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Use a J cut when the next voice or sound should arrive before its picture. Use an L cut when the current voice should continue over the next picture. In an interview, choose the overlap based on what the audience needs to hear or see first. Set the timing by listening to the phrase and watching the action.
Keep the picture cut and the audio cut separate
Adobe describes J and L cuts as split edits: the sound and picture change at different times. Start with the simplest version of your interview edit, with the dialogue synchronized to the person speaking. Find a transition where showing the speaker all the way through leaves you without a useful view of the subject. On a duplicate timeline, mark the beginning and end of the relevant phrase and the action you want to show. Keep those points visible as you move the picture cut or extend an audio clip independently.
Start the next voice with a J cut
Imagine opening on a printmaker’s workshop window and then cutting to the seated printmaker, who says, “The first impression tells me where the pressure is uneven.” Bring the beginning of that sentence forward over the window shot. Reveal the printmaker while they are still speaking, with their lips in sync once they appear. If you already have their line in sync, try extending the window picture over the beginning rather than sliding the voice out of sync. The cue for the reveal is the first natural beat after the audience recognizes a new speaker. If a viewer might mistake the voice for the previous speaker, shorten the lead or introduce the printmaker on screen sooner.
Carry the explanation into B-roll with an L cut
Later, the printmaker says, “Watch the corner as I lift the sheet.” Cut to the hands just before the paper starts to lift, while the same voice continues. Keep the audio that belongs to the interview on its own track and bring up any original paper sound only if it helps the moment. The new image should show the corner by the time it is mentioned or make the reveal easy to follow. If the only insert you have shows a different part of the print, hold the speaker longer or find a more relevant view.