How do I know if a scene is working or I'm too close after editing?

[Sophia_L]

I’ve been editing my short film for months now, but I keep hitting this wall where I can’t tell if a scene is genuinely working or if I’m just too close to it. I’ll watch the same rough cut a dozen times and my opinion changes every time. Does anyone else just lose all objective sense after staring at the timeline for too long?

[Eric.M]

Yeah I know that trap The loop on the timeline makes the same moment feel different every time and your taste keeps shifting

[LukeC]

Distance helps I try watching with the sound off and noting pacing Then I leave the cut for a few days before revisiting What changes when I return?

[John.S]

I wonder if the problem is not the timeline but the pressure to land a perfect moment right away Maybe small tweaks will never feel dramatic enough

[FrankS]

Maybe the moment is doing what it should and your mind is asking for a stronger through line Instead of fixing the scene you could adjust how it sits in the arc

[MiaCT]

Try swapping the scene with a different shot length or tempo and see if the idea survives in memory The timeline is just a tool

[LaylaC]

Sometimes the concept behind the scene is a label more than a feeling you need to resolve It might be worth letting the audience fill the gap and see where the timeline takes them