nonlinear editing

The ability to insert, copy, replace, transform, and delete clips at any time. Nonlinear editing allows experimenting with various sequences and effects, previewing the changes before compiling your final movie, or outputting to videotape.

clip

A reference (pointer) to the source file or files for a movie. A clip can be a portion of a movie (a movie clip), a sampled recording (an audio clip), or a bitmapped image.

Until recent years, video editing was strictly linear; the entire program of video, audio, and special effects segments had to be identified and sequenced in exact order before the final videotape was made. The editing process is nonlinear; one can insert, copy, replace, transform, and delete clips at any time. One can experiment with various sequences and effects, previewing the changes before compiling the final movie or outputting to videotape.