Editing is one of the most interesting and rewarding parts of making an animation. It’s where the story really comes together. Decisions you make about which shots to use, how you put them together, and how you use sound, will make a big difference to your animated film.

No matter how much you plan for animation, it's a guarantee that you will end up with something radically different to your planned storyboard.

A beginners’ guide to basic editing principles.

• Less is More
  It is far more common to leave your shots too long than to make them too short.
  
  
• Do not over-edit
  Computers make editing so simple that you may want to make lots and lots of cuts just because you can. But sometimes a shot is good when it is long. Sometimes there is no reason to go to a cut-away or see another angle. You should trust your instincts.
  
  
• Do not fall in love with your material
  keep in mind on the ‘whole’ and not any of the individual images and shots. Don’t be precious about your footage. The finished animation is the important thing. You may need to leave out some really good stuff if it doesn’t fit.
  
  
• Select the important action
  Choose the clips that show the essential action. You can leave out anything that doesn’t help tell the story.
  
  
• Vary the shot size and angle
  Don’t cut between two very similar shots of the same thing, unless you really want a ‘jump cut’ for effect.
  
  
• Get the pace right
  A shot should stay on screen long enough for people to understand it, but not so long that they get bored.
  
  
• Pay attention to the sound
  Don’t have sudden changes in sound level, or dead silence, unless you’re deliberately trying to shock people.
  
  

Editing Vocabulary

• Cut
  A transition where one shot is instantly followed by another.
  
  
• Cutaway
  The interruption of a continuously filmed action with a shot that’s peripherally related to the principal action.
  
  
• J Cuts
  An editing technique that allows the audience to first hear audio from a shot, and then see it.
  
  
• L Cut
  An editing changeover between one shot and another in film, where the visual and audio shift at different times. Also called a split edit.
  
  
• Jump Cut
  An abrupt cut that creates a lack of continuity between shots by leaving out parts of the action.
  
  
• Matched Cut
  A cut joining two shots with matching compositional elements. This helps to establish strong continuity of action.
  
  
• Sequence Shot
  A long take composed of one shot that extends for an entire scene or sequence. Usually requires complex camera movements and action.