Fort Mill filmmaker and editor Thomas Torrey shares how video editing is storytelling in motion, using images, rhythm, and pacing to shape emotion and meaning.
Video editing is another stage of writing, but instead of using words to form a sentence, we're using images to form a scene. So it's more than cutting clips and transitions. It's about storytelling, rhythm, and visual cohesion.
Every edit should serve the overall goal of the film. If you're working up to a reveal in the pace of your shots and the shots you're showing, the number of shots, all of that become crucial things to work out in the edit.
It's just like playing music. So play with your edit until you feel the rhythm and the pace lock in. How will the shot you cut to convey the beat and enhance the moment?
Wide shots establish context and orient the audience.
Close-ups show us more emotion. They direct our attention to specific things.
So be intentional with your choices and know when you want to cut between this coverage.
Learn more about how to submit your film to the 2026 NextLens Online Film Festival.
Written and directed by Thomas Torrey, Long December is a musical drama about a struggling musician chasing his dreams of stardom. Starring musicians Stephen Williams and John Mark McMillan in their acting debuts, the film features a soundtrack of original music captured live on-camera, and is a poignant story about hopes, ambitions, failure and success.
