The art and craft of selecting, arranging, and assembling shots into a coherent film.
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.
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.
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.
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.
DuVernay Test
The DuVernay Test is a critical framework for analyzing racial representation in film, assessing whether characters of color have fully realized lives independent of the white characters.
Show Bible Update
A show bible update is the essential process of revising and expanding a television series' foundational creative document to reflect story developments, character arcs, and world-building changes.
Mise-en-abyme
Mise-en-abyme is a sophisticated artistic technique where a film or image contains a smaller version of itself, creating a nested, self-reflecting, and often infinite loop.
Vito Russo Test
The Vito Russo Test is a set of criteria used to evaluate the quality of LGBTQ+ representation in film, ensuring that queer characters are both present and integral to the narrative.
POAP
A POAP is a unique NFT created as a digital collectible to certify a person's attendance at a specific event, serving as a modern-day digital ticket stub for film premieres and fan experiences.
Token-Gated Screening
A token-gated screening is an exclusive online film event where access is restricted to users who can prove ownership of a specific digital asset, such as an NFT, in their cryptocurrency wallet.
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