0:02 I used to think that a good edit had a
0:04 lot of layers, a lot of effects, and
0:06 even more transitions. But after 15
0:08 years of being a filmmaker and editing
0:11 hundreds, if not thousands of videos, I
0:13 realized that great storytelling doesn't
0:16 come from complicated edits. It comes
0:18 from simple, intentional cuts that
0:20 actually make the story feel like a
0:22 story. So today, I will walk you through
0:23 the only seven cuts you really need with
0:25 editing because these are cuts that I
0:27 keep coming back to no matter what kind
0:29 of video I'm making. So, let's start
0:33 with one of my favorites, the flow cut.
0:35 This is when your shots feel like
0:37 they're dancing together. It's smooth
0:39 and invisible. So, here's the basic
0:41 idea. When something moves in your
0:43 frame, like a person or an object, or it
0:45 could even be the camera itself, your
0:47 viewers's eyes start to follow that
0:50 motion. And if your next shot picks up
0:52 that movement in the same direction,
0:54 their eyes just keep going effortlessly.
0:56 For example, this marker being dragged
0:59 up followed by a new shot that continues
1:01 the upward motion from the camera. You
1:03 can notice here my hand goes up in the
1:06 first shot and in the next that upward
1:08 motion continues with the camera
1:10 movement. So your eyes are guided
1:12 upward. If instead the first motion goes
1:14 up and the next shot starts going the
1:17 opposite corner or going sideways,
1:19 that's friction and the viewer will feel
1:21 the cut. So start thinking of editing a
1:24 bit more like choreography. You know, if
1:26 you guide the eyes naturally, the viewer
1:28 won't notice the cut and they will just
1:30 stay inside of the story. That's what
1:32 you want. So, the next time you edit,
1:35 look for flow in the motion. Is your
1:37 subject moving? Is your camera moving?
1:38 And can you connect those directions
1:42 from one shot to the next?
1:44 Where the flow cut is really about
1:47 smooth transitions, this one is about
1:49 disruption, actually. And that's really
1:51 why it works so well because a smash cut
1:53 is when you intentionally break the
1:55 rhythm. So it's a sudden cut from one
1:57 scene to a completely different one. And
2:00 it often works best when music or the
2:02 sound cuts out too because that really
2:04 grabs attention and it creates contrast
2:06 and it tells the viewer, "Hey, pay
2:08 attention because something just
2:10 changed." What started out as random fun
2:12 projects with a friend turned into a
2:15 full-blown creative video agency. Small
2:17 jobs became bigger ones. But as things
2:27 >> Okay, now
2:29 >> so what makes this cut really powerful
2:31 is the emotional reset it adds. And this
2:34 can add humor or tension or simply just
2:36 keep the viewer from falling into a
2:39 predictable rhythm. So yeah, really try
2:40 to use this when you want to create
2:43 energy or surprise or highlight the
2:45 turning point and really get the
2:47 viewer's attention. Just don't overdo it
2:49 because you know surprise only works if
2:57 and by the way, if you ever get stuck on
2:59 figuring out what to shoot or how to
3:01 shape your story before editing, I made
3:02 something that might help and it's
3:04 called the story starter kit. So, if
3:06 that sounds interesting, you can find
3:08 more info in the description. But now,
3:11 let's talk about the jump cut.
3:13 The jump cut gets a bad reputation
3:15 because it's used like this in talking
3:17 head videos, but it's actually one of
3:19 the most practical cuts there is because
3:21 you're staying in the same shot, but you
3:24 skip forward in time. Like here where
3:25 I'm sitting down to work and I'm being
3:27 frustrated for not getting anything
3:30 done. Same frame, different moments,
3:32 quick jumps. This is also one of those
3:33 cuts that I really like to land on
3:36 exactly the beat because that just feels
3:39 good sometimes. But I reminded myself
3:40 why. So, it's a great way to show
3:43 progress, repetition, or speed something
3:46 up. And you can use it to make a scene
3:49 fast or chaotic or also for fun. And
3:51 that energy is exactly what keeps it
3:54 interesting, I think.
3:56 So, the action cut is all about editing
3:58 in the middle of movement. So, when you
4:01 cut during an action, like sitting down
4:03 for example, the motion continues across
4:06 the cut. It feels smooth and it feels
4:08 natural because your viewer's brain is
4:10 already following the movement just like
4:12 in a flow cut. Here I'm sitting down and
4:14 right at the moment of sitting cut to
4:16 the close shot in the action. And you
4:18 know it doesn't have to be fast or
4:21 dramatic. Even a slow calm action can
4:23 really go fluid if you cut it right in
4:25 the middle of it. The key here is again
4:27 to guide the viewer's eyes. If their
4:29 attention stays on the same spot in the
4:32 frame, the cut becomes almost invisible.
4:34 Like here, this balloon is floating
4:36 slowly and then I cut to a close-up. But
4:38 because the dream sticker stays in the
4:40 exact same place on the screen, your
4:42 eyes don't have to move. So the cut
4:44 feels right. And sometimes, you know,
4:46 just a few frames earlier or later can
4:47 really make the difference. So really
4:49 pay attention to that. But yeah, that's
4:51 the magic of the action cut and it can
4:53 really make everything feel alive. So
4:55 try this in your next edit because it
4:57 might only take a few frames to make
5:01 your story click a lot better.
5:03 So yeah, this is actually not a single
5:05 cut. It's more like a sequence of cuts
5:07 that work together so you can guide the
5:09 viewer through a moment. And it's super
5:11 basic, but basic doesn't mean to have
5:13 boring. And I use it all of the time.
5:16 I'm talking about the wide, medium,
5:18 close pattern. So you start with a wide
5:21 shot to show us where we are, then a
5:23 medium to show what's happening, and
5:26 then a closeup to show details or show
5:30 emotion. So, from wide to medium to
5:32 close. And this gives your story
5:33 structure and it gives your audience
5:35 clarity. And it just works because
5:38 clarity is really important. And I still
5:40 use this combination all of the time.
5:42 And once you've used this enough, you
5:44 will start to feel when to change it up.
5:46 You know, maybe you will skip the medium
5:49 entirely for a more of emotional kind of
5:51 hit, going from wide to close
5:53 immediately. Or you flip it around and
5:55 you start close to only reveal the full
5:57 picture in the end to surprise the
5:59 viewer that someone is actually in a
6:01 desert. For example,
6:02 >> I didn't even recognize where I was anymore.
6:04 anymore.
6:05 >> But before you break that pattern, maybe
6:07 start working with it first because it's
6:10 really one of the most easiest ways to
6:12 bring some clarity into your edit. And
6:14 that clarity is really important for
6:16 your viewers.
6:19 So this is one of the most satisfying
6:21 cuts when you pull it off right. It's
6:23 called a match cut and it connects two
6:25 shots using something visually similar.
6:28 So that could be a shape or subject in
6:31 the same position within the frame. And
6:34 it's kind of a way to say that these two
6:36 things belong together. So it can link
6:39 moments in time or places or you can use
6:42 it to create metaphors. I really use
6:43 this when I want to show a connection
6:46 between things like a past version of me
6:48 turning into the present one or to have
6:49 a smooth transition between two
6:51 completely different scenes that I
6:54 wanted to be a YouTuber just like half
6:56 of the world today. And if you're
6:57 matching people, there's one trick
6:59 that's really important to remember and
7:01 that's that you try to match the eye
7:03 position across the cut because when the
7:05 eyes stay in the same place on the
7:06 screen, the transition will feel way
7:09 more natural. So try using a match cut
7:11 next time to intentionally connect two
7:15 things that mean something together.
7:17 You know sometimes the most important
7:20 part of a cut is when it actually
7:23 happens. Editing is rhythm and if your
7:25 video moves at the same pace the whole
7:27 time your audience will sure start to
7:29 tune out. So paying attention to the
7:31 speed of your cuts is how you keep them
7:33 engaged by shifting the tempo. The
7:35 faster cuts here are building tension
7:37 and the slower cuts are there to let
7:44 >> It's all about contrast just like music
7:47 needs climax and it needs a release. And
7:48 I use this when I want to change the
7:50 energy of a scene or guide the viewer
7:53 into how I want them to feel exciting or
7:56 calm or emotional or chaotic. And if
7:58 your video feels too flat or too
8:00 chaotic, try playing with the speed of
8:02 your cuts. It's really one of the
8:05 easiest ways to shape emotion. And you
8:08 know, the truth is editing is always a
8:10 bit of a puzzle and there's always a
8:12 point where it feels like it's not going
8:13 to work. But I want you to know that
8:15 that's really normal because if you're
8:17 hitting a wall, it probably means that
8:19 you're close to something special or
8:21 something meaningful. And if you do want
8:23 some help from start to finish, if
8:25 you're unsure what to shoot or how to
8:27 shape a story that actually flows,
8:29 that's exactly why I created the story
8:31 starter kit. It gives you a simple,
8:33 repeatable storytelling method. You will
8:35 write your story with clear templates,
8:37 plan your shots with a visual guide, and
8:39 then move into the edit with confidence
8:41 using my pre-built editing templates and
8:43 a step-by-step video walk through. And I
8:45 also just upgraded the kit with the
8:48 seven cuts guide. It's a seven-page
8:49 guide with a summary and extra
8:51 information about the seven cuts in this
8:53 video. So, the link is in the
8:55 description if that sounds helpful. And
8:57 one last tip before we wrap up, you
8:59 don't need to cram all these seven cuts
9:03 into one video. Just ask yourself, what
9:05 does this moment need? Does it need a
9:07 smooth flow, a surprise, or a shift in
9:10 rhythm maybe? And just pick the cut that
9:12 serves that moment best. From there, you
9:14 can always build further. Now, if you
9:16 want to learn how to shape that story
9:18 from the very beginning, check out this
9:19 video next where I'll walk you through
9:22 the five line story method that I use to
