While editors wait for the next big Final Cut Pro X update, I hope the Apple ProApps team will implement some of the ideas in their ‘structure editing’ patent. Here’s my old writeup of the patent they applied for in 2009 on fcp.co:

Most people think that the editor’s job is ‘to cut out the bad bits’ in individual scenes. Many are surprised to discover that editors commonly change and improve storytelling by changing story structure. As many film and TV makers consider that structure is very important when it comes to telling stories, I think it is a good idea for video editing software to recognise story structure.

Structure applies to feature films, TV shows, groups of corporate videos on an intranet, legal video depositions, architects’ video proposals or open-ended weekly web series. The more video applications can have these structures encoded in their projects, the better the tools they’ll be able to provide to a wider range of people all over the world.