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Paper edit example a footage log with timecode and selects in story order.

A paper edit lists the lines and shots you'll use, in story order, each with its clip and timecode. Below is the log and paper edit for a short documentary about a community garden: 10 logged clips from 7 files and the 6 selects in story order. Download the CSV and open it in Excel or Google Sheets.

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Short doc “The garden down the street”

7 files · 10 clips · 29.97 fps

The footage log

ClipInOutDurationSpeakerLine or descriptionTypeUseBeatOrder
A001_C002 00:01:12:10 00:01:18:05 00:00:05:25 Coordinator Let me start over, I got the street name wrong. Interview No
A001_C002 00:01:20:00 00:01:26:15 00:00:06:15 Coordinator “The garden started on a lot where people used to dump construction debris.” Interview Yes Opening 2
A001_C003 00:04:02:20 00:04:11:08 00:00:08:18 Coordinator “The first year, our seedlings got stolen three times. We almost gave up.” Interview Yes Conflict 3
A002_C001 00:00:48:12 00:00:55:00 00:00:06:18 Volunteer “We meet every Saturday at eight.” Interview Maybe
A002_C001 00:02:31:04 00:02:40:22 00:00:09:18 Volunteer “Then the kids from the school started coming to water, and nobody touched a thing after that.” Interview Yes Turn 4
A003_C005 00:01:05:00 00:01:11:18 00:00:06:18 Neighbor “My mom had a garden just like this back home.” Interview Maybe
A003_C005 00:03:14:09 00:03:22:27 00:00:08:18 Neighbor “Now I leave here with vegetables and with conversation. The conversation is the best part.” Interview Yes Ending 6
B001_C004 00:00:03:00 00:00:09:00 00:00:06:00 Wide shot of the garden at sunrise, watering can in the foreground B-roll Yes Opening 1
B001_C007 00:00:15:10 00:00:21:10 00:00:06:00 Kids watering the beds, close-up on hands B-roll Yes Turn 5
B001_C009 00:00:40:00 00:00:46:00 00:00:06:00 Truck driving by, loud noise B-roll No

The paper edit

  1. 01 Wide shot of the garden at sunrise, watering can in the foreground Opening · B001_C004 · 00:00:03:00 · 00:00:06:00
  2. 02 “The garden started on a lot where people used to dump construction debris.” Opening · A001_C002 · 00:01:20:00 · 00:00:06:15 · Coordinator
  3. 03 “The first year, our seedlings got stolen three times. We almost gave up.” Conflict · A001_C003 · 00:04:02:20 · 00:00:08:18 · Coordinator
  4. 04 “Then the kids from the school started coming to water, and nobody touched a thing after that.” Turn · A002_C001 · 00:02:31:04 · 00:00:09:18 · Volunteer
  5. 05 Kids watering the beds, close-up on hands Turn · B001_C007 · 00:00:15:10 · 00:00:06:00
  6. 06 “Now I leave here with vegetables and with conversation. The conversation is the best part.” Ending · A003_C005 · 00:03:14:09 · 00:00:08:18 · Neighbor
What to notice

What a paper edit spreadsheet needs

01

Clip and timecode

The clip name plus the in and out in hours:minutes:seconds:frames, as your editor shows it. Without them, the spreadsheet is a list of quotes nobody can find.

02

The line, not a summary

“The garden started on a lot where people used to dump construction debris” helps the editor; “talks about how it began” doesn't. B-roll gets a short description.

03

Use: yes, maybe, no

Marking what doesn't work saves time too: the flubbed take and the passing truck are logged so nobody goes looking for them again.

04

Beat and order

The Beat and Order columns turn the log into the paper edit: the sequence that becomes your rough cut.

Logging footage or a paper edit?

Logging is the inventory: everything in the footage, with timing and a verdict. The paper edit comes next: only the selects, in story order. This spreadsheet does both with two extra columns.

In FilmScribe, logging happens in the transcript: you read everything with timing for every word and who's speaking, then favorite your lines or build a list of selects in the order you want. On Studio, Agency and the trial, those selects become a cut timeline for Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro, with no timecode typed by hand.

With FilmScribe

How to build your paper edit with FilmScribe

  1. 01

    Upload your footage

    Video, audio only or a YouTube link. We transcribe it with timing for every word and separate the speakers.

  2. 02

    Mark your selects

    Use search, chapters and emotions to find the passages, then favorite them or build the list in story order.

  3. 03

    Export the timeline

    Download the .xml or .fcpxml with every select at its source timecode and open it in your editor.

Log my footage Transcription, speakers and favorites on every plan. The cut timeline for your editor on Studio, Agency and the trial.

Keep going

How to do a paper editExport to editorsTranscription and speakersNarrative hooksEDL to spreadsheetTimecode calculator

More examples

Interview transcript A research interview transcribed with speaker labels, a timestamp on every turn and chapters by topic. SRT file A 38-second .srt file with every part explained: number, timestamp, text and blank line. YouTube chapters The chapter list for a 52-minute podcast, in YouTube's description format, with the moments inside each part. Video hooks Seven hooks found in a 58-minute podcast, each with a 0 to 100 impact score, type, timestamps and reason. Video script A 3-minute script built from the lines of a 58-minute podcast, with sections, timestamps and editor notes.

Frequently asked questions

What is a paper edit?

A paper edit is the story of your video written out before you touch the timeline: the lines and shots you want, in order, each with its source clip and timecode. It turns hours of raw footage into a plan your editor can follow.

What columns should a paper edit spreadsheet have?

Clip, in, out, speaker, the line or a description of the shot, the type (interview, b-roll) and the use (yes, maybe, no). For the paper edit itself, add the story beat and the order. A duration column helps you add up the length of the cut.

How do I open the CSV in Excel?

Double-click the file or import it from the Data menu. The CSV uses commas and UTF-8 with a byte order mark, so accented characters show up correctly. In Google Sheets, use File > Import.

Can software do a paper edit automatically?

The slow part, yes. In FilmScribe we transcribe everything with timing for every word, separate speakers and flag emotions and moments. You mark your lines and, on Studio, Agency and the trial, export a cut timeline. Choosing what tells the story is still your call.

How do my selects get into my editor?

As an .xml file for Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve, or .fcpxml for Final Cut Pro, with every select at its exact source timecode. You import it and relink the media. An audio-only upload gives you an audio-only timeline.

Is a paper edit spreadsheet still worth it?

Yes, when your team or client works from one. With the transcript open next to it, you copy the exact line and time instead of pausing and typing. For projects that are only yours, favorites already do the spreadsheet's job.

Your paper edit, from the transcript. The timeline ready in your editor.

Upload your footage, read everything with timing for every word and mark your lines. On Studio, Agency and the trial, we deliver the cut timeline.

Log my footage
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.