Foundational
Foundations of Narrative Editing
Covers the core decisions that shape a sequence - when to cut, what to hold, and how those choices affect the viewer's sense of time and character. No prior editing background required.
Storytelling through editing
Where cuts become narrative
Structured courses for editors who want to understand why a sequence works - not just how to execute it.
About the programme
The approach
What makes the difference here
01
Decisions are taught, not just demonstrated
Every lesson is built around the reasoning behind an edit. Students learn to articulate why a cut lands - in terms of rhythm, character state, and story logic - before they reach for the keyboard.
02
Material from actual productions
Exercises use raw footage from real projects, not purpose-built samples. Working with imperfect material - coverage gaps, inconsistent performances - reflects what editing actually looks like.
03
Feedback tied to specific moments
Reviews reference exact frames, not general impressions. Students receive written notes and annotated exports, so the feedback remains useful long after the session ends.
What is available
Three structured tracks, each covering a distinct phase of editorial thinking.
Intermediate
Scene Construction and Continuity
Focuses on building coherent scenes from multi-angle coverage. Students work through common structural problems - eyeline mismatches, broken screen direction, performance inconsistencies - using provided raw footage.
Advanced
Pacing and Emotional Arc
For editors who can already assemble a scene cleanly but want to develop instinct for emotional timing. The course examines how duration, silence, and cut density influence audience response across a full sequence.
The distance between assembling and storytelling
The actual gap
Most editors who come here already know their software. They can build a rough cut, manage proxies, and deliver a clean export. The gap is elsewhere - in the moment when a scene feels technically correct but somehow flat, and there is no clear language for why.
What changes
Developing that language takes time and the right kind of practice. It means watching the same 40-second sequence a dozen times, each time with a different question. It means getting notes that point to frame 312, not to "the energy in the middle section." That specificity is what the courses here are structured around.
- Students who complete the foundational track 228
- Average rating across all courses 4.9
- Years the programme has been running 11
"The notes I got back were unlike anything from other courses. They pointed to exact moments and explained the mechanics of why the cut wasn't working. That changed how I watch other people's edits now."
Orla
Fennelly
Documentary
editor
"I had been editing professionally for three years before taking the pacing course. It reframed a lot of instinctive choices I was already making - gave me a way to defend or question them deliberately."
Darragh
Quill
Narrative film
editor