5 Ways To Start Editing A Scene – And Then Finish Strong

What to do if you’re having difficulty ‘trusting your process’

Like a writer staring at a blank page and feeling unsure as to how best to get started, an editor can feel the same way when staring at an empty timeline. I remember many times when, starting from zero,  I built the first assembly of a story from snippets of long-form documentary interviews. At the moment of that first assembly, I felt I was imposing a logical structure on the flow of ideas.

Later, I realized my first assembly was little more than a random assembly – tied together by a simple theme, maybe. But a story? It was not.

The key to being a good editor is to know how to start putting together a scene – and then taking the time to go back and be willing to restructure it completely – to create a compelling story.

Breaking through the blank (or messy) timeline

There are a lot of different approaches to breaking through that blank timeline and ‘editors block’. In this Insight, you’ll learn four tried and tested techniques to start editing a ‘scene’ and a final technique that’s excellent for tightening things up.

You can apply these techniques to just about any narrative, from a corporate sizzle reel to a YouTube explainer to a feature-length film.

As you read through these, if there are a few you use all the time, then the next time you’re in a rut, pick a technique that’s new to you to jump-start your creative engine. 

You’ll also find that each technique lends itself to different stages of your edit. Switching between them can be enjoyable, creatively – especially if you do this with intention.

5 Ways to Edit a Scene