---
title: 'Editing to the Eyes: The Invisible Editing Technique'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=ziZrLeXw6vw'
video_id: 'ziZrLeXw6vw'
date: 2026-09-09
duration_sec: 212
channel: 'RocketJump Film School'
---

# Editing to the Eyes: The Invisible Editing Technique

> Source: [Editing to the Eyes: The Invisible Editing Technique](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ziZrLeXw6vw)

## Summary

The video presents a video editing technique called 'editing to the eyes,' which involves following the character's gaze to make cuts invisible. The creator explains the principle, illustrates it with examples from 'Rear Window' and 'VGHS,' and emphasizes the importance of precision in preserving emotional moments.

### Key Points

- **Definition of Editing to the Eyes** [00:36] — Editing to the eyes means following the action and the character's perspective. Cut when they see something, cut back when they look away.
- **Goal of Invisible Editing** [00:48] — The ultimate goal is to make edits invisible and avoid distracting cuts that take the audience out of the film.
- **Why Eyes Matter** [01:04] — Eyes are the window to the soul; audiences like to look through windows, so following the eyes is key.
- **Example from Rear Window** [01:31] — In Rear Window, every edit is motivated by what Jimmy Stewart's character sees, making the editing work seamlessly.
- **Precision in Cutting** [02:08] — Cutting on eye movements like blinks or drifts can be distracting. Shaving a frame off a clip can preserve the emotional moment.

### Conclusion

Editing to the eyes is a fundamental technique for creating invisible cuts. By following the character's gaze and cutting precisely, editors can keep the audience immersed in the story.

## Transcript

Hey guys, I'm Joey here. I have a quick editing tip for you. It's something that I think helps for invisible style editing and let's just say it's called
editing to the eyes. Editing to the eyes, what does that even mean? As Kevin would probably say, that's really obvious but it's important that someone says it
anyway. Young Money has talked about following the action for camera movement and fight choreography. Follow the action. If the subject is moving, you're moving. If the subject stops, you stop.
That's all editing the eyes is, is following the action, following the perspective of a character. You're focused on what they're looking at. You show them, you cut when they see it, you cut back and you edit to what he sees.
When you start to do that, your edits start to feel invisible. And that's the ultimate goal as an editor is to go unnoticed. You don't wanna make cuts that are distracting because it takes the audience out of the film.
The main point is to follow the eyes because the eyes are the window to the soul. He can peer into your soul. And the audience likes to look through windows.
Speaking of windows, there's a movie called Rear Window. If you haven't seen it, it's great. And it's all about following the perspective of Jimmy Stewart's character who looks out his window.
Every edit in this film is motivated by what Jimmy Stewart's character sees. The editing works because you're not thinking about it. For example Jimmy Stewart might bring up his camera and then you cut and you see his point of view And then you cut back and he lowers down his camera and that makes sense that that works perfectly it would be weird if you cut from
jimmy stewart looking through his camera to him looking away when you've already established a sort of rhythm there so this can seem really obvious but again i can't stress how important every frame of this is because the eyes tend to shift and move around a lot and every frame
So if you cut when the eyes drift up or off or blink or something like that, it can be really distracting for the audience. So you want to be very aware of where the eye is focused and then edit to that.
So there's an example here in season three of VGHS. We have this cutaway of Josh looking up at the front of the classroom. And let's just watch this version here. I am happy I get to do a playing with all of you.
He blinks. It's a nice little moment. That's what's in the show. Anyways. But if you extend the end of that clip over a little bit, we get this. I am happy I get to do a playing with all of you.
Anyways. It's very subtle, but it's a tiny little eye jiggle. And you want to be aware that it was a great performance and you want to, you don't even want to be thinking about it like, oh, what was he, what was he looking at there?
You know, if he's distracted, then I become distracted. the audience, gets taken out of the emotional moment. It's a very important moment that you want to preserve so just by shaving a frame off to keep him looking at the front of the classroom makes all the difference.