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CreativeMasters13 m+150 XP
Video editing: pacing, cuts & the invisible craft
Cut theory, J/L cuts, music sync, colour workflow & exporting for every platform
Great editing is invisible — the viewer feels the story without noticing the craft. The J-cut: audio from the next scene begins before the video cuts, pulling the viewer forward. The L-cut: video cuts to the next scene while audio from the previous scene continues, giving a sense of continuity. Both create flow that straight cuts can't achieve. Match cuts (cutting between two visually similar compositions) and action cuts (cutting mid-motion) create seamless momentum.
Key Points
- ▸J-cut: hear the next scene before you see it
- ▸L-cut: see the next scene while hearing the previous
- ▸Match cut: visual rhyme between two scenes
- ▸Cut on action: the most natural invisible cut