Reason to Cut Philosophy

foundational editing principle, articulated by Lee Smith, which posits that every cut must be motivated by a specific narrative or emotional purpose. Cutting simply out of boredom or to create arbitrary movement is considered poor practice. Instead, an editor should cut for dramatic reasons, to shift emphasis to a new piece of information, or to reveal a reaction that is more powerful than the dialogue. This philosophy also acknowledges that while there are many reasons *to* cut, there is often no single 'correct' frame, but rather a range of effective choices, each with a slightly different feel.