Marker defining the end of a clip in the timeline — together with the In Point, it determines the total duration of the clip used in the edit.
Technical Details
Out points are defined via timecode addresses, typically in the format HH:MM:SS:FF (hours:minutes:seconds:frames). In Avid Media Composer, marking is done using the O key, in Adobe Premiere Pro via Alt+I. At 25fps PAL, one frame corresponds to exactly 40 milliseconds, at 29.97fps NTSC, it is 33.37 milliseconds. Modern NLEs (Non-Linear Editing Systems) store out points as metadata in the project file, referencing the original media file without altering it.
History & Development
In 1971, CMX Systems introduced the CMX 600, the first computer-controlled editing system that precisely managed in and out points via timecode. The Steenbeck editing bench already established mechanical markers for edit points in film material in 1954. With the introduction of digital workstations like Lightworks (1989) and Avid Media Composer (1989), frame-accurate out point setting became standard. Current AI-powered systems like Adobe Sensei have been automatically recognizing meaningful out points through face and object recognition since 2018.
Practical Application in Film
In "Baby Driver" (2017), Edgar Wright sets out points precisely on beats, causing every cut to terminate rhythmically with the music. Thelma Schoonmaker often marks out points in Scorsese films in the middle of movements to create seamless match cuts. In dialogue editing, the out point is frequently set 2-3 frames before the end of a word to preserve natural speech rhythms. In action sequences, out points are often set at peaks of movement to transfer maximum kinetic energy.
Comparison & Alternatives
The out point differs from the tail (clip end) in that unused material after the out point is retained as a handle. Slip edits move in and out points simultaneously, while trim edits adjust only one point. Proxy workflows automatically transfer out point data to high-resolution master files. Modern cloud editors like Frame.io Camera to Cloud synchronize out point markers in real-time between the set and the editing suite, allowing dailies to arrive already pre-edited.