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Film & TV · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Advanced Film Editing (MS elective)

This course moves beyond the basics of cutting to explore editing as an art of storytelling and emotional manipulation. Students will analyze complex narrative structures, master genre-specific cutting styles (e.g., action, comedy, horror), and learn the professional workflows of an offline/online edit. The curriculum also integrates sound design and color grading as essential tools in the editor’s arsenal.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Master advanced narrative techniques: Parallel editing, Montages, and Ellipses
  2. Execute genre-specific pacing (rhythmic cutting for music/action vs. invisible cutting for drama)
  3. Manage complex professional workflows (Proxy files, Multi-cam, Shared Projects)
  4. Integrate sound mixing (L-cuts, J-cuts, Foley) to drive the visual edit
  5. Prepare "Picture Lock" sequences for Color Grading and Sound Design teams
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The Psychology of the Cut (Murch's Rule of Six)
  2. 02Managing Large Projects: Metadata & Organization
  3. 03Multi-Camera Editing Techniques
  4. 04Narrative Structure: Non-Linear Storytelling
  5. 05Action Editing: Spatial Geography & Kinetic Energy
  6. 06Dialogue Scenes: Eye Trace & Emotion
  7. 07The Art of the Montage
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Editing for Comedy: Timing & Reaction Shots
  10. 10Editing for Horror: Tension & Release
  11. 11The Documentary Edit: Finding the Story
  12. 12Sound Design for Editors: Mixing & EQ
  13. 13Color Correction Basics for Editors
  14. 14VFX Handoffs & Online Editing
  15. 15Mastering & Deliverables (DCP/Web)
  16. 16Final Project: The Short Film Cut

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Short Film Cut

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch
  2. The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film by Michael Ondaatje
  3. Art of the Cut: Conversations with Film and TV Editors by Steve Hullfish
  4. On Film Editing by Edward Dmytryk
  5. Cut to the Monkey: A Hollywood Editor’s Behind-the-Scenes Guide to Writing and Editing Comedy by Roger Nygard
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