“Editor” / “to edit”

The editor is the person who takes all the tapes of everything that was filmed and then sits with the director to choose the best takes of every shot. The editor then puts these takes in an order that makes sense and that has the best dramatic effect!

“Final cut”

When all the editing decisions have been made and the film-makers are happy with how all the different shots and scenes are put together, this is called the “final cut” and is not changed anymore.

“Rushes"

This is what film-makers call the un-edited tapes from the film-shoot. If you were to watch a rushes tape you would see all the different takes one after another plus you would also see what happened just before and after they shot that take too!

“A take”

When the film-makers film a scene or a shot, they will usually film it again and again, trying out different ways and making it better each time until they are satisfied that they have got it right. Each time they film the shot/scene it is given a new “take” number which helps the film-makers tell them apart and choose the best one.

“Working title”

A film’s title will often change several times during the making of a film. Until the title is decided on, it is given a temporary title called a “working title”.

Definitions copyrighted to Charlotte Johnson and Creative Partnerships.