Editing
Spielberg's "Duel"
Progressive speed in
editing, things getting tighter= speedometer becomes more focused in on
Uses the sound of
the cars, until last sequence music comes in
- Editing
- Continuity editing
- Montage theory
- Continuity- story
- Continuity- drama
- POV
- Match-on-action
- Cross cut
Editing= art of
joining separate shots together to create longer sequences that make up the
complete story of the film/show
It is the only
process that is unique to filmmaking…referred to as the invisible art= when
done well it can be so immersive the viewer doesn't notice it
Telling audience how
you want them to view your material
Not just about
joining shots, about creating emotion, drama, rhythm and action through a
combination of shots…STORY TELLING
1st film to use
editing as a story telling device= "Great Train Robbery". Language of
editing has developed and refined over the years, essentially it still holds
true to The Great Train Robbery. What
has changed is the tech.
Up until early '00s
all films were edited together using a steenbeck, splicing the film together
with cellotape.
Though there are
exceptions, if you look at films from before the 1990's, there is always a lot
less cutting in them.
Physical diff had an
impact on storytelling, films were slower in pace.
Linear video editing
Most basic kind of
editing, only allowing you to place one shot after another in order. Cannot
move shots about and start again without restarting. It developed further where
you could have a bank of machines with source material, allowing faster access shots
and allowing for mixes and dissolves. Development sat alongside MTV and the
ever increasing demand for fast cuts, it found its way into film and tv.
Dig non-linear
Advent of dig tech
brought true non-linear editing, combined freedom of film editing and speed of
video editing. Can move shots where you wanted, keeping in sync and making a
cut in a fraction of the time before.
Premier to avid=good
Continuity editing
Predominant form of
editing style in narrative is ref as continuity editing.
Alternatives
French New Wave,
often jump cutting
Continuity editing-
story
First layer of con
editing is creating the continuous story. This doesn't mean you have to include
all the bits of the story just the right ones.
Cutting out material
you have shot is the hardest thing to do. However it's crucial for good story
telling to only leave the elements that propel your story that add to it.
Simple rule of less is more applies all the way through the editing process.
Continuity editing:
drama
Most creative layer
of editing is creating the drama of a scene through pacing, rhythm and emotion.
The main thrust of pace is created through how quick or slow you cut from one
shot to the nest. Doesn't just mean fast cutting, getting pacing right is key
to creating a good feel. Too quick pace= audience left behind, too slow paced= audience looses interest
Pacing, rhythm,
emotion
Two people talking-
obvious choice is to cut away to person back and forth. What if you hold the
listener, suddenly you change the pacing and the emotion.
Pacing
Ordinarily, a scene
starts wide and slow, and then gets closer and quicker. A slow stilted
conversation becomes more free and flowing and ends abruptly. What if you start
with a BANG and end slowly? This can still work if pacing is right. Always cut
for a reason, never to just cut. It must ADD to the scene.
SOPRANOS
Emotions
Creating real drama
in a scene is a cornerstone of great editing and the hardest to pull off. General rule: emotional= long shots, action=
cut quick, scene of tension is created by moments holding shots and then cutting
quickly timing is key.
ATONMENT
POV
Where you position
your characters in a scene is crucial in editing, someone could be doing all
the talking but if you focus on someone else in the scene who isn't talking,
where does the power shift to?
SHANE
Match-on-action
Match-on-action is a
very useful creative tool in editing allowing for dramatic and artful shifts in
time and spatial narrative. Essentially the idea is to match one action, with a
similar action in the next shot.
SPACE ODDESSY DAWN
OF MAN
Cross-cutting
Cross cutting is an
editing tool that can create great suspenseful action pieces. Essentially it's
the cutting between two or more scenes that are occurring at the same time in
the story. This allows the editor to open the story out onto many levels-unique
to cinema. Can create moments of sadness and irony etc.
GODFATHER 1972
Montage
Different to Russian
theory, a montage is a collection of shots often to cut to music. Time moves
on.
Fade/dissolve
Fade is one of the
oldest tools in creative editing, originally used at the end of each act (like
a curtain coming down).
Dissolve is the
merging of two shots usually to show time passing, done well can be very
effective.
Editing stages
Log: log and arrange
your rushes, so you know where they are and what shot they are.
Assembly cut: all
the scenes(just one shot each), assembled in the right order. Usually 4 times
longer than the finished film.
Rough cut: Cut into
the assembly, adding in shots to the scenes, cutting and removing often 2 times
longer the final
Fine cut: Cutting
into scenes and creating drama
Final cut: all done
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