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THE ROUGH CUT

The process of film editing is where the footage is selected, organized, and arranged to create the final cut of
the film. It is a rigorous process that needs patience and optimism ensuring that the final version of the film is
aligned with the director’s vision. It all starts with the rough cut.

Film Editing Process

The film editing process can be different for everyone. However, the standard practices required to ensure a
smooth workflow and editing process are very much the same. From organizing the footage to exporting,
this concise process helps editors approach the work less overwhelmingly.

• Organizing the footage: This part of the process involves reviewing the footage and selecting the
footage. Editors check and organize all raw footage in folders, sometimes per sequence or the day it
was shot. After organizing the footage, editors select and import it to the editing software and choose
the best takes.
• Creating rough cut: This part of the process involves assembling shots and creating a rough story
structure. After choosing the best takes, editors will roughly assemble shots or footage per sequence
until he/she complete the whole story.
• Refining and exporting: This part of the process focuses on creating a smooth pace and visual flow of
the story. Editors will remove unnecessary parts of the footage or take and export a low-resolution
version of the complete film for the director to view.

Following this simple editing process in the initial stage of film editing can help editors be more organized
and careful with the footage. Film editors need to be cautious with the footage because the director and
other production crew members worked hard to shoot the film.

Tips for Film Editing

Editing can be challenging because there are many factors an editor needs to consider. Here are some tips to
help editors and aspiring editors improve their creative process:

• Understand story: It is impossible to edit a story without being fully aware and knowledgeable about
the story of the film. The editor must be fully aware and know the visual pace of the story and work
closely with the director.
• Test different cuts: Editing is a pretty strict and meticulous process, but there is always room for
exploration. Editors must be unafraid of exploring other ways of visual storytelling and use it to find
his/her creative style.
• Do previews: Watch the film over and over again, and watch it with the director and other trusted
people. This way, the director and editor can see the totality of the film and learn more ways to deliver
the story even better. By doing previews, the editor can also spot some errors.
• Take breaks: Editing can be a tiring process for the eyes. It is important to take breaks to watch the
film with a fresh mind and eyes. More often than not, when editors take their breaks, they go back to
work with better ideas.

Editing is not only about being knowledgeable about the applications, software, and equipment being used in
the process; it is also about having a healthy and proactive quality when it comes to approaching the work. An
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editor with great technical skills but is impatient, disorganized, and unprofessional will always make a bad
movie. On the other hand, an editor with limited technical skills but with opposite qualities will always find a
way to ensure that the film will turn out beautifully.

Offline Edit and Online Edit

Offline and online editing are two stages in the film editing process. Offline editing is when editors work
with low-resolution files instead of original footage for faster editing. This is where the rough cut happens.
After completing and finalizing the narrative structure of the film, the film then gets a “locked edit” or
“picture lock”. Picture lock means that the rough cut is final and ready for online editing.

Here are tips for offline editing:

• Organize Files: Be very organized so that files are safe and with back up.
• Focus on the Narrative: Keep the story in mind and focus on the structure and meaning of the film.
• Explore: Explore ways of elevating visual storytelling by testing different cuts, shots, and takes.
• Be Meticulous: There is no turning back after the picture lock, so ensure that everything is final.

Online editing, on the other hand, is when editors and other post-production crew work together to finalize
the film by applying sound design, visual effects, color grading, scoring, and subtitles. This is the part where
the team deals with the high-resolution quality of footage.

Here are tips for online editing:

• Check Technical Errors: Review the files and check if there are errors with the frame and audio sync.
• Maintain Consistency: Ensure that sound design, color grading, and other elements are consistent.
• Have a Backup: Be careful and always save the files for possible errors and corrupt files.
• Work with the Director: Coming up with a final cut needs a final review and close collaboration with
the director.

If shooting the film during the production stage is where stories are being made, editing in the post-production
stage is where the film is being told. Editors should take their role wholeheartedly.

The Editor’s Role

Being a film or video editor entails so many responsibilities because the outcome is in the editor’s hands.
The primary role is to assemble raw footage and transform it into a cohesive, entertaining, and compelling
story. The editor works closely with the director and in some cases, the director is also the editor of the film.

The editor’s responsibilities are:

• Storytelling: The editor must be fully aware that the visual storytelling aspect of the film relies on how
the footage is assembled.
• Collaboration: The editor is responsible for being collaborative and open to suggestions while also
figuring out how he/she can insert his/her distinct film editing style.

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• Problem-solving: More often than not, problems that happen in pre-production and production are
“fixed” in post-production. The editor must always be ready to come up with solutions and alternative
ways of finishing the film successfully.
• Visual and Audio Consistency: Film is 50% visual and 50% sound; the editor must be able to combine
the two consistently.
• Technical skills: The editor must be highly skilled with the equipment or application he/she is using,
as well as being open to learning other equipment.
• Final output: The final look of the film depends on the director and editor, as this is the final stage
before distributing and showing it to the audience.

Editors have a lot of responsibilities, and many people do not value the job they do behind the scenes. Gaining
knowledge of this increases our appreciation of their work and teaches us how to tell stories more effectively.

Tips on Being a Good Editor

Since the majority of the work is overlooked and remains in the post-production stage, it is challenging to
describe what it means to be a "good editor." However, when we view films that we think are good, we can
recognize and appreciate their qualities.

These traits could be useful if you want to work as a film and video editor in the future:

• Communication Skills: Editors must be able to communicate their ideas and work with others
smoothly.
• Patience: Editors must be patient in the whole process, understanding that it takes time.
• Optimism: Editors must be hopeful and resourceful at all times, always looking at the bright side.
• Attention to Detail: Editors must have a keen eye for details to spot errors and find a better way of
visual storytelling. When editors spot errors, they have to inform others and work with others.

These qualities will surely help us understand what it takes to be a good editor. Remember, it is not just the
technical skills we need but these qualities that make the whole process more collaborative, creative, and
fulfilling.

Editing Styles and Techniques

Editing styles and techniques play a vital role in shaping the story’s structure, pacing, and impact on audiences.
Editors must know these techniques and explore more possibilities to develop new ones through
experimentation and finding a unique sense of editing style.

Here are editing styles and techniques an editor can do to further elevate visual storytelling in film:

• Continuity Cut: This editing technique keeps two shots consistent when juxtaposed. For example, a
scene when a character goes from the kitchen and goes to the dining table outside the kitchen without
a visible or abrupt cut.
• Montage: A series of shots put together to create a brief story and elevate the emotional aspect of it.
For example, the montage scene from the animated film UP (2009).

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• Cross-cutting: Two scenes happening at the same time are being put together to elevate tension and
connection. For example, the bathroom sequence in the film Psycho (1960), wherein two scenes of
the main character and the intruder are cut together to create suspense.
• Jump Cut: Abrupt cuts to show the passage of time or to create disorientation. In the film Breathless
(1960), a scene in the car cuts abruptly to show the passage of time.
• Match Cut: Two shots with similar visual elements are cut together to create a smooth transition. For
example, in the TV series Squid Game (2021), the main characters who are in different locations are
shown to be waiting for a van to pick them up to take them to the games.
• Cutaway: A shot fills the main action of the scene to provide detail before returning to the point of
the scene. For example, a shot of a clock and then returning to the shot of the main character waiting
for someone.
• Non-linear Editing: An editing technique that tells the story out of chronological order. For example,
the film Memento (2000), where the film is told backwards.
• Linear Editing: An editing technique that tells the story in chronological order.
• Fast Cut: Quick cuts to create tension and elevate intensity in the scene. Action films use this cut more
for their stunt sequences.
• Slow Cut: Long cuts and transitions between scenes or shots. Documentary films are more likely to
use this editing technique to give more time to focus on the subject.
• Dissolve: A shot or scene wherein it gradually transitions onto the next one. It is an editing technique
used to embody a passage of time or to create a more dramatic effect.
• Fade In/Out: A slow transition to black or white, often used to emphasize the ending or beginning of
a film.
• Split Screen: Displays two scenes/shots together in one frame. Films like Requiem for a Dream (2000)
and Kill Bill (2003) use this technique.
• Slow Motion: A slow effect to the shot or scene to create tension and suspense.
• Freeze Frame: A single frame is held on the screen. For example, a character takes a photo of someone
or something in a scene, and this editing technique is used to emphasize the photograph effect.
• L-Cut: Audio from the shot or scene is continued to be heard onto the next shot or scene to create
some sense of continuity.
• J-Cut: Audio from the next scene is being played to create some sense of continuity.
• Smash Cut: A quick and sudden cut to create shock. Often used in comedies or horror.

Exploring these techniques can help us elevate our visual storytelling and the narrative of the film overall.

Tips for Choosing Editing Styles and Techniques

Choosing and using certain editing styles and techniques is definitely not random and should not be out of
place. The editor must know the timing and relevance of the methods being applied in the film.

Here are tips for choosing editing styles and techniques:

• Alignment with the Story: Ensure that the editing of the film is relevant to the story and director’s
vision. Do not just apply the methods because it looks cool or pleasing to the eyes, ensure that the
applied technique elevates the visual storytelling of the film.

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• Audience Experience: Always be mindful of the experience from the perspective of the viewer and
ensure that the editing style and technique are not too abstract for them to understand.
• Genre of the Film: Match the editing style to the genre of the film and ensure that it is consistent with
the mood and emotion of the film.

The Rough Cut

The rough cut is the initial cut and unpolished version of the film. The rough cut is for the director, editor, and
other production members to view and evaluate the overall narrative structure and pacing of the film.

The purpose of the rough cut is:

• Evaluate Visual Storytelling: Helps the team assess the pacing and flow of the story before finalization.
• Gather feedback: The director and other key members of the crew can suggest on what to improve.
• Logistical Considerations: Reviewing the rough cut can give hints on how much money and time is
needed for finalizing the film.

It is important to emphasize that a rough cut does not mean a messy cut version of the film. It is only rough
because the film/video has not gone through online edit.

References

De Guzman, K. (2023, September 5). What does a film editor do — role and responsibilities. StudioBinder.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-does-a-film-editor-do/
Filmsupply. (2023, May 2). From assembly to picture lock – rough cut, fine cut, and final cut. Filmsupply Blog.
https://www.filmsupply.com/articles/rough-fine-final-cut/
Kench, S. (2023, September 8). What is a Rough Cut in Film — Stages of Film Editing Explained. StudioBinder.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-rough-cut-in-film/

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