---
title: '6 Ways to Edit Any Scene — Essential Film & Video Editing Techniques Explained [Shot List Ep. 10]'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=FVR8zz8ci2k'
video_id: 'FVR8zz8ci2k'
date: 2026-07-01
duration_sec: 1128
---

# 6 Ways to Edit Any Scene — Essential Film & Video Editing Techniques Explained [Shot List Ep. 10]

> Source: [6 Ways to Edit Any Scene — Essential Film & Video Editing Techniques Explained (Shot List Ep. 10)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=FVR8zz8ci2k)

## Summary



## Transcript

[Music]
films are made up of sequences sequences
are made up of scenes
and scenes are made up of shots
in previous episodes we covered camera
lenses frame rates
discombobulate
and scene transitions
[Music]
today we're going to look at another
angle of editing by examining different
ways we can cut within the scene
this is episode 10
of the shot list
editing techniques
almost all of an editor's work comes
down to three choices what to show
when to cut
and what to cut to
what the
the cut itself is the most basic way to
move from shot to shot
and when an editor cuts away from the
main action it's referred to as a
cutaway
[Music]
give
famed editor walter merch laid out his
rule of six
a list to prioritize criteria when
deciding on each cut how we pace a scene
can affect emotion style and tone
is your scene mournful and contemplative
hold on shots for longer hello darkness
my old friend
i've come to talk with you again
is your scene filled with frantic action
rapid cutting might be an order
deciding what to cut to is equally
important an editor might use a cutaway
to indicate what's on a character's mind
[Music]
or cut to what a character is looking at
no matter the reason every edit should
be thoughtful and purposeful
for a detailed explanation on the rule
of six you'll find a link to our blog in
the description
this brings us to our first editing
fundamental
eyeline
an eyeline match is when an editor cuts
to the object of a character's attention
[Music]
if a character notices something we cut
to what they see the second shot is
often a literal pov shot or from that
character's general perspective
this is such common practice that we can
build intrigue by either waiting to
reveal what they see
fran doyle back to the ranger now
or by not showing it at all
we happy
vincent
we happy yeah we happy
either way it's the characters eyes that
motivate the cut
consider this moment from 300. choose
your next words carefully leonidas
they may be your last as king
as king leonidas debates whether to
submit to xerxes control watch how his
eyes guide the edit
with each glance we cut to his land
his citizens
his wife
and in this process we are invited to
think like leonidas
will he sacrifices people's freedom or
not
a common form of the isline match is the
shot reverse shot when we cut between a
shot of subject a and a shot of subject
b in a reverse angle that is often a
similar angle and composition
the most common use of this can be found
in conversation scenes to maintain scene
geography and clarity
inserts are also often prompted by
eyeline matches an insert is a shot of a
detail within a scene
usually in order to emphasize a specific
prop or element
in tenet the protagonist looks off
camera and we cut to this insert an
example of simple and direct visual
language
the eyeline match is a great way to
connect the dots between what the
character sees
thinks or feels
impressive
very nice
it can also create and release tension
depending on what we see and when we see
it
[Music]
[Music]
george
george
hi george
what's going on
instead of cutting between two objects
in the same scene our next technique
cuts between separate scenes
cross cutting
cross-cutting is when an editor cuts
between two or more scenes happening in
different locations usually at the same
time
the baptism sequence from the godfather
alternates between michael renouncing
evil
michael francis ritzy do you renounce
satan
and his men following michael's orders
to execute his rivals
by crosscutting these scenes it creates
an ironic juxtaposition that elevates
the entire sequence
in all his works
[Music]
[Applause]
i do announce them
but cross-cutting can also be an
effective way to combine multi-layered
action as well
in rogue one the last third of the
entire film is a massive sequence
comprised of three distinct battlefronts
the combat on the beach
the dogfight in space
and the covert operation to steal the
death star plans
[Music]
in fact each of these fronts split into
additional subplots
but by alternating between these scenes
the crosscutting helps keep the plot and
action constantly moving forward
and the audience invested in each
group's progress
crosscutting can create parallels
between separate scenes that wouldn't be
there otherwise and weave multiple
planes of action in one
now let's look at a technique which is
designed to keep the audience's
attention fixed to a specific part of
the frame
itrace
itrace is when an editor cuts between
two or more shots that focus on the same
area of the frame
this allows the viewer's eyes and
attention to stay focused without having
to scan the frame after each cut
welcome school
[Music]
itrace can also be used through blocking
and camera movement
guiding a viewer's eye within a shot
[Applause]
but let's look at how editors can
achieve a similar effect
itrace is ideal for action scenes which
tend to move quickly
mad max fury road makes heavy use of
this technique here's dp john seal
explaining this decision
compositionally
whatever was the center point of that
shot had to be in the center of frame
in the faster cutting that he's got your
eye won't have to shift on an anamorphic
frame to find the next subject when
you've only got
1.8 seconds of time to do that
all we would hear all the time on the
comms was george saying put the
crosshairs on her nose put the cross
hairs on her nose
and that is basically the whole film
some shots in the film are less than a
second long
using eye trace the composition and
editing of these scenes helps the viewer
process even the most chaotic action
our next type of cut also helps smooth
over a transition
split edits
while a hard cut changes both audio and
video at the same time
[Music]
a split edit changes either the sound or
image before the other this is either a
j cut
or an l cut
they get their names from what they look
like in an editing timeline
a j-cut is when audio from a shot begins
to play before we see it
excuse me
is that your car in the lot yeah
that's a nice ride thanks man connie's
off hey jordan belfort nice to meet you
for an l cut the audio from a shot plays
after we've already cut away
happy birthday
hey bonnie we'll get you back to your
daddy in a day or two don't be sad oh
that's good you're not sad are you happy
paw
paw
no paw that's okay too
the technique is often used during
dialogue scenes
allowing editors to create a more
natural conversation control the rhythm
of dialogue as well as catching reaction
shots of someone listening
you know what animal jokes well i only
got the chance to say one because we
only did one show
tell me
it's corny
don't be that way tell me
no you wouldn't like it and i'd be
embarrassed
you've been you told like 50 million
people
and you can't tell me
i promise i won't laugh
but there are more creative ways to use
a j or l cut for example when characters
outline a plan like in mission
impossible rogue nation
so why hasn't lane just sent someone to
steal it
oh he has
he sent
me and i can tell you
it's impossible
to reach the terminal you'll need to
pass the main gate
we use an l cut to show the security
measures they mention
and open three separate combination
locks
well that's easy we just impersonate the
agent who stole the ledger in the first
place i get to wear a mask
this makes their plan more clear to the
audience
especially when it eventually goes wrong
okay i don't get to wear a mask seeing
the plan in action is more visually
interesting than simply hearing it and
additional j and l cuts within their
dialogue ensures the sequence moves
swiftly
but what if we want to make a cut more
noticeable not less intellectual montage
[Music]
intellectual montage puts seemingly
unrelated images together in order to
create a certain feeling or idea
this type of montage makes use of the
kuleshov effect which refers to creating
meaning out of a cinematic juxtaposition
we take this man's expression to mean
different things based on the image
intercut with him
in this scene from lucy as her boyfriend
tries to convince her to deliver a
briefcase i can't deliver the case
myself i had a little falling out with
the guy it's nothing major but if it's
you problem solve
we get this shot
look you can even see the reception from
here
two separate scenes combine to create a
single idea she is walking into a trap
i'm here for uh
mr jane as the scene plays out we get
another series of juxtaposing imagery
is being stalked
unaware of just how much danger she is
in
in don't look up intellectual montage is
used to emphasize the global scale of an
impending disaster a comet is going to
wipe out life on earth
[Music]
we're all 100 for sure gonna die
but randall and kate's warning is
falling on deaf ears then we get this
series of shots
[Music]
[Applause]
you're gonna die you're gonna die
isolated these shots would have a
neutral connotation
but placed in this context we are asked
to make the connections ourselves
from massive cityscapes to microscopic
organisms
everything will be affected by the
impending disaster
by using intellectual montage director
adam mckay is able to visually reiterate
larger themes in the film
this experimental technique is a great
way to evoke emotion and meaning out of
shots that individually wouldn't have
them
moving on to our final technique
cut on action
[Music]
cutting on action refers to cutting
during a character or object's movement
when the out point of shot a corresponds
directly to the in point of shot b
it creates a more seamless transition
[Music]
this technique can be used for simple
actions like taking a drink
or shaking hands
most editors working in any genre will
use cutting on action to create smoother
cuts that feel more natural to the
audience
and it is often found in fight scenes
because it lends itself to fast-paced
rhythm and quick movement
like the fight between neo and morpheus
in the matrix resurrections
a very common cut on action in fight
sequences is to cut on impact this gives
each punch and kick extra force
notice how the cuts in this fight are
placed in the middle of one character's
move
punching in from a wide to a dramatic
close-up
by cutting on action throughout this
scene director lana wachowski is able to
keep up the pace
strengthen the stunts and create a more
epic feeling to the fight
[Music]
so
these are the six essential ways editors
use the cut
but we haven't covered everything
there are also freeze frames
invisible cuts
subliminal frames
[Music]
double cuts
[Music]
and check the description for our video
dedicated to jump cuts
be sure to tell us any techniques we
haven't mentioned in the comments
hit subscribe and click the bell to stay
up to date on all our filmmaking videos
until next time get chopping
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
you