Film Editing Course

Lesson 1 • History and Evolution of Editing

Traces editing from silent-era cuts to digital nonlinear systems. Establishes historical context that informs every modern editorial decision.

Lesson 2 • The Editor's Role in Production

Defines the editor's creative and logistical responsibilities across pre-production, production, and post. Clarifies collaboration with directors and producers.

Lesson 3 • Understanding the Editing Workspace

Orients students to a professional NLE interface, panels, and keyboard shortcuts. Efficient workspace setup accelerates every subsequent editing task.

Lesson 1 • Ingesting and Transcoding Footage

Covers card offloading, checksum verification, and proxy creation workflows. Reliable ingestion protects original media and speeds up editing.

Lesson 2 • Folder Structures and Naming Conventions

Establishes scalable folder hierarchies and consistent naming rules for all project assets. Clear structure enables fast retrieval and smooth team handoffs.

Lesson 3 • File Formats and Codecs

Explains acquisition codecs, delivery formats, and the difference between them. Proper format knowledge prevents compatibility issues during editing.

Lesson 4 • Backup and Data Safety

Introduces the 3-2-1 backup rule and automated verification workflows. Data safety habits prevent irreversible loss of irreplaceable footage.

Lesson 1 • Match Cuts and Action Continuity

Covers cutting on action, graphic matches, and form cuts to maintain visual flow. Smooth action continuity keeps audiences immersed in the story.

Lesson 2 • Dialogue Scene Assembly

Applies continuity rules to multi-camera dialogue scenes using coverage hierarchy. Students build a complete scene from raw coverage to a polished cut.

Lesson 3 • The 180-Degree Rule

Explains the axis of action and how crossing it disorients viewers. Mastery of this rule is the foundation of all spatial continuity.

Lesson 1 • Using Pauses and Silence

Explores how held frames and audio silence create tension, emphasis, and breathing room. Strategic pauses are as powerful as rapid cuts in shaping viewer emotion.

Lesson 2 • Understanding Rhythm in Editing

Defines rhythmic editing as the interplay of shot duration, movement, and sound. Rhythm awareness is the core skill that separates competent editors from great ones.

Lesson 3 • Controlling Pacing for Genre

Examines how action, drama, and comedy each demand distinct pacing strategies. Genre-appropriate pacing ensures the audience experiences the intended emotional arc.

Lesson 1 • Dialogue Editing and Cleanup

Covers room tone matching, breath removal, and seamless line replacement. Clean dialogue editing is the single most critical factor in perceived audio quality.

Lesson 2 • Music Editing and Temp Tracks

Explains how to cut music to picture, build temp tracks, and communicate with composers. Music editing shapes emotional tone and pacing throughout the film.

Lesson 3 • Audio Track Architecture

Establishes a professional multi-track layout separating dialogue, effects, and music. Organised audio tracks streamline mixing and simplify handoff to a sound mixer.

Lesson 4 • Rough Mix and Level Balancing

Introduces gain staging, basic EQ, and level balancing for a broadcast-ready rough mix. A balanced rough mix allows directors to evaluate the cut with full emotional impact.

Lesson 1 • Scene and Sequence Refinement

Applies iterative review techniques to tighten scenes through trimming and restructuring. Refinement transforms a rough cut into a picture lock-ready sequence.

Lesson 2 • Transitions Beyond the Cut

Explores dissolves, wipes, match dissolves, and motivated transitions as storytelling devices. Each transition type carries specific meaning and must be used with intention.

Lesson 3 • Intercutting and Cross-Cutting

Covers simultaneous action intercutting and its effect on tension and time compression. Cross-cutting is essential for chase sequences, phone calls, and parallel storylines.

Lesson 4 • J-Cuts, L-Cuts, and Split Edits

Teaches audio-leading and audio-trailing edits that smooth transitions between scenes. Split edits are the most frequently used advanced technique in professional editing.

Lesson 1 • LUTs and Look Development

Explains technical and creative LUTs, their application in the NLE, and handoff to a colourist. LUT management ensures visual consistency from editorial through final grade.

Lesson 2 • Understanding VFX in the Edit

Explains the editor's role in VFX-heavy productions, including temp comps and VFX pulls. Early VFX awareness prevents costly rework in post-production finishing.

Lesson 3 • Basic Motion Graphics Integration

Covers title card creation, lower thirds, and animated graphic placeholders within the NLE. Motion graphics integration ensures the cut communicates fully before finishing.

Lesson 1 • Picture Lock and Conforming

Defines picture lock criteria and the conform process for online finishing. A clean conform ensures the colourist and sound mixer work from identical editorial decisions.

Lesson 2 • Project Archiving and Handoff

Covers project consolidation, media archiving, and documentation for long-term storage. Proper archiving enables future re-versioning and protects the production's investment.

Lesson 3 • Quality Control and Review

Introduces QC checklists covering video, audio, and metadata integrity before delivery. Systematic QC prevents costly rejections and protects the editor's professional reputation.

Lesson 4 • Export Settings and Deliverables

Covers codec selection, resolution, frame rate, and audio specs for multiple delivery platforms. Correct export settings prevent rejection by broadcasters and streaming platforms.