Great video editing is the art of making cuts invisible to the viewer. An editor's main job is to hold the audience's attention and tell the story without jarring "jump cuts" or abrupt visual breaks.
In this article we break down the core principles and rules of video editing, based on the lessons from Kinosvod's own video ("How to Edit Video? Editing Principles"), and add a few advanced techniques for creating professional content.
Early filmmakers didn't worry about complex editing โ the simple fact of movement on screen was enough to amaze audiences. But as the British film school developed in the early 20th century, directors began combining shots of different sizes.
Today's viewer is far more demanding. Any editing mistake can instantly ruin the impression of a commercial, a clip, or a vlog.
One of the most common mistakes beginner video makers make is cutting between two shots of almost the same size. In that case the frame visually "jumps," and the motion looks unfinished.
The difference has to be noticeable. Cutting from a wide shot to a slightly closer medium shot creates an annoying jump. But if you move the camera significantly closer and cut straight to a close-up, the transition becomes seamless and easy to read.
Don't jump between extremes, either. Cutting from an extreme long shot straight to a macro shot can look too abrupt, even if the viewer still understands the logic of the frame. Try to edit through one size at a time โ for example, wide shot โ medium shot, or medium shot โ close-up.
If you can't move the camera during the shoot, use lenses with different focal lengths instead:
Even when shot sizes differ slightly, a cut between shots taken from almost the same angle still looks broken and unfinished.
The 30-degree rule (20 degrees in the basic version): when switching cameras, the angle between neighboring shots should differ by at least 20โ30 degrees.
Why does this matter? If you move the camera less than 30 degrees, the viewer's brain reads the new shot as a glitch in the previous one rather than as a genuinely new angle.
The golden rule of a perfect cut: for the best result, always change shot size and camera angle at the same time.
To make your videos more dynamic and professional, add these techniques on top of the basics:
Make the cut at the moment a character or object is in active motion โ turning their head, waving a hand, opening a door. The motion masks the moment of the cut and makes the edit essentially invisible.
When filming a dialogue between two characters, draw an imaginary line between them โ the line of interaction. Every camera should stay on the same side of that line. Crossing it (a "figure eight") disorients the viewer in space.
J-cut: the sound from the next shot starts before the picture actually cuts to it.
L-cut: the picture has already cut away, but the sound from the previous shot continues for another second or two.
Both techniques smooth out visual transitions and create a more natural flow of narration.