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Seven Rules of Editing

The document outlines seven rules of cutting that editor Edward Dmytryk recommends following: cut for a positive reason, cut long rather than short when undecided, cut during movement when possible, prefer fresh over stale, begin and end scenes with continuing action, cut for proper values over matches, and prioritize substance over form. It also discusses six main criteria for evaluating cuts according to editor Walter Murch, with emotion being the most important criteria at 51%, followed by story, rhythm, eye-trace, respecting the two-dimensional plane, and respecting the three-dimensional space.

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570 views

Seven Rules of Editing

The document outlines seven rules of cutting that editor Edward Dmytryk recommends following: cut for a positive reason, cut long rather than short when undecided, cut during movement when possible, prefer fresh over stale, begin and end scenes with continuing action, cut for proper values over matches, and prioritize substance over form. It also discusses six main criteria for evaluating cuts according to editor Walter Murch, with emotion being the most important criteria at 51%, followed by story, rhythm, eye-trace, respecting the two-dimensional plane, and respecting the three-dimensional space.

Uploaded by

NinaNC
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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• Edward Dmytryk stipulates seven "rules of cutting" that a good editor should follow:

[4]

○ "Rule 1: Never make a cut without a positive reason."


○ "Rule 2: When undecided about the exact frame to cut on, cut long rather than
short."[5]
○ "Rule 3: Whenever possible cut 'in movement'."[6]
○ "Rule 4: The 'fresh' is preferable to the 'stale'."[7]
○ "Rule 5: All scenes should begin and end with continuing action."[8]
○ "Rule 6: Cut for proper values rather than proper 'matches'."[9]
○ "Rule 7: Substance first—then form."[10]
• According to Walter Murch, when it comes to film editing, there are six main criteria
for evaluating a cut or deciding where to cut. They are (in order of importance, most
important first):
○ Emotion — Does the cut reflect what the editor believes the audience should
be feeling at that moment?
○ Story — Does the cut advance the story?
○ Rhythm — Does the cut occur "at a moment that is rhythmically interesting
and 'right'" (Murch, 18)?
○ Eye-trace — Does the cut pay respect to "the location and movement of the
audience's focus of interest within the frame" (Murch, 18)?
○ Two-dimensional plane of the screen — Does the cut respect the 180 degree
rule?
○ Three-dimensional space of action — Is the cut true to the physical/spatial
relationships within the diegesis?
Murch assigned notional percentage values to each of the criteria. Emotion, with 51%,
outweighed the combined value of all the other criteria.

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