6 Ways to Edit Any Scene - Essential Film & Video Editing Techniques Explained [Shot List Ep. 10]

Ultimate guide to film and video editing techniques, including eyeline match, cross cutting, eye trace, j cut and l cut, intellectual montage, and cut on action.
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Chapters:
00:00 - Intro - Editing: Creative Uses of the Cut
01:32 - Walter Murch & The Rule of Six
02:46 - Eyeline Match
05:55 - Cross Cutting
07:57 - Eye Trace
10:13 - Split Edit
13:14 - Intellectual Montage
15:40 - Cut on Action
17:54 - Honorable Mentions and FREE Reference Shot List
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Film editing is a language that started with the simple cut over a century ago. Since then, film and video editing techniques have turned that language into poetry. In this episode of The Shot List, we’re looking at the major film editing and video editing techniques that can be used when editing a scene. These techniques include eyeline match, cross cutting, eye trace, split edits, intellectual montage, and cut on action. We’ll explain how to edit video using these techniques and what they bring to the storytelling process.
First up is the eyeline match - where a character’s eyes guide the edit. If we see a character notice something off-screen, our immediate response is “What are they looking at?” Most of the time, the editor complies and cuts to match the character’s eyeline (not only what they see but from their literal or general perspective).
In film editing, cross cutting (or intercutting) is essentially weaving two or more scenes into one. The classic example of cross cutting is the baptism scene in The Godfather as we watch Michael become “The Godfather” twice over - to his sister’s child and to the Corleone family as we watch his men assassinate his rivals.
One bit of film theory from legendary editor Walter Murch is called eye trace. To help the viewer along, eye trace suggests to cut between shots when the area of focus is in the same spot. That way, the viewer can stay focused on the moment, especially when rapidly cutting through action scenes.
A hard cut is when both the sound and image are switch simultaneously to the next shot. But a split edit allows for the sound or image to switch before the other. These are known as either the J cut or the L cut - based on the way they look in a film editing timeline. These techniques are useful in dialogue scenes to help pace out the conversation and allow for reaction shots.
Intellectual montage is a fascinating bit of editing theory that suggests that when presented with two images back-to-back, the viewer will search for a connection between them. When deployed strategically, filmmakers can create meaning through juxtaposition that wouldn’t otherwise be there.
And, finally, much of movie editing is built around the cut on action - when a cut is made within a character or object’s movement in the frame. Rather than creating a chaotic onslaught of fragmented punches and kicks, the cut on action creates a more seamless flow.
These are the essential film editing and video editing techniques that editors use all the time. And as soon as you master these video editing tips and tricks, you’ll be able to speak that language fluently.
#FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking
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♬ SONGS USED:
"Spicy Boi" - Falls
"Origin" - David A Molina
"Mining The Data" - Fairlight
"Phife Theory" - Falls
"Square Escape" - Hans Zimmer / No Time to Die OST
"Triboro" - Falls
"The Agoge" - Tyler Bates / 300 OST
"War Paint" - Rhythm Scott
"The Radiogram" - Bernard Herrmann
"War Banner" - Cody Martin
"Mercury" - Alon Ohana
"Spikey Cars" - Junkie XL / Mad Max: Fury Road OST
"Bang Bang" - Joe Cuba
"The Plan" - Joe Kraemer / Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation OST
"Crimin' & Dealin'" - Clint Mansell / Requiem for a Dream OST
"Tense" - Clint Mansell / Requiem for a Dream OST
"Nightmare" - Lost Ghosts
"Discovery" - Nicholas Britell / Don't Look Up OST
"Main Title Theme" - Nicholas Britell / Don't Look Up OST
"Memento Mori" - Nicholas Britell / Don't Look Up OST
"Love the Glove" - Michael Giacchino / Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol OST
"Drumming Free" - Airstream
"I Know Kung Fu" - Don Davis / The Matrix OST
"Battle Dance" - Rhythm Scott
"Midnight Daydream" - Cinerama
"We Belong to the Night" - Hill
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Chapters: 00:00 - Intro - Editing: Creative Uses of the Cut 01:32 - Walter Murch & The Rule of Six 02:46 - Eyeline Match 05:55 - Cross Cutting 07:57 - Eye Trace 10:13 - Split Edit 13:14 - Intellectual Montage 15:40 - Cut on Action 17:54 - Honorable Mentions and FREE Reference Shot List

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Hey I’d love to hear your thoughts on this tip I learned on editing that definitely changed my outlook on the edit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53IkICgbMycm68

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OMG, every time I watch these videos, I want to get my camera out and shoot some scenes! I love using the j and l cuts in dialogue, they have made those scenes ridiculously smoother!

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Absolutely love this explanation of Eye Trace at 8:35. Thanks so much for the expertise and well-chosen examples. You always manage to go a few steps past the obvious, which is what I think we're all responding to here.

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That tip from mad max is so simple yet more action filmmakers really need to learn it

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I like the cuts created in filming the intro section about creative uses of cuts here. Good examples, perfect beats and clean, delicious cuts. Nice!

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The other day I was learning about digital vs film. I would love if this would be next shotlist video.

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Perfect timing, this is exactly what I needed! Thank you so much!

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Hope it helps!

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The j and L split is a awesome technique to learn thank you for this!

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They're the fundamentals!

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That’s like one of the first things you learn in film school lol

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Absolutely! It’s a clear, concise and free guide to how movies are made, or really any video

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So glad you’ve brought this narrator back!

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I love how I watched most of the movies that had mentioned, feels great and rewarding while learning the techniques

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Between your Artworks in StudioBinder , this part was useful and handy the most... Thanks and God bless you guys

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Suddenly Monday became exciting

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I’m absolutely loving this channel! Thank you so much! I was just thinking that it’d be sick to see an explanation of what a lack of editing or the ‘reverse’ of these techniques can bring (if they exist). For example, I’m pretty sure in some of Jackie Chan’s work reducing or even removing cuts adds to the fluidity of his fight scenes and emphasises how realistic they are.

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In the video "Jackie Chan - How to Do Action Comedy" by Every Frame a Painting, it points out that Hollywood editors tend to ruin the rhythm of fight scenes by cutting on every hit, which is identified as a common technique at 17:04 of this episode.

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Hey I’d love to hear your thoughts on this tip I learned on editing that definitely changed my outlook on the edit: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53IkICgbMycm68

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respect to the editor of this video and that cut on action example

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I love how you guys now use recent films for explanation!

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Felt like it would be a good touch! Will still include the classics ;)

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The pop montage used in Requiem For A Dream and the L and J cuts during dialogues in Spotlight had an excellent impact on the viewer.

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Great cuts 💯

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I just saw this channel in my recommendations and I subscribed before the intro ends.

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Very informative 😍 would love to see a series on editing in context with the music and beats

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I like the editing techniques used in “too many cooks”

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so many great tips and tricks in this video! So much value provided in 18 mins

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After watching countless videos that show J-cuts and L-cuts, I now finally understand why they are called that. I love watching your videos!

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Editing really is the hardest and funnest part of film, always rewatch and judge your work before finalizing!

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match cut is another - thanks for the content!

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Very well explained. Love this. Thanks

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Thank you so much for all your hard work in sharing this information with us. One suggestion for accessibility: could you please change the font color you use for the names of the films you're sharing clips from? The current font color against the black background makes the names hard to see.

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17:04 An interesting contrast to that is in Every Frame a Painting's video "Jackie Chan - How to Do Action Comedy", which points out that Hollywood editors tend to ruin a fight scene's rhythm by cutting on every hit.

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Right. Cuts on every hit are for when the actors aren't really good. Contrast the Matrix scenes with Crouching Tiger, The Protector, or The Raid. The latter films are far more impressive because of the longer takes, showing greater skill... :)

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I think the difference is overdoing the cuts rather than one being objectively a better technique to capture fight scenes than the other.

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@@nationalhamleague5352 Thus, "every hit".

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Goodbye I'm off to go read Walter Murch's The Conversations again haha. Incredible video.

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As always, another great video from StudioBinder!!! The only thing I am not sure about is that I always though that J cuts and L cuts are called like this because of the JKL buttons that work pretty much in every editing application. J is for reverse (so you move the audio backwards) and L is for forward (so you move the audio forward).

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Amazing! I would love to see different ways to end a movie / tv show!

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Finally learned what that cut has a name - J cut. X-Files heavily used that.

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The landing scene in First Man is absoulety a delight in terms of editing. Well, the whole movie is, but that scene in particular even more.