How We Actually Teach Motion Picture Editing
Learning to edit film isn't about memorizing shortcuts. It's about understanding rhythm, pacing, and story structure in ways that feel instinctive after enough practice. Our approach focuses on building that intuition through hands-on work with real footage.
We've spent years figuring out what actually works when teaching editing. Some methods sound great but fall apart when students sit down with actual projects. What you'll find here are the approaches that consistently help people develop genuine skill.
Building Skills Through Progressive Complexity
You don't learn editing by jumping straight into feature-length projects. We structure learning around increasingly complex challenges that build on each other.
Start With Single-Scene Exercises
Most people underestimate how much there is to learn in a single scene. We begin with short sequences — maybe 30 seconds of footage with four or five angles. Students focus entirely on continuity, timing, and basic rhythm.
This stage isn't glamorous, but it builds the foundation. You'll work through multiple versions of the same scene, experimenting with different cutting points and discovering how tiny changes affect viewer perception.
Move Into Multi-Scene Narratives
Building Sequence Flow
Once basic cutting feels natural, we introduce multiple scenes that need to flow together. This is where pacing decisions become critical. A scene might work perfectly in isolation but drag when placed in context.
- Learning to maintain momentum across transitions
- Understanding when to let moments breathe versus when to cut tight
- Developing instincts for emotional rhythm
Tackle Complete Short Films
End-to-End Project Management
Working on complete projects introduces challenges you won't find in exercises. You're managing story arcs, maintaining consistency across dozens of scenes, and making high-level structural decisions.
This phase reveals how much editing is actually problem-solving. Maybe your best take has a technical issue. Or the scene you thought was essential turns out to slow everything down. These real-world constraints teach judgment that can't come from textbooks.
The Feedback Loop Method
Here's something we've learned: generic feedback doesn't help much. Telling someone their edit "needs more energy" or "feels slow" rarely leads to improvement. They already know something's off — that's why they're asking.
Our critique sessions focus on specific moments. We'll stop at an exact frame and discuss why that cutting point works or doesn't. Students learn to articulate editing choices in concrete terms rather than vague feelings.
How Review Sessions Work
Every project goes through multiple review cycles. First pass focuses on structure and major pacing issues. Second pass addresses timing refinements and transitions. Final review covers polish details like audio mixing and color consistency.
Between each review, students revise independently. This cycle of attempting, reviewing, and revising builds decision-making skills that last beyond any specific project.
Individual Analysis
One-on-one sessions where we examine specific cutting choices and discuss alternatives that might strengthen the edit.
Group Screenings
Watching work together reveals how different viewers interpret the same cuts. Valuable for understanding audience response.
Technical Troubleshooting
Practical problem-solving for workflow issues, format complications, and software challenges that arise during real projects.
Professional Standards
Learning industry expectations for deliverables, file management, and collaboration practices used in actual production environments.
Learn From Working Professionals
Stellan Kjærstad
Senior Editing Instructor
Stellan cut his first feature in 2011 and hasn't stopped working since. He's edited everything from festival documentaries to network television, which gives him perspective on how different formats demand different approaches.
What makes his teaching effective is that he's still actively working. The techniques he shares aren't theoretical — they're what he used on a project last month. When software updates or industry standards shift, students learn current practices rather than outdated methods.
He started teaching because he wished someone had explained certain concepts more clearly when he was learning. Now he focuses on breaking down complex ideas into understandable components while maintaining high standards for the work students produce.
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