“Editing is the process of splicing one shot to another; synonymous with cutting.
A shot is the basic element of filmmaking—a piece of film run through the camera, exposed, and developed; an uninterrupted run of the camera; or an uninterrupted image on film.
A sequence is simply a series of interrelated shots that form a coherent unit of dramatic action
[Sequences are created by linking] individual shots to one another in a process called editing, or cutting. These links are broadly called transitions. The simplest transition is the cut. A director films a shot, the basic unit of filmmaking, and has it developed. She films another shot and has it developed as well. She trims each shot down to the length she wants, and she attaches the two strips of film together with a piece of tape. That’s it: she has cut from one shot to another. In this example, the filmmaker is using celluloid. She can create the same effect electronically with two shots taken in video, though in that case, of course, she has no need for tape. Bear in mind that editing is a human activity. Unlike the camera’s mechanical recording of images, editing is quite specifically a matter of active decision-making—the product of human choice. So when describing editing, it makes no sense to say or write “the camera cuts.” Cameras can only record; directors and editors cut.”
—Film studies: An introduction by Ed Sikov.
