Editing - BBC Bitesize

What is editing?

Editing is the process of taking and assembling it into the finished story.

Editing is part of post-production where any visual effects, sound effects, music or voices are added and the final sounds and pictures are decided on.

Editors sort out the best shots that work together to tell the story.

How footage is edited has a big impact on how clear the story is, the pace of storytelling, and the mood created.

Video - editing

Check out this video on ways to use editing in your filmmaking.

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This video can not be played

Key points

Editing is how footage is shaped into a story.
The pace and rhythm of an edit can have an impact on how the audience feels.
The stage where editing, sound design, visual effects and all happen is called post-production.

On screen examples - editing

Skip image gallery

Image source, Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment / THA / Alamy
Image caption,
Building suspense
In 'Jurassic Park', two children are trapped in a kitchen by two velociraptors. The editing cuts back and forth between the hiding children and the dinosaurs hunting them. Action shots and reaction shots show where they are in relation to each other, and build suspense as the dinosaurs get closer and closer. When the scene turns into a chase, the editing gets faster and faster, making the action more exciting.
Image source, 20th Century Fox / Fox 2000 Pictures / Wendy Finerman Productions / Landmark Media / Alamy
Image caption,
Montage sequence
'The Devil Wears Prada' tells the story of a college graduate who gets a job working for a fashion magazine. Scenes of the main character, Andie, walking to work in different outfits are edited together in a series of short shots. This montage sequence looks like one journey in which Andie's outfits become more and more stylish, reflecting her growing confidence and experience of the fashion world.
Image source, DreamWorks Pictures / Universal Pictures / Reliance Entertainment / Ent-movie / Alamy
Image caption,
Hidden editing
In 1917, two British soldiers are sent on a dangerous mission during World War One. The film is made up of a series of long shots joined together with hidden edits. The result feels like we are travelling alongside the soldiers in real time, sharing their sense of tension.
Image source, Walt Disney Pictures / Pixar Animation Studios / Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy
Image caption,
Succinct storytelling
'Up' is an animation in which an elderly widower goes on an adventure to South America, just as he and his late wife had planned years before. The opening sequence of the film shows all of the couple's life together. Quick editing shows fun, active moments from their lives, while longer shots slow the pace for sad and emotional events. Everyday scenes like tying a tie and putting money in a jar are repeated to show time passing. The audience is quickly taken on an emotional journey that tells us all about the main character before the real action begins.

Try this - editing

Watch this video and give this editing exercise a go!

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

This video can not be played

Roles/Departments

Director - has a confident idea of the story they are telling, knows the footage they have captured and works closely with the editor during post-production to find the best version of that story
Editor - works closely with the director, tries out different editing techniques and makes several different versions of a film before a final, finished edit is agreed on.

Think about

Have you been selective and chosen the best parts of your footage?
How does it feel if you take away a certain scene or moment, or change the order of events?
What effect does it have if you trim or extend clips to make the edit faster or slower-paced?

Things to look out for

Choose an editing style which fits the emotion of the story, eg:
- a fast-paced action sequence
- a slow-paced dialogue scene
Always review and edit until you have the best version
Don't include everything you shot unless it works for your story!
Watch your edit with other people to test it:
- Is the story clear to someone who has not seen it before?
- Does it get the response you want?
- Are there any parts that could change to make it better?

Things to consider

The editor and director should collaborate creatively - don’t just edit the way the director says, editors can spot things after spending so much time with the footage.
Try editing different versions of scenes to see how they feel.
Think about the overall length. A tighter edit can often create a stronger, more engaging story.