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What is a paper edit?

A paper edit is an edit planned on paper before anyone touches the timeline. You log the footage with timecodes and a description of each moment, pick the lines that tell the story and put them in order. In documentary, interviews and weddings, it turns hours of raw footage into a clear plan for the editor.

Also called: paper cut, radio cut

In film, the French word découpage names the shot-by-shot breakdown of a script, and decoupage is also a paper-cutting craft. Here, we mean the video editing paper edit.

Read the paper edit guide Try it with my video
Example

A paper edit row

File, in point, who speaks, what they say and whether it makes the cut. The rest is repeating that across the footage.

FileInWhoLineUse
CAM_A_0300:14:32JakeIt rained at the wedding in Asheville.Yes
CAM_A_0300:15:10JakeWe lost half the shot list.Maybe
Why it matters

Why do a paper edit first

Because listening to hours of footage inside the editor, looking for the right line, is the slowest part of editing. With a paper edit, the cut starts from a list, not from an empty timeline.

In FilmScribe

Paper edits in FilmScribe

We transcribe your footage with speakers and timestamps, and you mark the lines that make the cut. On Studio and Agency, the selection comes out as a cut timeline for Premiere, DaVinci or Final Cut. The full step by step, with a sample sheet, is in the guide.

Guide: how to do a paper edit The full step by step, from raw footage to a cut timeline, with a sample sheet and common mistakes. Read the paper edit guide →
In practice

Doing a paper edit that cuts cleanly

  1. 01

    Mark the first and last words

    Write the first and last words of each selection next to the timecode. A note like “I started… the vows” tells the editor exactly where to cut, even if the time is a second off.

  2. 02

    Read it aloud in order

    Before handing it off, read the selected lines aloud in story order. Gaps in logic, repeated points and awkward jumps between speakers stand out right away.

  3. 03

    Select more than you need

    Pick more material than the target length allows and mark the extras as alternates. Some lines will not work on screen, because of a cough, bad focus or a look off camera.

  4. 04

    Note the picture, too

    Add a column for what is on screen: B-roll ideas, soft focus, someone walking through the shot. A great line with unusable picture changes the plan before the editor finds out.

Related terms

See all terms →
Transcription The speech in audio or video written down as text, either verbatim, with every hesitation, or clean and easy to read. XML and FCPXML Files that describe a whole timeline, with segments, tracks and timing, so a video editor can open it. Timestamps Markers of the moment each line or scene happens in a recording, in hours, minutes and seconds. B-roll Supporting footage that covers the main speech, like details, places and action, while the audio keeps going. Hook The line or scene at the start of a video that makes someone stop scrolling and want to see the rest.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between logging and a paper edit?

Logging records what is in the footage. The paper edit is the story built from that log, with the lines in the order of the film.

What is a radio cut?

A rough edit built from audio only, usually the interview lines in story order. It is often the next step after the paper edit.

Is there a paper edit template?

Yes. The paper edit example has the most used columns and a CSV file to download.

Captions, clips and paper edits. All in one place.

Upload a video or paste a YouTube link. We transcribe every word with its timing, and you take the result to social media or to your editor.

Try it with my video
See the result on your own recording before adding a card.