In filmmaking, external rhythm (also referred to as cutting rhythm) is established by the duration of the shots that make up a scene

Scene (film)

In TV and movies, a scene is generally thought of as the action in a single location and continuous time. Due to the ability to edit recorded visual works, it is typically much shorter than a stage play scene....

. Lengthening or shortening the duration of the shots establishes a rhythmic pattern that can complement or contrast with the internal rhythm

Internal rhythm

In filmmaking, internal rhythm is created by whatever appears or occurs within the shot of a moving picture. It can change within a scene and from scene to scene...

 and content of a scene or sequence.

The kinds of transitions (e.g., cut

Cut (filmmaking)

In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a cut is an abrupt, but usually trivial film transition from one sequence to another. It is synonymous with the term edit, though "edit" can imply any number of transitions or effects. The cut, dissolve and wipe serve as the three...

, fade, dissolve

Dissolve (filmmaking)

In the post-production process of film editing and video editing, a dissolve is a gradual transition from one image to another. The terms fade-out and fade-in and are used to describe a transition to and from a blank image. This is in contrast to a cut where there is no such transition. A dissolve...

, wipe) used from shot to shot or from scene to scene also affect the nature of the cutting rhythm.