Mastering the Art of Editing: Crafting Stories that Stay with Your Audience

A dive into how films evolve from screenplay/concept to final cut—and the lessons you can apply early so your story truly lands.
Join National Award–winning editor and producer Anadi Athaley (FTII, 2014)—the Mumbai-based editor of Cactus Pears (2025), Borderlands (2021), Ralang Road (2017), The Unreserved (2017), Candyflip (2017), and shorts like Holy Curse (2024), Detour (2017), and Daaravtha (2015)—for an exclusive live session on crafting edits that resonate, inform, and stay with the audience.
Whether you’re a filmmaker, editor, or storyteller, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from one of India’s most insightful editors.

What You’ll Learn:

Short Films:

Understanding your screenplay before the cut

• Find the emotional engine of your film
• Tell the story aloud after you’ve written it
• Identify the spine: character → desire → obstacle → change
• Imagine sound design as you write
• Ask: If I remove this scene, does the emotional journey break?

Structuring for maximum impact

• Think in story beats, not scenes
• Remember: the story starts before your film (especially in shorts)
• Decide what to say directly—and what to show indirectly
• Let constraints become strengths
• Avoid overkill toward the end

Opening strong & sustaining attention

• Open with a bang
• Use mystery, tension, or emotional immediacy
• Don’t over-clarify—provoke curiosity
• Set the tone early

Common mistakes to avoid

• Too much setup, not enough payoff
• Over-stuffed concepts that want to be features
• Lazy exposition in dialogue/VO
• Style over emotional clarity

Documentaries:

Shooting vs. final story

• Surrender rigid plans to emerging truth
• Don’t cut to prove effort—cut to reveal story
• Let editing be discovery

What’s “edit-worthy” footage?

• Moments showing change, conflict, contradiction, or character
• Material that deepens emotion or advances tension

When to cut, when to hold

• Cut when the audience gets ahead of the moment
• Hold when discomfort/nuance/absorption builds meaning
• Use holds to witness, cuts to shape perspective

Using silence as a narrative tool

• Silence gives the audience space to feel
• It makes the next sound/line land harder
• Use sparingly, but deliberately

Session Agenda

• Part 1 – Craft Lab (Shorts + Docs): 35–40 minutes
• Part 2 – Q&A: 20–30 minutes
• Part 3 – Live Feedback + Discussions: 30–40 minutes

 Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, 30 August 2025
• Time: 6pm IST
• Venue: Zoom
• Speaker: Anadi Athaley (Editor & Producer)

FREE for all Cininfo Community Members

Seats are limited—secure your spot today!

For more information please WhatsApp or call us on +91 9009004762 or DM us on Instagram @cininfo4talent