JUMP•CUT

Chapter 3Theory

If you hear a voice within you say, “You cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.

Vincent Van Gogh

Now that you have your career path going, there are editing guidelines that will help you learn your craft. Too often, we are told that there are no rules, but through years of experience, we have found that there are patterns that can be codified as a starting point.

Many editors say they cut from instinct and are guided by natural cadences, emotional catharses and the dailies that are before them. This may be true for some. But I believe that these instincts come from unwritten rules that have not been voiced yet, and that these rules can be quantified and defined. If you know the rules, your ...