Art of the Cut

Chapter 3Pacing and Rhythm

Ask an editor to name their sine qua non skill and “pacing and rhythm” is the phrase that will probably top the list—or it would be if he or she knew any Latin. In this chapter, we’ll discuss pacing and rhythm only as it applies between shots and internally to a scene. I sometimes refer to this as micro-pacing. Pacing and rhythm are also used to describe the overall pacing and story rhythms of the larger film. I sometimes refer to this as macro-pacing. Micro-pacing and macro-pacing are actually quite different in methodology, execution and theory. The two ideas are not completely detached from each other, though. Each type of pacing and rhythm informs and affects the other. The larger concept of macro-pacing is discussed ...