Beginner confused about Trim, Cut, Blade, Razor

Hello,

please accept my apologies regarding my beginner question.

For using a specific range of a clip we can either "Trim" the clip (all the different trim functions, like trimming the beginning/end or moving it) to get exactly the part of the clip we are interested in, or we can use the "Cut" functionality via the Blade/Razor functionality to split a clip and delete unwanted parts.

1) When should I use the "Trim" functionality and when should I use the "Cut"? Are there any benefits/drawbacks of both methods?
Even if I want to use multiple ranges of a single clip, I could either add it multiple times to the timeline and "Trim" each clip, or I could add the single clip and "Cut" it + delete unwanted parts. In which cases do you use which method?

2) For cutting we can use the "Razor Command" (Ctrl + B), or the "Split Clip Command" (Ctrl + /), or the "Blade Edit Mode" (B). Will all three methods result in exactly the same? Are there any differences (beside how we cut it and in which work area of DaVinci we use it)?

Thanks a lot in advance,

Thomas

Just want to push this thread a bit, as there is no response, yet . I think a DaVinci Professional should be able to clarify my confusion in a few seconds.

I don't think there are any strictly 'right' or definitely 'wrong' answers here. Editing isn't something you can (or should try to) learn by rote. You will only ever get a 'personal opinion' on this as it depends on the edit style your experience causes you to develop, and the particular circumstances you find yourself in at any given time. - And I say that as someone who has spent 40 years in the industry including a dozen as a college Lecturer teaching TV production.

Personally - I use the blade, select and backspace (delete) keys an awful lot. That's possibly because non-linear editing came in about 15-years into my career (up to which point I had been doing 'linear' tape-to-tape editing) and the people who first taught Non-Linear editing were film editors - used to physically cutting film... Their teaching strategy was to try and 'break' the 'linear tape habit' and make you think in much the same way as you would sitting in front of a Steenbeck or similar cutting table physically handling reels of picture film and mag-sound film...

One of the key vaunted advantages of NLE (and film-cutting IS essentially non-linear) being that it facilitates a much freer less constrained approach than a linear edit does. "think like a film editor" they said! 25 years on and I'm not entirely sure that was entirely the best approach (though it wasn't 'wrong' per se) - and I'm glad I never lost many of my 'bad habits'. There is much to be said for those old 'linear' habits. - They impose more 'discipline' and forward thinking. And the fact that you can 'trim' and slide clips combined with that is a distinct advantage over a 'crude' blade...

That doesn't mean one tool's bad and the other is good... or that there is some 'rote' that needs to be followed; your focus should be on constructing your programme, rather than worrying about blindly going through the 'correct' motions.

Trim tools I tend to use when doing a first 'assembly edit' - and Resolve's 'cut page' rather encourages this - in fact the 'source tape' paradigm together with the quick 'in and 'out' rather emulates linear editing, and for those of us that had any speed at this it's quite instinctive. - With that said I'm not particularly 'comfortable' on the cut page and prefer the edit page... that's just me.

I'd strongly advise looking at (at least) the first two exercises here and working your way through them.

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/produc ... e/training

Something to remember though -It doesn't matter how well you can use the tools or follow a rote exercise; your end result does need to be technically compliant etc. But you also need to understand how to tell a story with sound and vision. Personally I'd say that's far more important. - I used to have first-year students 'operating' NLE software quite effectively in about two hours from cold; it took another two years to teach them to be competent editors!

Take the time to look at editing technique in abstract (as opposed to just how to operate a piece of software)... Read! Watch! Enjoy and when you get it wrong accept that and learn from it. - A favourite resource of mine from a very long time ago (childhood in fact) is Karel Reisz book "The Technique of Film Editing" - as appended by Gavin Millar and published by Focal Press... this is a VERY old book that will tell you nothing of the mechanics - but much about telling a story with the moving image.

Just to pick up on one or two of your specific points...

"When should I use the "Trim" functionality and when should I use the "Cut"? Are there any benefits/drawbacks of both methods?"

- Arguably (and it Is a matter of opinion) 'trim' gives you a little more finesse - you might need to match eyelines or body positions between two clips, and trim 'might' be the gentler tool... The blade slashes! - Of course you have the huge advantage that if you hack too far, there Is a way of un-trimming things too! but it is a blade!

"if I want to use multiple ranges of a single clip, I could either add it multiple times to the timeline and "Trim" each clip, or I could add the single clip and "Cut" it + delete unwanted parts. In which cases do you use which method?"

That can be quite time-consuming and get confusing... I'd say just, don't! It seems like a good idea but it's really not. I've seen people try to do this by creating a 'scratch area' at the end of their timeline (way past the programme they're building) then hacking away at it almost like a sort of 'sub-edit', dragging stuff back to the main programme area... If they have two or three such 'areas' it just turns into a mess; and isn't necessary or desirable.

It's better to run (preview) your clip from the 'source' window or bin and set in and out points there (right click on the progress bar, mark in, mark out) before dragging each section down to the timeline. Use whatever tool best suits you to 'finesse' the section once it's there and get it into final position. - The cut page is pretty-much designed for this, but you can also, quite legitimately work from the edit page...

"For cutting we can use the "Razor Command" (Ctrl + B), or the "Split Clip Command" (Ctrl + /), or the "Blade Edit Mode" (B). Will all three methods result in exactly the same?"

No.

The blade tool (b) will cut quite logically with your mouse position... i.e. you place the little blade icon that appears over a clip and 'slice' that track at that point, just as if you were sitting at a Steenbeck slicing through a particular piece of film with a cutter. - if there is sound linked to that clip it will go through both audio and video tracks - but what it WON'T do is cut through everything on tracks above or below the particular clip you're working on!

Ctrl+B will however cut through a vertical stack of tracks at the playhead position - as seemingly does Ctrl+\ ...the latter I've never used or stopped to work out why it's there! And TBH it would make more sense if Ctrl-B cut a stack at the mouse position and Ctrl did the same at the playhead. - Not what seems to happen though. - No idea why!

Hope that helps a little... hopefully others will be along shortly to add their tuppence worth. - There are no daft questions except the ones nobody dares to ask.

Superb, Matt. It's obvious you're a teacher - and a good one.
Thanks for taking the time to add your "tuppence" worth.

Try the various cut & trim tools and their variations. Watch several people doing different types of work and the choices they make for tools.

And then just try and get some comfort level doing different kinds of cutting/trimming passes.

With a bit of craft skills built up, as Matt says, you then move on to learn the real job. Which is making something worth watching.

Your own process will end up changing over time, but will always be different than anyone else. I talked with a Sr. Editor at NAB and the four assistant editors of his shop. All trained from beginner to experienced editors by him.

And they laughed about how differently they all worked.

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