"Ten Rules for Video Editing 10 Rules for Video Editors This list is based on a similar series of concepts that I picked up from Gretchen Siegchrist in an article on Video Editing on About.com. I first compiled my variation when I started teaching video editing at the New York Institute of Technology several years ago. I compiled it because I felt my students needed somewhere to start their understanding from. Most of them had never even attempted to think critically about what they see on the screen in front of them and I thought this might help in that regard. Anyway just a couple of idea follow. Stay Motivated Every cut should have a motivation. There should be a reason that you want to switch from one shot or camera angle to another. Sometimes that motivation is a simple as the camera shook or someone walked in front of the camera. Ideally though your motivations for cutting should be to advance the narrative storytelling of your video. One of the most obvious signs of amateur editing are cuts and transitions that have no motivation behind them. Adding a cube spin transition may look cool to you but ask yourself ""does this advance the narrative or is it merely distracting"". Match the Scene The beauty of editing is that you can take footage shot out of order or at separate times and cut it together so that it appears as one continuous scene. To do this effectively though the elements in the shots should match up. For example a subject who exits frame right should enter the next shot frame left. Otherwise it appears they turned around and are walking in the other direction. Or if the subject is holding something in one shot dont cut directly to a shot of them empty-handed. If you dont have the right shots to make matched edits insert some b-roll in between."