Nestled away in my Instagram “Saved” lies a private folder entitled “CINEMA.” Inside, it holds 317—and counting—of my most beloved edits. Like my very own digital museum, I browse through these cinematic masterpieces, and I am surrounded by warmth and embraced in familiarity.
For me, it’s become instinctual. Having just finished a movie or the season finale of a show, I feel an appetite for more. So, I lunge to Instagram to scour for edits, where there are plenty to satiate my craving.
More sophisticated edits follow a three-act structure, compounded with transitions, overlayed audio, and graphics. These edits can be so detailed and complex that they possess an Oscar-like quality.
One edit I often catch myself replaying is the WandaVision edit by @limunaery on Instagram. The sheer effort and talent never cease to make my jaw drop.
It has it all: a unique concept, a hook, an introduction, and a conclusion. The narrative is further driven through a mystical song choice, creative transitions and intricate graphics.
Vera is an editor who goes by @daydreamedfilm on Instagram, she has been editing since 2020 and has 95.7K followers. For her, creating “full-movie edits” can sometimes take as long as six hours.
Other edits are simple and compact. For example, fan-cams have grown in popularity. They feature roughly two-second clips in rapid succession of a character, fandom or concept. In comparison, Vera says fan-cams take her a maximum of two hours to edit.
Yet, its ability to establish a story or stir emotions remains intact, and it does so with such succinctness. And that’s kind of the point.
After the credits roll in and we close our laptops, switch off the TV or leave the theatre; a few days pass by and we often lose the spark we initially felt. Edits allow us to rekindle those intense feelings we once experienced and preserve them as digital keepsakes.
Edits possess magical qualities, emerging from their ability to appeal to our emotions and elicit strong reactions. As a result, they further entrench our love for a movie or series. Not only do they encourage us to consider newfound perspectives, but they also deepen our understanding.
Sometimes films or TV shows leave us feeling unfulfilled, full of questions and uncertainties. There are also several facets to a series or even a singular character. Edits provide a space to explore and analyze these infinite nuances.
For instance, different edits can present multiple sides or shades to a character, prompting us to reconsider or recontextualize motives and actions. Likewise, films do not have the time capacity to delve into niche moments or plot points. Edits hone in on and magnify them: unveiling areas we overlooked or expanding on what we know.
It’s not just movies themselves that carry meaning; it’s the way meaning is reconstructed and reframed through these edits. If you will, edits are similar to appetizers or desserts. They can guide the ways we watch a film or have the opposite effect. They can be viewed afterwards to solidify our pleasure. This dual modality—providing clarity or revealing a new layer—is what makes edits an art form.
And when you randomly find that perfect edit, it’s like finding a piece of the puzzle that you never even knew was missing.
Rayane is an editor who goes by @thefairydreamer on Instagram. She has been editing since 2020, and has used it as a form of “art and expression.” Rayane says edits have become so popular because of how deeply they impact us.
“It’s magical to be able to convey an emotion in people through the edits, life turns out to be more tolerable and beautiful somehow.”
My current fav edit:
Each saved edit of mine holds a special place in my heart, giving me the grace to immerse myself back into a feeling or headspace. I find myself relating and reflecting it back to my experiences, challenging me to view things differently. With that said, there is no way to really convey how powerful edits can be without just showing you. So, here is a sneak peek into my digital museum.
Arcane, KPop Demon Hunters, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse by @animatography on Instagram
Featuring some of my favourite animated characters ever—I adore how @animatography was able to find a common thread and weave their hurt and suffering into a tapestry of relatability. You are never alone.
Five Honourable mentions:
1. The Last of Us by @bloodyjoel on Instagram
Transitioning from Joel embracing Sarah to Ellie, perfectly encapsulates what Ellie was to Joel: a second chance. A second chance to love, until the very end. That was his legacy. Joel did save the world; he saved his world.
2. Succession by @gemhazard on Instagram
For a show in which characters mask emotions with clever jokes and wear inauthenticity with pride, this edit gets to the crux of Succession.
@gemhazard uncovers hidden layers through guided wording, which rework new meanings into scenes and, specifically here, reveal Roman Roy’s true colours—he is just a scared little boy who has only ever wanted love.
3. Combination edit by @thefairydreamer on Instagram
Truly one of the most fascinating and paradoxical familial dynamics to explore, @thefairydreamer hit the nail on the head, capturing the complexity of the mother-daughter relationship.
They each mirror versions of one another they despise, yet also find beautiful. Like a magnet: they both attract and repel one another.
4. The Bear @kibsinsync on Instagram
The song choice, paired with the scrapbook-like editing, not only makes this such a cozy edit, but captures the chemistry between Carmen and Sydney so lovingly—it’s like sunshine in an edit.
5. Marvel cinematic universe @heslocked on Instagram
And just like that—everything they fought for, the sacrifices made, their legacy, who they loved, and lost—reduced to that of a paperweight. Like a ripple in the water, it barely mattered. But of course, we know it did. And thus the paperweight holds more stories, meanings and histories than will ever be known.
find your edit ♥︎
That moment when the music coalesces so perfectly with a sequence or transition that it stays in your mind for days is unparalleled.
“I think everyone has a song or movie that they relate to at some point, and when they watch edits, it might remind them of a moment or a person,” Vera said.
Know that for every film, novel, or TV show, carefully tucked away in a sea of masterful edits on Instagram, X (Twitter), or TikTok, is that one edit that can pull you right into that moment where you fell in love with it all. And within seconds, a kaleidoscope of memories flickers back. The bliss, awe, and agony—all at once.
It’s your safe haven, a forever reminder, protected in your Instagram folder or elsewhere, that you can refer back to whenever you’re amiss, housing every delicate memory.
A mosaic of music, scene selection, and intent—gift wrapped all together to form a pocket of love.
Lest you leave having the wrong idea—a great edit does not require fancy editing or complex elements—though, that is always a plus—all that counts is that it makes you feel.