The Master Guide / 11 Editing
Editing
The edit turns approved takes into the film: voices first, an assembly that grows with every batch, cuts placed by each shot's ending, and an editable timeline that holds every asset. This chapter runs from the locked voices to the client's rough cut.
The edit turns approved takes into the film: voices first, an assembly that grows with every batch, cuts placed by each shot's ending, and an editable timeline that holds every asset. This chapter runs from the locked voices to the client's rough cut. The music is chosen against this cut in the next chapter, Music, and the sound pass follows in Sound design and mix. The grade, graphics, versions and delivery come last, in Finishing and delivery.
The cut
Voices locked first, an assembly after every batch, cuts placed by ending type and by reason, the editorial pass, and music chosen against the cut.
Voices locked before picture and before the cut: Record and lock every line before the picture that needs it, and cut the assembly to the real voiceover [official guidance].
The running assembly after every batch: Cut each batch's keepers into a working timeline as soon as you have reviewed them, so jumps are caught before the next batch [proven].
Cuts by ending type: Set each in and out point by the ending type the plan chose for the shot, so a cut can fall on motion [proven].
A reason for every cut: Every cut earns its place with one word in your take log [proven].
Hard cuts and declared effects: Cut hard, in real time [proven].
The editorial pass: The first assembly is a draft, not the cut.
Only the hit points land on the music: Cut picture to picture, speech and the key sounds.
Choosing music against the cut: Choose the music against the cut, never in a player on its own [proven, thinly: Suno as the source, finished outside Suno].
The timeline and the cuts you send
The editable timeline with every asset and earlier take, and the director's cut and the client's rough cut.
The editable timeline: Every edited film comes with an editable timeline holding every asset.
The director's cut and the client's rough cut: Judge the cut and the music yourself first, on an internal page; then send the client one rough cut with the chosen music (decided).
Filmed footage
When a film has filmed footage or interviews: the paper edit and location sound.
Filmed footage and interviews: Read this only when the film has real filmed footage.