Editing Tip 002: Match cuts may cut out continuity errors, but they may also kill all the emotion.

I think, especially when Editors are first learning the craft, there is a tendency to focus on continuity and matched action. It’s not that you shouldn’t put focus on matched action, but it’s down the list a ways from what really tells a great story.

Walter Murch’s Rule of Six:

1. Emotion

2. Story

3. Rhythm

4. Eye-trace

5. Two-dimensional plane of screen

6. Three-dimensional space of action

These 6 things are what makes a cut work. While you should try to accomplish all of the 6 criteria on each cut, it’s definitely not always possible. If you can’t do all of them, start sacrificing from the bottom of the list. You should never cut the emotion out of the scene to make the actions match better. If the continuity is off in a cut but the emotion is right, most people won’t notice a thing because they will be engaged by the impact of the story. IMDb lists loads of continuity errors in nearly every movie.  The fact is, every movie has them. If they didn’t the story would be confusing. Without cutting at the proper time for emotional impact the audience may not understand the scenes subtext.

“I never cut for matches, I cut for impact.”

— Sam O’Steen

Further Reading: In the Blink of an Eye (Murch’s Rule of 6), The Eye is Quicker (Ch. 3).

These tips are gathered from experience and study, but as anything in life, are up for debate. If you have any comments/suggestions leave them below or if you would like to write a guest post with an E.T. you have, email me at: jeremywanek@gmail.com.

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