Editors at work in a Hollywood editing room

Course Schedule

Week 1: Introductions, Course Overview, Syllabus

Discussion

  • Cutting Rhythms (K. Pearlman)
  • Editor’s intuition
  • Screening: Cutting Rhythms selected videos

Resources

  • Pearlman, Karen. “Rhythmic Intuition | Chapter 1.” In Cutting Rhythms, 2nd Edition, 2nd edition. Routledge, 2015. https://s3.amazonaws.com/files.commons.gc.cuny.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/48971/files/2026/01/K_Pearlman_cutting-rhythms-Ch01.pdf. Password protected PDF

Workshop / Lab:

  • Tech Orientation and check-in
  • Email list
  • Avid Media Composer:
    • Project_settings
    • Intro_to_user_profiles
    • Licenses

    Week 2: Editing short films

    Discussion

    • Principles of Editing: Continuity Editing and Montage

    Screenings

    Workshop/Lab

    • Script read-through: Horizon
    • Avid Media Composer: – Media Management – Link vs. import – File structure – Project setup
    • Editing Lab: Crossover Opening Scene

    Resources

    • Excerpt from 111 Tips to Create Impressive Videos : How to Plan, Create, Upload and Market Videos (Chapter: All About Editing) Author: Doris-Maria Heilmann. Login with BC Library credentials to view. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/brooklyn-ebooks/reader.action?docID=6474503&ppg=28&c=RVBVQg
    • Download: Crossover project files (Available on Nexis Server)

    Week 3: Role of the assistant editor

    Discussion

    • Preparing for the edit
    • Avid Media Composer workshop.

    Workshop and Lab

    • Avid Media Composer:
      • – Logging clips
      • – Editing tools
      • – Synching image and sound
      • – 3-point editing (I/O)
      • – Trimming
      • – Timeline Editing: Segment tools, Lift/Extract
    • Work: Review and Log footage

    Evaluation

    • Editing Lab: Crossover Opening Scene: Starting a new editing project

    Week 4: Montage

    Discussion

    • Montage:
      • – Refining the edit
      • – Developing rhythm
      • – Supporting emotion

    Screening

    • Cutting Rhythms selected videos

    Workshop

    • Reviewing tools and techniques in Avid Media Composer:
      • – Adding transitions
      • – Generating titles
      • – Timecode burn-in
      • – Exporting

    Week 5: Peer led feedback and critique, part 1

    Discussion

    • Peer led feedback and critique
    • Crossover: opening scene rough cuts

    Evaluation

    • Crossover: Opening Scene rough cuts DUE

    Week 6: Peer led feedback and critique, part 2

    Discussion

    • Peer led feedback and critique
    • Crossover: opening scene fine cuts

    Evaluation

    • Crossover Opening Scene: fine cuts DUE

    Week 7: Working with high resolution media

    Discussion

    • Working with high resolution media

    Screening:

    Workshop

    • Transcoding and prepping media for editing  – Proxies

    Editing Lab:

    • Crossover group edits

    Resource

    Week 8: Editing Dialogue, part 1

    Discussion

    • Editing Dialogue:
      • – Editing beyond the script
      • – Defining story goals

    Editing Lab

    • Crossover group edits

    Week 9: Editing Dialogue, part 2

    Discussion

    • Editing Dialogue:
      • – Supporting performance
      • – Continuity
      • – Reaction shots

    Editing Lab

    • Crossover group edits

    Week 10: Color Correction

    Discussion

    • Intro to Color Correction:
      • – The colorist
      • – Brief history of color correction
      • – Prepping your project for the Colorist

    Workshop & Lab

    • DaVinci Resolve: – Preparing a project for the colorist – Importing a project.
    • Text for Lab: Conforming: https://human.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Theater_Film_and_Storytelling/Video_Production_Handbook/16%3A_The_Finishing_Process/16.02%3A_Fixing_Transition_Mistakes

    Resources

    Week 11: Color correction

    Discussion

    • Color correction:
      • – General adjustments
      • – 1st pass color correction

    Workshop

    • Davinci Resolve

    Week 12: Color grading

    Discussion

    • Color grading
      • – 2nd pass color and image adjustments

    Workshop

    • Davinci Resolve

    Week 13: Feedback and Critique

    Discussion

    • Feedback and Critique: Crossover: rough cuts

    Evaluation

    • Crossover:  Rough Cuts DUE

    Week 14: Final Project Workshop

    Workshop

    • Editing workshop: 1-on-1 editing support

    Week 15: Final Class

    Discussion

    • Feedback and Critique: Crossover: fine cuts

    Evaluation

    • Crossover Fine Cuts DUE

    SPECIAL DATES

    • 1/26/26, Start of Spring 2026 Term – Classes Begin
    • 2/1/26
        • Last day to add or swap a course for Spring 2026
        • Last day to drop for 75% tuition refund
        • Financial Aid Certification Enrollment Status Date
    • 2/12/26-2/16/2026: College Closed
    • 2/17/26, No Classes Scheduled
    • 3/15/26, Last day to file for Summer 2026/September 1, 2026 graduation
    • 3/20/26, No Classes Scheduled
    • 4/01/26-4/09/26, Spring Recess
    • 4/21/26, Classes follow a Thursday Schedule
    • 5/19/26, Last Day of Classes
    • 5/20/26-5/26/26, Final Examinations
    • 5/25/26, College Closed
    • 5/26/26, End of Spring 2026 Term