An operator interface for a video editing system provides a visual sense of the content of video sequences, as well as their length, while also providing enhanced interactive control of locations and time alignments of the video. As the video sequence is processed into the system, a small but representative sample of each frame is saved in a local memory, while the video itself is stored in mass storage. These samples are used to provide a video pictorial timeline of the underlying stored video. The location of an operator's view into the video sequence is controlled by a cursor's movement along a detailed video pictorial timeline, a reverse motion area and a forward motion area to provide VTR control for location changes on the video tape. The cursor's movement can be controlled by a mouse or a knob. Icons, either static or dynamic, are produced within the motion areas to indicate the amount of selected velocity. Timelines can be marked with time marks, roughly aligned and then automatically fine aligned by the system according to their respective time markers. The editing results associated with these timelines are also time aligned as a result of this process.