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What are Split-edits, J-cuts, L-cuts? Here is a short guide to these editing techniques.

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The difference between J-cuts and L-cuts and how to use them in your productions

A Split Edit is when the audio and video are split or separated and occur at different times. 

This is a technique with it’s own name as normally our video and audio of the same subject / content begins together. Split edits can be divided into two different options:
  • J-cut: When the audio begins before the video from that scene occurs
  • L-cut: When the video comes on-screen before the audio from that scene occurs
These names come from the appearance of a timeline where the audio and video clips have  their own space (like we see in our Audio mix window), or in the new Timeline view in Smart  Edit 8/Bogart 2 and higher.

These can be a creative/professional method of changing the time/place of your story or interview.  Some folks would use a J-cut to create what is known in Film as an Audio Bridge -- where the audio bridges an otherwise abrupt change in time or space.

In the Casablanca Expert Webinar (originally broadcast on 5/13/09) I demonstrated these edits and how to create them with your Casablanca -- you can view that 15-minutes streaming video here: http://www.casablancaexpert.com/articles/20091111_2




Tips & Tutorials by the Casablanca Expert, Chet Davis
www.CasablancaExpert.com