Definition
What is a bin in video editing?
A bin in video editing is an organizational container, similar to a folder, that groups project items such as clips, sequences, audio, still images, and graphics. The name comes from physical film editing, when strips of film and alternate takes were sorted into bins or hung in cloth-lined film bins beside the editing bench.
Before nonlinear editing software, editors and assistants handled physical strips of film. Selected shots and alternate pieces needed to remain separated, labeled, and close at hand, so they were placed in compartments or hung over bars in film bins. Digital editing systems retained the familiar production term even though a modern bin is an item inside a project rather than a physical container.
Editors commonly create bins for interviews, B-roll, scenes, camera days, music, sound effects, graphics, selects, and sequences. Bins can often contain other bins, allowing a large project to mirror the production’s structure. Organizing an item into a project bin normally changes only its organization inside the editing application; it does not move the source file on the computer’s drive.
Example in the edit
An assistant editor creates separate bins for each interview subject, B-roll by location, licensed music, graphics, and current sequences so the team can find the right asset without searching through one long project list.
Why editors use it
Clear bin organization makes large edits faster to navigate, reduces mistakes, and helps editors hand projects to collaborators without relying on personal memory or unexplained naming conventions.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Bin
Why is it called a bin in video editing?
The term comes from physical film editing. Editors and assistants organized strips of film and alternate takes in compartmented or cloth-lined film bins near the editing bench, and nonlinear editing software kept the name.
What is the difference between a bin and a computer folder?
A bin organizes project items inside editing software, while a computer folder organizes the actual files on a storage device. Moving an item between bins usually does not move its source file on disk.
Can a bin contain sequences and other bins?
In most professional editing applications, yes. Bins can commonly hold clips, audio, graphics, sequences, and nested bins, although the exact features vary by software.