Back in the mid-1990s, I started editing without any of the resources we have today. There were no online courses, no books on the craft, and Avid was the only software available—costing over £100,000. These were huge barriers to entry, but there was one thing that really kept me up at night…

Learning How to Talk Like an Editor: Overcoming Communication Challenges

It took me a while to realise that editing isn’t just about crafting dramatic and engaging stories on a timeline. We actually have to talk to people as well. We have to sit in a room with a director or producer and discuss scenes, talk through emotional journeys and narrative arcs.

All of this was a completely different language to me. The terminology, the concepts, the names of the techniques… I cannot tell you the number of times early on in my career I squirmed with embarrassment as Exec Producers and Directors asked me creative questions, and I didn’t know what they were talking about.

The Language of Editing: Understanding the Terminology and Concepts

I was confident on the timeline, but talking like they did and being able to articulate this new language was beyond me. No one sat me down and said…

“This, means X! And when someone talks about that, what it’s short for is Y. So make sure you respond by saying this…”

What would have saved me was a glossary, a list of the terminology and generally accepted terms for me to memorise. But it never appeared. And it never appeared for two very good reasons…

1. That glossary of terms simply didn’t exist and it still doesn’t exist to this day.
2. Directors, producers, production companies, and broadcasters all just expect us to know this language automatically even though it’s not taught in film schools or online.

Confidence in the Cutting Room: Speak the Language of Editing

Having the confidence to know what we’re talking about in the cutting room is essential. Not only does it help us articulate our vision of the scenes we’re cutting but it also inspires confidence in the mind of our client. They are trusting us with a huge amount of money and responsibility in the form of their raw footage.

Clients understandably get concerned if we don’t speak the language of editing. Using the right terminology not only shows we're in control, but builds trust.

Why Editing Is Different: The Lack of Common Terminology

If this weren’t enough to overcome, there isn’t even a generally accepted language of editing terminology out there in the industry. Directing, cinematography, screenwriting—these all have very well-defined languages and terminology. They’re populated with hundreds of books describing them all. 

Editing is different, there are only a handful of pro-level editing books out there, and none of them mention the kind of language that is spoken in edit suites around the world. Editing hasn’t had anywhere near the type of teaching evolution that directing and cinematography have. 

The Secrets of the Edit Suite: Why We Work Alone

Much of this has to do with the fact that our craft is—and always will be—a solitary art form that takes place in dark rooms by ourselves. Editors don’t talk to each other, don’t work together, and are mostly self-taught. 

Read more about this in Can Editing Be Self-Taught? A Complete Guide for Editors

Directing and cinematography happen in front of lots of people on set or on location. Every behind-the-scenes ‘Making of…’ documentary has tons of director, actor, cinematography, and producer conversations playing out in front of the camera.

But you never see the cameras go into the edit suite.

You can watch a director and you can watch a cinematographer, and really learn what they do by listening to how they talk and looking at the monitor.

But who goes into edit suites apart from directors and execs? Who sits there and listens to the thousands of conversations, the silent hours of building, and rewatching scenes through hundreds of different versions and tiny adjustments?

No one.

Get the Ultimate Editing Cheat Sheet: The Editor’s Periodic Table

That’s why we created the Inside The Edit app—to give editors the tools and confidence to speak the language of editing and succeed in tackling bigger, more exciting projects.

We want editors to have all of that language, all of those creative concepts, all of those techniques memorised—and most of all… all of that confidence so that when it comes time to talk to high-end clients, they look and sound like a real pro.

So, we’ve put the top 50 creative editing terms into a beautifully designed film poster. We call it The Editor’s Periodic Table and it condenses 25 years of my editing experience into an easy to memorise checklist. You can print it out and put it on your cutting room wall or use it as a screensaver.

It’s completely free. Just download our app from the App Store, sign up and print it out.

Kickstart Your Editing Career: Free Resources and Tools

But the app is also packed with tons of free content designed to kickstart your high-end editing career. You’ve got multiple episodes of our Psychology of Editing series that covers skills like how to work with difficult directors. And you can also try out our Edit Brain Training tests that sharpen your editorial mindset.

Our new app is the latest and most exciting step in our mission to turn you into a powerful creative editor.

That barrier to entry.. just got smaller.

Download the Inside The Edit App Now and Master the Language of Editing

Download the app now, get The Ultimate Editing Cheat Sheet, and

Stay cool, stay safe and stay cutting.

— Paddy