ABSTRACT
Everyone agrees that a cut brings energy to any film or video. Most narrative films are shot using one camera. With all the lights, technicians, and sound equipment on a set or location, a second camera is not practical because it would film the crew and equipment. There are a couple of tricks. The easiest is to go to a cutaway; the audience forgets the continuity problem and they are home free. Eye trace is another important concept. Often good directors and their editors use screen direction to help tell a story. Pacing is crucial to effective editing; yet it is perhaps the most difficult skill to write about or to teach. Reaction shots and split edits (L-cuts) are important components of any conversation. Editing a documentary often means working with talking-head interviews or voiceover narration. Make sure the QuickTime file is cued up properly, or that the projectionist has Blu-ray disc or Digital Cinema Package.
