What is a cutting ratio in film editing?

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Director Sir David Lean sits atop a ladder beside a film camera, surrounded by crew and equipment on the set of Doctor Zhivago (1965) under a blue sky. — film David Lean (sitting atop a ladder) during the filming of *Doctor Zhivago* (1965).

In the context of film editing, the cutting ratio refers to the proportion of total film footage shot compared to the amount of footage that is actually included in the final, edited motion picture.1

This ratio varies significantly depending on the director's approach; some may shoot as little as three times the amount of film required for the final cut, while others may shoot ten times that amount or more. The process of editing involves selecting from these rushes to create an artistically concise and complete film, and the cutting ratio serves as a measure of the volume of material generated during production relative to the final product.1