The renowned French filmmaker Robert Bresson famously said, “A film is born three times.” First in the writing of the script, once again in the process of shooting, and finally in the editing room. This sentiment has become ingrained in the filmmaking ethos, emphasizing just how vital the editing process is to shaping a compelling narrative. 

Film editing is the backbone of storytelling, but it's also a kind of invisible art. If it’s done well, you may not even notice it – but you will feel its impact. This is one of the many reasons so many notable directors edit their own work, and why you often hear in Oscars buzz that the Best Film Editing award can be a tell for who will win Best Picture. This year, Sean Baker, who took home the Best Picture award for his film Anora, also won Best Film Editing. In his acceptance speech, he emphasized just how crucial editing is, claiming that he “saved the film during the edit.” He went on to share that he considers editing to be half of his directing and one third of his screenwriting, a perspective that affirms what many filmmakers and creators already know: editing isn’t just a technical necessity, it’s a creative engine that reshapes the story.

What is Film Editing?

Film editing is the process of assembling, trimming, and creating sequences to create a compelling narrative. A film’s edit transforms raw footage into a cohesive narrative, guiding the audience’s emotional journey and defining the story’s arc. It’s important to note that this doesn't only apply to movies but also to advertisements, music videos, and even social content. While editing, you choreograph three essential elements:

• Structure ensures the story flows logically and coherently.
• Rhythm defines the pacing of scenes and the emotional tempo.
• Tone highlights the mood, whether it’s an Aaron Sorkin-like quip or David Lynch’s slow and surreal unraveling. 

These core elements determine how audiences interpret and experience a film’s emotional depth. And now, new technologies and AI-powered solutions are accelerating and changing the editing workflow by enabling almost immediate concept visualization. Tools like LTX Studio allows filmmakers to storyboard, script, and refine visuals all within a single, unified environment. From an editing perspective, this is a powerful advantage: a clear storyboard lays the groundwork for a more intentional edit and can save you time during other phases of the production process.

Why Film Editing is an Art Form

Filmmaking is an exceptionally collaborative effort, but an editor plays a unique role as the storyteller’s final sculptor. Working closely with directors, editors slice hours of raw footage into sequences, constantly balancing technical skill with creative intuition. This delicate combination is what truly differentiates film editing as an artistic craft.  

Now, let's explore some of the techniques that form the foundation of film editing styles.

Basic Film Editing Techniques

While there are a vast amount of foundational techniques used by editors to maintain coherence and visual flow in storytelling, we’ll take some time to review some of the basic film editing techniques before diving into more complex methods of visual storytelling.

Continuity Editing

Continuity editing maintains consistency in time, space, and sequence, ensuring the viewer remains immersed in a unified, believable story world. Some core continuity editing techniques include:

• Cutting on Action: Cuts from one shot to another while preserving the movement's continuity.
• Eyeline Matching: Aligns characters' gazes so they appear to be looking at or engaging with the same object or person.
• The 180° Rule: Keeps all camera angles on one side of an imaginary line to preserve story coherence. There are many famous disruptions of this rule in film history, demonstrating how breaking the rule can unsettle viewers.

Continuity editing is the backbone of visual storytelling – if your edit lacks necessary continuity, it will take the viewer out of the story. LTX Studio can help ensure continuity with tools like Camera Control and Composition. By experimenting with camera control and composition, you have the ability to see how frames will fit together before you’ve hit the ground running. 

Jump Cuts

Unlike continuity editing – where cuts are made to feel invisible – jump cuts are often meant to be noticed or felt. This technique is effective for:

• Accelerating pacing to build urgency
• Creating disorientation or narrative tension
• Adding a deliberate, stylistic edge

In a traditional editing workflow, a jump cut occurs when a portion of a clip is removed, splicing together the beginning and end of the shot and causing a noticeable “jump” in the action. To create the feeling of a jump cut, editors may place two similar shots next to each other in a sequence. For instance, both shots may feature the same characters in a medium close-up (MCU), but with a slightly different camera placement or shooting angle. 

Transition Shots in Film

Transitions act as visual bridges between scenes or moments, each carrying its own emotional weight and stylistic intent:

• Fades suggest closure or a tonal shift in the story.  
• Dissolves imply a passage of time, a dream-like quality, or can be used as an aesthetic choice.  
• Wipes create bold stylistic shifts or action-oriented scene changes.

Remember: in film, there are no unbreakable rules. Transition shots are simply cinematic tools meant to move the viewer from one idea to the next. A fade can imply the passage of time just as easily as a dissolve or a wipe can – it all depends on how the moment is framed in the larger narrative. To explore the emotional impact among different transition shots, try experimenting with fades, dissolves, and wipes using LTX Studio’s tools. 

Advanced & Cinematic Editing Techniques

There are so many different techniques in film editing, but to showcase how editing can shape a story, here are some of the most used, advanced techniques below.

Montage Editing Techniques

Montage editing, coined by early Soviet filmmakers, is used to compress time and build emotional impact. A montage sequence often illustrates the passage of time, reinforces a character’s routine, or shows emotional and narrative development such as character growth or evolving relationships.

Cross Cutting & Parallel Editing in Film

Cross cutting is an editing technique that illustrates actions happening simultaneously, but in different locations, suggesting that they are happening simultaneously. While cross cutting builds tension (such as in an action sequence), parallel editing often creates comparisons or dramatic irony. 

For example, cross cutting can be used as an editing technique to build momentum in an action sequence by showing different characters engaged in different actions but working towards the same goal. Parallel editing is also a technique that can be used to create suspense, but is more commonly to emphasize comparative or symbolic relationships between scenes.

Editing Techniques in Action Films

Editing in action films is all about pacing, rhythm, and building momentum. Sharp cuts, quick transitions, and visually cohesive camera angles ensure clarity amidst chaos. 

With LTX Studio’s Storyboard feature, editors can visualize each moment frame by frame, mapping out sequences and camera movement before production begins. In the Storyboard view, you can visualize how you’re imagining each scene. Then, use the Composition Tool in the Motion Editor workspace to simulate movement or adjust camera angles to ensure eyeline matches and visual coherence.

This is the perfect time to test out some of the different editing techniques reviewed above. If you’re imagining a fast-paced action sequence that cuts between multiple characters or locations, try experimenting with cross cutting or jump cuts to intensify momentum. Explore how different transitions shift the tone between scenes and see how even subtle changes in rhythm or pacing can influence the emotional impact. 

Different Editing Styles in Film

Employing different editing styles shapes the tone, pacing, and overall feel of a film. Whether you’re using jump cuts to disrupt continuity or classic continuity editing techniques, the way you weave your story together directly influences how viewers interpret the narrative. In this section, we’ll explore three impactful approaches that demonstrate how editing styles in film can enhance meaning, rhythm, and emotion.

Thematic & Rhythmic Editing

Thematic editing connects ideas visually, emphasizing motifs and deeper meanings. Rhythmic editing aligns the timing of cuts with the music, action, or dialogue. A common example of rhythmic editing is in real estate videos, where editors often cut on the down beats of the music track. You’ll notice this in all kinds of visual material you consume on a daily basis, from social media ads to car commercials. This kind of editing technique is  a kind of visual representation of the music, almost as if you’re watching a music video rather than an ad that’s sole purpose is to get you to buy something.

The Kuleshov Effect & Emotional Editing

Soviet film-maker Lev Kuleshov created this film editing technique in the 1900s. It is a phenomenon by which viewers derive more meaning from the interaction of two sequential shots than from a single shot in isolation. In essence, a character’s expression takes on new significance depending on the shot that follows or precedes it – creating an emotional experience shaped by the edit.

This effect highlights one of film’s most powerful tools: the ability to shape perception not just through what is shown, but through the order in which it’s shown. The sequence itself becomes part of the meaning. Unlike a single still image, a film’s emotional arc is formed through juxtaposition – the editor controls how that emotional logic unfolds.

The Art & Technique of Film Editing

Editing isn’t just assembling clips; it’s a craft. Much like a screenwriter uses words to develop characters and plot, editors build narrative through timing, tone, and sequence. Every decision – from the length of a pause to the sequence of shots – can shift how a viewer experiences the scene.

Mastering Film Editing with LTX Studio

Traditional editing is a time-consuming  process, including tedious workflows, complex decision-making, and resource-intensive processes. Solutions like LTX Studio’s AI-powered platform support filmmakers, ad agencies, and creative professionals at every stage of the visual storytelling journey by streamlining the process.

LTX Studio tools, such as the Storyboard workspace, allow you to rearrange shots and test narrative flow, while the Shot Video Editor empowers you to either preserve continuity or break it intentionally. Rules like the Kuleshov effect are easy to emulate using LTX Studio’s tools. Use the Face Expression tool in the Storyboard to craft character sentiment, or place each frame in relation to other events in the narrative to simulate emotional or thematic relationships.

By combining creative control with AI-powered video editing tools, LTX Studio streamlines your workflow all in one platform, giving you the flexibility to iterate, refine, and bring your vision to life with precision.