The 4D Editor: Techniques for Showing the Passage of Time

• November 19, 2020

• Film Editing Pro

All editors work in four dimensions. The 3D visual space of the footage…and the 4th dimension of time.

As we all know, to improve the pace of the edit and keep the run-time reasonable, films will skip through periods of time by cutting unimportant events.

Editors can get away with this because the time between scenes is usually inconsequential to the narrative and therefore, it is not necessary to explain in detail. However, it’s important for the audience to understand how quickly time is moving.

In this illustrated tutorial, we’re going to examine 5 editing techniques for showing the passage of time. But first, let’s briefly consider why it’s important.

Why is the passage of time important?

In its simplest form, a narrative depicts change over time. This could be the transformation of a character’s ideals and personality or the progression of a series of events. In either case, time gives context.

In general, the longer something takes the more effort is involved. Let’s illustrate with this classic example from Rocky :

Which do you think works better? Although both scenes end the same, the length of the latter implies struggle.

In other words, if we can help the audience understand the passage of time, they’ll connect emotionally with the drama. But if we fail, the narrative could become confusing. Let’s explore some of the common techniques that editors use to show this…

1. ‘Later’ Cards

This straightforward use of text to communicate the passage of time is obviously quite effective. Many old films, or new films with a very specific style like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , use a simple card to show us exactly how much time has elapsed.

![](https://cdn-melody-craft.artvibe.ai/videotips/F2040008617