​

• Adding a 16:9 video to Instagram

 When you upload to Instagram, you choose "original aspect ratio" or "9:16 vertical aspect ratio."  If you choose "original," Instagram displays the whole 16:9 image but there is black at the top and bottom of your phone's screen. 

If you choose 9:16, the video fills the screen, but the right and left sides of your video will be cut off, so you need to reposition important action and text, so that it is centered on the screen

​

• Instagram Posts

   1080 x 1350 (4:5, portrait) or 1080 x 1080 (square)

   16 Mbps

​​