---
title: "Assembly Cut"
url: https://postproduction.studio/en/glossary/assembly-cut
language: en
description: "The assembly cut (sometimes called the editor's assembly or first cut) is the earliest version of an edit, where every selected take is placed in roughl..."
updated: 2026-10-25
---

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# Assembly Cut

The assembly cut (sometimes called the editor's assembly or first cut) is the earliest version of an edit, where every selected take is placed in roughly the correct script order without yet shaping rhythm, pacing or narrative tension. It is the foundation upon which every subsequent editorial revision is built. In a typical feature film, the editor begins assembling during production, cutting each scene as dailies arrive — usually a day or two after shooting. The assembly is often two to four times longer than the final film: a 90-minute movie might begin life as a three-hour assembly. At this stage the editor is primarily showing the director what coverage exists and how shots intercut, not making creative arguments for tempo or structure. Once principal photography wraps, the editor and director begin compressing the assembly into a rough cut, then progressively into fine cuts, picture lock and final cut. The assembly is occasionally screened internally for the director and producer (the 'editor's cut'), giving them their first sense of how the material plays. Some directors (Walter Murch has written extensively about this) believe the editor's assembly contains insights about the material that get lost during subsequent compression. Modern NLEs (Avid, Resolve, Premiere) automate assembly to varying degrees via script-sync features that match dialogue lines to takes.

EditingEditor, Assistant EditorOffline Editing

## Related terms

[Rough Cut](https://postproduction.studio/en/glossary/rough-cut)[Final Cut](https://postproduction.studio/en/glossary/final-cut)[Picture Lock](https://postproduction.studio/en/glossary/picture-lock)

Editorial timeline from camera media to picture lock. Typical feature workflow takes 12-24 weeks for the offline phase.