This document provides guidance on editing techniques for film. It begins by outlining 3 main rules for editing: orient the viewer, advance the plot, and reveal character. It then discusses Walter Murch's 6 criteria for editing, with emotion being the most important. The document breaks down different shot types and their purposes - long shots orient, medium shots show action, and close shots reveal character feelings. It provides detailed descriptions and examples of how to implement various shot sizes and camera movements like pans, tilts, dolly shots, and more. The overall message is that editing techniques should always serve the goals of engaging emotion, advancing the story, and developing characters.

1. The Breakdown
of A Film
Editing 101

2. THE RULES
 Orient the Viewer
 Advance the Plot
 Reveal The Character
 While choosing shots and assembling your Edit you
must ALWAYS keep these 3 Rules in mind.

3. Walter Murch’s 6 Criteria
 1. Emotion
51%
 2. Story
 3. Rhythm
23%
10%
 4. Eye-Trace
 5. Two-dimensional plane of screen
7%
5%
 6. Three-dimensional space of action 4%

4. The Shots
This is how shots are broken down in terms of story.
 Long shots show us where we are.
(Orient the Viewer)

5. The Shots
This is how shots are broken down in terms of story.
 Medium shots show us what the action is.
(Advance the Plot)

6. The Shots
This is how shots are broken down in terms of story.
 Close shots show use how the characters feel
about the action.
(Reveal Character)

7. FULL SHOT
 This shot is used when it is necessary to show the action in an
entire scene, or as an establishing shot, orienting the
viewer, showing the settings where the action takes place.
 Use this shot at the beginning of a new location, (or new set) uses
it to reorient the viewer.

Note: Always vary the camera angle of full shots when used more than once. Also use in conjunction with
pressure psychology.

8. LONG SHOT
 Not exactly like the Full Shot, it’s used to show subjects
in full length not necessarily in relation to the
surroundings or background.
 Example: showing a character from head to toe.

9. MEDIUM SHOT
 This is the most commonly used shot. Instead of showing the full figure as
in a long shot. It only shows from roughly the knees up. This shot is great
for carrying movement; it concentrates the action and contains it. It also
allows reference of the immediate vicinity of the central action. It allows for
facial expressions and physical gestures. It is considered the workhorse of
all shots. The medium shot may be used to re orientate the viewer after
the details of the close shots have been revealed.

10. MEDIUM CLOSE SHOT
 This shot contains the head and shoulders of two
characters. The camera is positioned between the
close shot and the medium shot.

11. CLOSE SHOT
 This shot would show from the shoulders up of one character, as well as
allow for some details to be included from the background. This shot does
tend to slow down the forward movement and impede dramatic action, but
it can particularize the action and allow the audience to see the specific
detail happening in the story.

12. CLOSE-UP
 This shot is closer to the subject only showing heads, hands, feet or any
significant detail that can point out or point up for the audience for
heightened dramatic impact.
 With the close up you can draw attention to or center on any relevant or
significant detail.

13. EXTREME CLOSE-UP
 This shot is used when you must show the fleeting expression in the eyes
or point up a wart on a nose, or a clue in a mystery story. Use it sparingly!
If over used this shot will lose its dramatic impact and shock value
towards the audience. A re establishing shot to re orient the viewer should
always follow them.

14. INSERT
 The insert is a cut in of a close up of a letter, newspaper headline, a
sign, or any written or printed legend that can’t be read by the audience at
any other distance. It must be required for the plot. Unless this is used at
the end of a sequence or scene as a transition device. It is best to cut
back to a re establishing shot and re orient the viewer. If it must be read
make sure that it is brief or have one of the characters read it allowed for
the audience. This could be used as a prop to advance the plot

15. Size
Long shot
Medium shot
Invented by D.W. Griffith
Close Shot

16. Pure Cinema

18. Orchestration
Medium shot
Long shot
Close Shot

19. Staccato

20. Montage

21. Montage

23. What You Don’t Show Can Be
More Important Than What You
Do Show!

24. MOVING CAMERA
OR, what to do if you don’t want to cut to another shot.

25. !!WARNING!!
 The camera should only move to follow the
significant action, that Advances the Plot, Reveals
Character or Orients the Viewer!
 Moving camera SLOWS the forward momentum of the
story. So it is also used to allow the audience to
EXPERIENCE THE ACTION in a deeper way.
 OR it is the Director saying, “come here I want to show
you something.”

26. Tracking Shots

27. Long Shot
Cut Away
Close Up

28. Long Shot
Cut To
Close Up

29. Long Shot
Crane Shots
Close Up

30. Dolly Shots
Close Up
Long Shot

31. Pans
Long Shot
Close Up

32. Tilts
Close Up
Long Shot

33. If you CAN’T Move The
Camera MOVE The Actors!
Long Shot
Close Up

34. THE PAN
 The contraction of the word panoramic used to
describe the swivel action of the camera. The pan shot
is any side to side movement of the camera used in
order to follow the action.
 It can also be used to show scenic vistas, mountains
valleys etc. Only follow the significant action.

35. EXIT & ENTRANCE PAN
 Used to follow the action as it exits or enters. Only used
when such movements are essential.
 Use it to follow a character from one room to
another, but only if necessary.

36. REVELATION PAN
 Used to slowly reveal part of the story. The camera
pans slowly across the empty room then suddenly
reaches and holds on a corps. The contrast between
the quiet static room and the violent death is what
makes for dramatic impact. Then a dolly shot could be
used to reveal the instrument of death or another
significant detail to advance the plot.
 Use Sparingly.

37. PAY OFF PAN
 Used to follow a character when moving out of frame.
The camera however does not follow the character all
the way. Instead it notices some thing else and fixates
on the new interest to advance the plot.

38. MEDIUM TO CLOSE PAN
 Used for taking the audience from the general to the
particular, and for connecting the two. Thus the camera
can hold on one action in a medium shot then move to
a close up of a letter lying on a desk.
 This method avoids dolling which is time consuming in
production.

39. REACTION PAN
 Used to effectively present a collective reaction to a
speech or action.

40. SUBJECTIVE PAN
 used to make the pan appear to be the eyes of the
character. Putting the audience in the place of the
character.
 Warning the pan shot is not an accurate mimic of
human Eye movement. (Reference MARKER OF
TRUTH)

41. FLASH PAN
 This is done by jerking the camera from one place to
another.
 It’s used to show two or more vital actions at once.
Taking place simultaneously.

42. TRANSITION FLASH PAN
 Used as a transitional device to connect two shots of
action which are simultaneous in time, but
geographically separated.
 This is how it works. You flash pan away from one shot
and then flash pan into another shot that links together
the two shots optically. Use very infrequently in one
film.

43. REVERSE PAN
 Avoid Reverse Pans too often in the same shot. A
single pan works enough strain on the audience’s eyes
without having them jerked to and fro to cover the same
territory.
 In long pans the camera should hold at points to reveal
important elements. This applies to all moving camera
shots.

44. !!WARNING!!
 Limit the Pan. Don’t go overboard on using the pan.
The pan shot is not a true representation of the
human eye. The Pan also tends to slow down the
tempo of the film.

45. TILT
 In addition to panning horizontally the camera can also
pan perpendicularly. Both up and Down. Thus Tilt Shot.
Tilt shots are used to capture important falling and
rising action used to emphasize height.
(Buildings, Cliffs)
 Tilt Shots can be used as transitions. Tilt down to
reveal a persons feet then dissolve into new feet. Tilts
and Pans can be combined.

46. DOLLY
 Dolly in or Dolly out, that is move in or move closer to
or pull away from a subject. It can be used with pans
and tilts. A dolly Shot or Trucking Shot is also used to
move Parallel with the subject or action, and the
camera may be mounted on a vehicle.
 Dolly or Cut In to reveal significant detail revelation. For
instance You may Dolly in to slowly reveal the detail
and slow down the action or Cut in to a Close up to
rapidly reveal the detail for faster pacing. Dolling In
tends to slow the forward movement of the film.

47. REVELATION DOLLY
 Suitable for a certain type of revelation. Where the Pull
Back Dolly can reveal a startling detail in the small, the
Pullback or Revelation Dolly can reveal startling
information in the large.
 Great for establishing or re-establishing viewer
orientation.

48. TRANSITIONAL DOLLY
 Used to dolly in on a subject to a close or close-up
shot, dissolve dolly out to reveal a new setting, orients
the viewer.
 The second part is called the Re-Establishing Dolly.
This helps to keep the forward movement of the film.