Relationship between cinematography and editing

Hi Roger,

I’m an aspiring cinematographer and I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between cinematography and editing.

On recent short films I’ve noticed that I often have a very specific idea of how a scene should be edited while I’m shooting it. Sometimes a camera move or a composition is designed to land at a particular moment in the cut, rather than simply looking good on its own. If I’m able to explain those intentions during post-production, the result is often close to what I imagined. But when I’m not involved, the edit can feel quite different from what I had envisioned. I suppose it’s all communication, but it can be hard at times in the stress of shooting.

This has made me wonder how you approach this on your films.

Do you usually discuss the intended editing rhythm and purpose of specific shots with the director before or during production, and then trust the editor and director to carry that through? Or do you sometimes become involved in the edit if you feel that the visual language depends on very specific editorial choices?

I’m especially curious because your films always feel so deliberate, as if every shot was designed with the cut already in mind.

Thank you for all the knowledge you share through the forum and podcast.