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Filmmaking Camera, lighting, sound, editing and the crew roles behind every shot.

Editing: Meaning & Definition in Film

The art and craft of selecting, arranging, and assembling shots into a coherent film.

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On this page 4 sections

Editing: Historical Development

Early film editing emerged with the silent era, as pioneers like Georges Méliès discovered that cutaways and splices could manipulate time and space. D.W. Griffith refined continuity editing in the 1910s, establishing conventions for match cuts and parallel action.

Techniques and Styles

Editing techniques include continuity, cross-cutting, montage and jump cuts, each shaping narrative rhythm and emotional impact. Editors use software like Avid Media Composer and DaVinci Resolve to trim, layer sound and fine-tune pacing.

Editing: Narrative Functions

Good editing balances clarity and surprise—guiding viewers’ attention while maintaining narrative tension. Montage sequences condense time, whereas long takes rely on in-camera performance and blocking.

Editing: Notable Practitioners

Editors like Thelma Schoonmaker (Raging Bull), Walter Murch (Apocalypse Now) and Dede Allen (Bonnie and Clyde) demonstrate how cutting choices become integral to a film’s aesthetic and storytelling.

See the vocabulary at work in real films

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More Filmmaking Terms

Entries filed on the same shelf as Editing, each with the one-line answer first. They are the words that usually come up in the same conversation.

All 913 terms

  • CPL

    An XML manifest defining the composition and playback instructions for a package.

  • Off the Grid

    Shooting 'off the grid' means filming in a remote location that lacks access to municipal power, requiring the production to be entirely self-sufficient.

  • Reaction Shot

    A reaction shot shows a character’s response to off-screen action or dialogue, conveying emotion and advancing narrative.

  • Porta Video

    'Porta Video' is an outdated term for a portable video playback system on a film set, the precursor to the modern, more complex Video Village.

  • Costume Supervisor

    A senior role responsible for managing the costume department’s operations and budget.

  • Speed Slate

    A speed slate is a very fast or informal method of marking a take, used when the pace of shooting makes a formal slate impractical.