What is three-point editing?
Three-point editing is a way of placing a shot by setting three marks: usually an in and an out on the source clip, plus an in point on the timeline. The editor works out the fourth mark for you and cuts the shot in exactly where you said. It is the standard method in professional editors because it is fast and precise. It also keeps your hands on the keyboard.
Most professional editors share a layout that goes back decades. On the left is the Source monitor, where you watch raw clips. On the right is the Record monitor, which shows your cut. Three-point editing is how a piece of one gets into the other.
How it works
There are four possible marks: an in and an out on the source, and an in and an out on the timeline. You set any three of them. The fourth follows, because the length of the shot is fixed by the other marks.
- The usual case. Mark an in and an out on the source to choose the piece you want. Mark an in on the timeline to say where it goes. The shot lands there, at its own length.
- Filling a gap. Mark an in and an out on the timeline to define a hole. Mark only an in on the source. The editor takes exactly enough of the source to fill the gap.
- Backtiming. Mark an out on the source and an in and an out on the timeline. The shot ends on your chosen frame and its start is worked out backwards. This is handy when a line or a move has to finish on a beat.
Splice or overwrite
Once the marks are set, you choose how the shot goes in.
- Splice (sometimes called insert) pushes everything after the in point later, making the cut longer.
- Overwrite replaces whatever was there, so the length of the cut stays the same.
The reverse pair works the same way. Lift takes a section out and leaves a gap. Extract takes it out and closes the gap.
Why editors work this way
Three-point editing is precise. You choose frames in the monitors, not by dragging clips and hoping they snap where you meant. It is also quick, because once the keys are in your fingers you can mark and cut without touching the mouse.
A typical rhythm uses the JKL keys to shuttle back and forth and I and O to mark. A single key then splices or overwrites. Match Frame takes you from a shot in the cut back to the same frame in its source clip, so you can find what came before or after it.
How B/side handles it
B/side uses the Media Composer keyboard and layout, with Source and Record monitors side by side. Three-point editing works as described here, with splice and overwrite, lift and extract, JKL shuttle, Mark Clip and Match Frame. If you already cut in Media Composer, the keys you know do what you expect.
Every position is a whole frame, so your marks land exactly where you set them. When you need to adjust a cut after it is in, trim mode gives you ripple and roll trims with a live two-up of both sides.
When something else is better
If you are new to editing and only make short videos, dragging clips onto a timeline may feel more natural at first. Plenty of editors are built around that way of working. Three-point editing pays off as projects get longer and you start to care about speed and precision.
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