Documentary Storytelling, 4th Edition

Chapter 12 Editing

Many of the storytelling issues covered elsewhere in the book come into play again in the editing room. On the majority of films, story and structure do not truly come together until the editor begins to assemble and pare down filmed material. Several versions of the film may be cut before the best point of attack is identified; you may be cutting toward one ending for weeks before you realize that, in fact, the film ends on an even earlier and stronger note.

Although every project is different, the basic editing process is that you screen everything and make a long assembly of your footage, which is then honed into a rough cut, a fine cut, a picture lock, and, finally, a script lock. The assembly includes the material you’ve ...