'Cut for meaning, then cut for rhythm'. This is also how good novelists write dialogue. We get the raw material onto the page first (which is one of the reasons why drafting often feels messy and incomplete) so that everything makes sense, then we shape the rhythm afterwards, during editing, so that we can replicate the thought processes and emotional moments that characters go through in dialogue with each other.

I did already understand this, because this is how I've been writing for a decade. It's exactly what I've been doing. But only right now did I understand this consciously. I've only been doing it intuitively. So thank you for helping me wrap my brain around that.

Of course, the tools we have to make these things happen, as novelists, are quite different than the tools a film editor has, but it's still the goal, and it's still what we do. Film editors have fine cutting techniques that are not available to novelists, but novelists have the power to actually change the words and how they are presented, so it's somewhat the same technique. We still compress and decompress, and we still give the reader moments to take a breath, just like film editors give viewers similar moments, we just have to do it a little differently.

'Rhythm is meaningless without structure, but structure without rhythm is lifeless'. Truer words were never spoken.

This is the best editing YouTube Canal ever🎉

This is great! I love the insight you give towards crafting dialogue. Would love to see some examples of this in play and your approach to what this looks like practically.

On point as always Paddy! Thanks for sharing this! 💪🙌✨

very well explained of editing craft👆👍

Thank you !

Very insightful video. Thanks

Cool🎉Thank You

Thank you for the terminology poster.
My poster reminds me that I’ve built my editing workstation for a reason and it’s not online gaming…

@8:50 I feel like building a “greatest hits” of quotes like this one.

Read the full blog version here →https://www.insidetheedit.com/blog/how-to-retime-dialogue

I am unclear how I could retime the audio while keeping it in sync with the video. Could you elaborate on this? TIA

Thanks for the overview! technically how do you find the exact point to cut a sentence since often in fast speaking, the waveform of the words is not distinguish anymore. and when you only cut after several words, i would sound strange, when the person speaks 3-4 words fast, pauses then again speaks some words fast... Too slow down the speed would alter the sound of the voice....

This is great content! It would be even better if we could see some real-life examples to help us understand the ideas better.

Hi Paddy Bird, I really love the insights and techniques and value and everything you bring for us in your videos, but what I really feel missing are the example clips or shots. If there is any chance you can add them in, it would be highly appreciated.

I do travel videos and am struggling on how to build in jeopardy and other suggestions you mention which all make sense while you talk about it. Providing examples with a film clip would make a huge impact on what you are teaching. Please give us real examples.

Awesome observations/suggestions. This is like a lecture in writing well, but instead for voice/narration. Long, complex, technical sentences should be shorter in length--to become more easily understood. Switching narration to a series of short sentences can increase the rhythm/pace to increase excitement (creating anticipation of a dramatic conclusion).

this is full theory, we need to see, we need 'action' as you said before lol

bullshit. rhythm is a dancer

why you not using visual when you narrate it is easy to understand and in my opinion. I know you are senior editor but i feel something is missing when you speak. your explanation is extraordinary but need b roll to understand