Film and video editing techniques

1. +
Film and Video Editing
Techniques
YOUR NAME

2. + Provide a simple definition of what film editing is
• Film editing is when shots are put together to make a sequence
of shots in a order to either visually please a audience or to tell
a story. It can include cutting out clips that aren't wanted,
putting different clips together or editing clips to a beat of a
track or to dialogue.

3. + Can you list some examples of early film editing? Think
about the different ways that film makers could combine
shots using the technology of the time. Include
weblinks/images where necessary
• The Lumiere Brother believed that by changing the
position of the shot of having multiple shot the
viewer would become confused and wouldn't’t
understand what was happening in the film. Instead
they would do one long continuous shot where the
camera wouldn’t move. This is seen in ‘Train
arriving at the station’.
• George Melies experimented with film like nobody
previously had done. He realised that by stopping a
shot with one thing and starting a new shot with
something different it looked like the scene had
progressed. In his film ‘The Haunted Castle’ which
was created in 1896 he has a puppet bat flying
around a room in his first shot, he then stops the
shot and begins his new shot with with the bat
turning into a human size bat. All he did was end
one shot with one thing and begin the next shot
with something different. This is still done today in
modern films however, it is done more technically
and looks more polished. This is seen in ‘The Santa
Claus’ where his beard changes. This is done in
multiple shots.
• Edwin Porter would film his shots on negative film
and then would cut the filming and move the
camera to a different place/ position and bringing
filming again.

4. + Describe the concept of ‘montage’ and juxtaposition
[remember Eisenstein and Kuleshov] and give an
example
A montage is multiple clips put together to create a sequence of clips put together that don’t
necessarily go together but when they are put together it allows the audience to see the same
event from multiple angles.
Eitnstein experimented with montage and made it more acceptable in the film industry. He
would create films that had a montage of clips that didn’t always go together creating
juxtaposition, this allowed the viewer to come to there own conclusion about what was
happening in the film. He created a film called ‘Battleship Potemkin’. In the film he uses
multiple shots to create juxtaposition and uses harsh cuts to make the viewer feel anxious and
intimated. The clips include the soldiers walking down the stairs in formation while people run
down the stairs in panic and in no order. This shows, what could be two different places/ times
however, as they are put together (juxtaposition) it tells you the story that the people are
running from the soldiers and that they are scared. The scene also shows a mother cradling
her child that has been trampled and a baby in a push chair rolling down a stairs caught in the
collision. This again juxtapositions the calmness and order of the clips of the soldiers walking
down the hill. By putting this montage together it shows that clips that have no relevance can
be sliced together in no order yet still tell the audience a story and let the mind give them a
conclusion on how the story will end.
Kuleshov was the first person to put the theory of montage to the test and did experiments to
see what different clips/images put together made the audience feel, this was known as The
Kuleshov effect aka juxtaposition. He showed a group of people three sets of images, they all
used the same first image of a man with the same expression while the second image would
change each time. The first showed a child in a coffin which showed sadness. The second one
showed a bowel which the audience inferred as hunger. The third was of a women laying on a
sofa which showed lust. They all juxtaposition the first image and lead the viewer to different
interpretation of the man. The experiment showed how montages can influence the viewer
greatly on the conclusions that they can make.

5. +
List the types of cut/edit you
can use and provide an
example of each on in use
• Cuts- These are used to progress the scene. They
can be used to move to a new location or to show
the same place at the same time but from a
different angle. An example of this would be in the
movie ‘Legends’ in the scene where Frances is
being proposed too. We see the scene from her
view and Reggies view. This is effective as it
means that the viewer can see things from multiple
angles and feel more involved in the scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxUh8zdgPeM
• Wipes- They are usually used to change one
scene from another. Often used to change
location, in Star Wars they often use it. The wipe
can be from any direction and go anywhere of the
screen. In the clip to the right it is a diagonal wipe
from the right corner to make it look like it is
traveling the same direction are the ship

6. +
List the types of cut/edit you
can use and provide an
example of each on in use
• Fade outs/ Fade outs- Often used to introduce a
new character or location in a less harsh way
than a cut or wipe. When fade outs are used it is
a simple way to end a scene.
• Dissolve- This is when one shot blends into
another and for a split second they are both on
screen. This is often used to show time passing
by.

7. + Below, list the four relationships between shots
• Editing and Graphic Relationships [PICTURE]
• Editing and Rhythmic Relationships [RHYTHM]
• Editing and Temporal Relationships [TIME]
• Editing and Spatial Relationships [SPACE]

8. + For GRAPHIC relationships provide a description and examples of it’s
usage [with a weblink to a sequence on YouTube and still frames where
necessary – you may add more slides if you need to]
Graphic relationships allow one shot to
progress to anther without the viewer often
even realising. One shot progresses to
another to progress the scene and to often
show time passing. More often than not they
usually juxtaposition each other and would not
normally be seen together. An example of
where this is seen is in Hitchcock’s Physco.
During the shower murder scene the camera
pans down towards to the drain and zooms
right in. The shot then changes to the murder
victims eye and begins to pan out so we see
her face. This is done to show time passing
and that she has not moved, this shows that
she is dead.

9. + For RYTHMIC relationships provide a description and examples of it’s
usage [with a weblink to a sequence on YouTube and still frames where
necessary – you may add more slides if you need to]
Rhythmic editing is when the shot/ style of
editing changes depending on the beat and
rhythm of the song that is being played or by
the tempo that the narrative is said. In most
cases it is edited to the beat of the music and
the narrative becomes limited and the songs
becomes more dominant. The song that is
chosen usually demonstrates the rhythm of the
film/scene and indicates what is going to
happen depending on how fast or slow it is. In
the film Bananas the music has a slower
tempo when the robbers are not doing
anything however, when they start to get more
abusive the tempo increases so show the
scene reaching its climax. The music's tempo
increases to make the viewer feel more on
edge and to show how intense the situation is.

10. + For TEMPORAL relationships provide a description and examples of it’s
usage [with a weblink to a sequence on YouTube and still frames where
necessary – you may add more slides if you need to]
Temporal editing is when the footage is
edited to show time. It can show time in the
future (flash forwards) or the past (flash
backs) to show how events have occurred
and what will happen quickly rather than
having to have more scenes to explain
events which will waste more time.
This style of editing is also used to show time
passing. In the example opposite from the
film Hot Fuzz, it shows all the key places in
the film and all the relevant details to show
that he is travelling to a isolated town
however it only lasts 30 seconds to keep it
concise and the viewer doe not get bored.

11. + Define the ‘Hollywood method’ of continuity editing and why it
became so prevalent…
The Hollywood method is also known as continuity editing and
become well known is the 1930’s/40’s. It made sure that from
every shot to shot there a smooth flow and that in each shot there
was spatial awareness and space. This is looked at In three
ways:
 180 degree lines
 POV and identification
 Ross cutting

12. + Provide a description of a scene where the 180 degree line has
been used, how does it provide spatial continuity/discontinuity?
The space within a scene is made on the
180 line. All the acting is done behind a
180 degree line that the camera man
cannot cross over. This adds continuity to
a scene and breaks it down so we can
see everyone/everything that is in the
scene. This is seen in the film ‘That’s my
boy’ where the two men are arguing. We
see both the men in different shots but in
the same room. Although they move
around the room the camera does not
cross line ‘line’ and continuity is kept
throughout the scene.

13. + POV and identification – explain how we are invited to identify
with a character through POV and shot reverse shot
POV (point of view) is when we see a shot
of the character then of what they are
looking at and then often back at there
character. Directors often then go back to
looking at the character to let the viewer
identify with the character and make them
feel involved in the story. In the film Spider
man Norma is visited by a guest (revealed
to be himself later on in the scene). We see
many shots where we see him then what he
is looking at then back to a shot looking at
him. This puts the view on edge and makes
them feel they are a outsider looking in but
also, somehow, involved.

14. + Provide a definition of cross-cutting/parallel editing, what is so
effective about this technique? Where might a director use it?
Cross cutting, also known as parallel editing, is
when the shots swaps from one location to
another, it can often cut to multiple locations. By
doing this it makes the scene powerful and
dramatic as often you don’t know where you are
or what is going on so it is used to build up
tension. This is seen in the top clip from
Inception. They have two locations one of a man
and another of a car chase. They both flit
between each other making you interested in
each location and building up tension as it goes
on. It can also be used to tell two stories at once
to make the movie shorter4 and to keep thing
concise. In the film Edward scissor hands the
old one is recalling events from when she was
younger while we watch them. This is to give the
viewer something visual to go along side the
audio

15. + What is Ellipsis? Select an example and explain how it
works…
Ellipsis is when a plot is shortened to leave
gaps in the narrative. It can be done to cut
out irrelevant parts of the plot or to make
something more mysterious. It is done by
adding transitions within a scene to make a
gap/ period of time disappear from a
narrative. In the film Casino Royal the scene
moves from shot to shot of him arriving at the
place and then travelling. This cuts out any
irrelevant shots and just shows the important
parts of the scene. By doing this the viewer
does not get bored and learns that there is
going to be a important moment that the
director is almost rushing up to.

16. + What is meant by the term ‘intensified continuity’? Why do you
think continuity editing has developed in this way? 33
The basic description of intensified continuity is
that over time the amount of shots used in film
has increased. In the 1930’s-60’s most films
hade at least 300-500 shots however, over the
years the cutting pace has increased
dramatically. Modern features mean that there
can easily be over 2000 shots due to technical
advances in technology and the way people view
things.
Comparing one film to a newer film. The older
film is made in the 30’s and is 4 minutes and 40
seconds. The clips only has 23 shots in it due to
a limit in openness of the audience and
technology. In the film Fifty shades of Grey there
is a scene that is 3minutes and 40 seconds and
has 33 shots in it. This tells us that modern day
filming is is done from many perspective to make
the viewer more gripped to the scene and to
keep them interested.

17. +
Your Case Study

18. +
Matilda- ‘They called her Matilda’
scene
Cuts in the scene
At the beginning of this scene it shows Matilda
growing up from a baby to a toddler in less than a
second through a dissolve transition. The shot of
her as a baby changes to a shot of as a toddler sat
n the same place. This makes it seem seamless
and makes the time pass faster cutting out any
irrelevant moments in her life.
They also use basic shot changes such as the
basic cut. This is done when it pans down to her
shoes the shot then changes to her dressed and
ready with her iconic bow in her hair.
Montage
Montage is used when she is baking her
pancakes. It cuts to the beat of the music showing
different stages of her making the pancakes and
the enjoyment on her face as she makes them.

19. +
Matilda- ‘They called her Matilda’
scene
Editing and Graphic Relationships [PICTURE]
This editing technique is used when the camera pans down and the shot then
changes to a different angle of her shoes in the same moment just further down
the line when she is more dressed.
Editing and Rhythmic Relationships [RHYTHM]
Within the scene the editing is done to the bet of the music when she is making
the pancakes. Every time there is a strong beat change or a certain note is hit
the shot changes to either her face or her making the pancakes.
Editing and Temporal Relationships [TIME]
Time is shown when the shot of her as a baby dissolves into a shot of her as a
toddler sat in the same place. This was done to make the story shorter and to
show that the child is still neglected without showing each individual event.
Editing and Spatial Relationships [SPACE]
The shots point of view change throughout the scene, at the beginning we are
watching Matilda as a viewer and we are seeing things from an outsiders
perspective, however when she begins to make her pancakes the shots then
change. The camera angle changes from looking at Matilda and then looking at
what she see’ (the cooking process). This is done to make you identify with her
and experience what she is whilst also seeing the happiness that is brought to
her by cooking.

20. +
Matilda- ‘They called her Matilda’
scene
Editing and Spatial Relationships [SPACE]
The shots point of view change throughout the scene, at
the beginning we are watching Matilda as a viewer and
we are seeing things from an outsiders perspective,
however when she begins to make her pancakes the
shots then change. The camera angle changes from
looking at Matilda and then looking at what she see’ (the
cooking process). This is done to make you identify with
her and experience what she is whilst also seeing the
happiness that is brought to her by cooking.
Ellipsis is used in the scene to cut out irrelevant parts of
the story that the viewer doesn’t need to see. We do not
see Matilda grow up very much nor do we see what she
does during the day however, from the story telling over
the top of the montage of clips we learn a lot about her
and the family lifestyle.
The continuity of the scene is fast due to the beat of the
music that the fast cut montage is edited too, this makes
it have a lot of shots and a wide variety.