Paper Edit

Planning a cut on paper (or in a doc) before touching the timeline.

A paper edit is a written plan of the structure — usually built from a transcript — deciding which soundbites and beats go where before editing. It is invaluable for interviews and documentaries, saving hours of aimless cutting. The spine comes first, the polish later.

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Genre Playbooks

Editing for Documentary

Documentary editing is the art of discovering the film hidden inside hundreds of hours of unscripted reality — and making it feel inevitable.

Written & reviewed by

FaranFaran@432

Production Lead & Consultant · Studio432

Faran is the production lead at Studio432 — the studio arm of Club432, the Karachi collective behind 100+ filmed live sessions and concert films. He plans and consults on shoots worldwide, and owns the gear, settings and craft standards behind everything published here.

More about Faran →Book a production consult →

Don’t want to learn it — want it done?

Studio432 edits concert footage, music videos, gaming content, vlogs and short-form for creators worldwide. Send the footage, get a quote by email.

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