This document discusses editing techniques used in media to achieve specific effects. It begins by distinguishing between continuity and non-continuity editing. Continuity editing follows chronological order while non-continuity editing distorts timeline for narrative purposes. Two examples are then analyzed: a scene from Now You See Me 2 uses flashbacks and cutaways to withhold information and increase shock value. A scene from Ant-Man uses fast pacing and montage during a character's confusing storytelling to create comedy. The document concludes editing techniques like pacing, sound, and continuity are key to conveying emotion or reactions in audiences.

1. Exploration of Editing Techniques
Withthe visual mediasectorexpandingcontinuouslywithinthe modernpublicanditschoice of
entertainment,the creatorsbehindthe mostacclaimedandpopularprojectscontinuetofindnew
waysof conveyingemotionas well astheirownvisiontotheiraudiences,one of these waysbeing
througha creative use of editing. The purpose of thisreportisto demonstrate some of the
techniquesusedinarange of mediaproductsto achieve aspecificdesiredeffect,aswell astotake a
deeperdive anddetermine howeffectivethesetechniquesmaybe whenusedincertainwaysunder
certaincircumstances.
ContinuityVS Non-continuityEditing
To understandthese creative choiceswithinsuchprojectshowever,itisimportanttofirst
understandthe ideaof continuityandnon-continuityediting.Toputit simply,continuityediting
allowsfora sequence toflowinitsoriginal chronological order,whilenon-continuityediting
establishesalackof chronological logicandinsteadmay forexampleorderthe clipsinfavourof
narrative importance orto showthe audience selectivepiecesof information.
Continuityeditingallowsthe scene toprogressnaturally,inchronological orderof the eventstaking
place om-screenandallowingthe audience the opportunitytoeasilyfollow whatisgoingonina
givenscene.Howeveritdoesnotnecessarilylimitaneditor’screative freedomwhenputtinga
continuity-basedsequence togetherasthingslike pacingandsound-mixingalwayscome intoplay
duringediting,allowingthe editorsmultiple choicesinhow theychoose toconveycertainemotions
as well asthe effectthe editingwill have onthe audience andhow theymayfeel aboutacertain
character or situationasa resultof how a scene isput together.
Non-continuityeditingallowsthe editortotell astoryusinga loosertimeline,frequentlyusingthings
like flashbacksandcut-awaystodistortthe audience’sviewpointonthingsaswell astoagain convey
certainthoughtsandfeelingsthatthe editorwantsthe audience tofeelinagivensituation. Non-
continuityeditingallowsthe editortomesmerise andconfuse the audienceinaway,possibly
allowingforplottwistsandothersuddenchangesandsurprisestotake place asa resultof the use
of thistype of editing,addingmore interestinglayerstothe narrative of a film.
Nowthat I have delveddeeperintothe differenttypesof editingthatallow aneditortocrafta film
intheirownvisionandtriggerthe desiredreactionsfromthe audience,itwouldalsobe beneficial to
analyse afewexamplesof these techniquesinuse on-screen.Iwill be analysingdifferenttypesof
editingtechniquesaswell asexplainingwhyandhow theyare usedinan efforttoachieve desired
reactionsfromtheirrespectiveaudiences,aswell asconsideringhow effectivethese clipsare in
makingthe viewerfeelthisway.
Non-continuityEditing- “NowYouSee Me 2” (2016)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KoGhzJ8pVw
Beinga sequel tothe criticallyandpubliclyacclaimedfirstfilm, “Now YouSee Me 2” hada large
amountof expectationsotliveuptowhenitcame to shockingthe audience withitstwists,whichis
whatthe firstfilmbecame popularfor.Thispiece of fictioncentredaroundfourillusionists
performingimpossible magictrickstoescape authoritiesandexposecriminals,all while keeping
theirtrickscompletelysecretuntil the verylastminute whenall isdone anditistoo late to change
the resultsthattheyhave yielded.

2. Thisis where the editingof thismoviecomesintoplay,asnon-continuityeditingisoftenusedto
withholdinformationfromthe audience inordertoincrease the shockvalue once the secrettothe
trick isrevealedaswell astokeepthe viewerswatchingwhentheyare notcompletelyaware of
whatis goingon as theyeagerlyawaittofindout.
The particularclipthat I have linkedabove isone of the final scenesinthe movie,whichexplainsto
the audience (whofind outthroughthe use of certaincharactersusedas audience lensestofindout
at the same time asthem) the final andmostcomplex trickthat isperformedbythe quartetof
illusionistsinthe entire film.Withintisexample canbe seenagood example of the use of manycut-
awaysas well asflashbacks,howeverthere isanotable qualityaboutthese clipsfeaturedwithinthis
sequence.The clipsthatare cut awayto feature more footage thanthe initial scene didwhenthe
audience firstexperiencedit.This scene wouldoccur,more eventswouldtake place afterit,and
thenthe scene wouldbe referencedagain,thistime showingtothe audience whathappenedafter
the initial cutto the nextscene whenthe sequence wasseenearlieronIthe film. Thisnotonly
incorporatesnon-continuityeditingintothissequence,butalsoallows the editorstowithholdvital
informationfromthe audiencethatpreventthemfromhavingacomplete understandingof the
eventsthatare takingplace on-screen,allowingthisfootagetobe usedlateronwithinthe filmto
reveal tothe viewerthe full truth,addingweighttopasteventsandfurtherengagingtheirinterest
inthe film’splot.
I believethatthe technique usedwithinthissequence isusedextremelyeffectively,asnot onlydoes
it allowthe twistendingof the filmtobe thatmuch more important,butitalso allowsthe editor
more freedomwhenchoosingwhentocutaway froma clipto anotherflashbacketc.Inone instance
the cut-awaymay feature dialogueexplainingwhatisgoingonin the scene shown,andinanother
cut-awayonlythe diegeticsoundmaybe heard,allowingforthe viewertofigure outthe eventsfor
themselveswhichaddsvarietytothe overall sequence,allowingitnottobecome toorepetitivetoo
quickly andfurtherengagingthe viewer’sinteresttowatchon.

3. Montage – “Ant-man” (2015)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_PmY8prw7M
Fittingneatlyintothe sci-fi superherogenre field, “Ant-man”decidedtotake amore comedic
approach to the storyit wastelling,allowingthisfilmtoalsowidelybe consideredacomedy
alongside itssuperheroshadow.The filmbecame popularnotonlypopularthroughthisunique
blendof genres,butalsothroughitsuse of characters,mostnotablyLuis,whoaudiencesquickly
became fondof due to hisunique wayof tellingastory.
The clipI linkedabove displaysbotheffective usesof pacinganda montage,the firstof whichbeing
pacing.WhenLuisbeginstospeakto tell hisstory,the audience isimmediatelymetwiththe
beginningof aLatino-esquemusictrackto accompanyhisquickuse of words.Once he beginsto
formhis full sentence,the audience ismetwithawhippantransitioncut-awaytothe objector
personthat he istalkingabout.Ashisstory progresses,the audience istakenfromone subjectto
anotherand thento yetanotheras the storybecomesmore side-trackedandbeginstosteeroff-
track in hiswording. Thisiswhere the pacingof thisparticularsequence comesintoplay.Itbecomes
fasterand fasteras Luiscontinuestotalk,andas his storytellingbecomeslessfocusedthe cut-aways
linkingtohiswordsdothe same,confusingthe audience alongwiththe personLuisistalkingtoon-
screen,until the audience ismetwithnon-stopwhip-pantransitionsbetweencut-awaysasLuis
speaksina more confusingmannerashe getscloserto finishingthe story.Once Luisstopsspeaking
and the cut-awaystransitionbacktothe presentcontinuity, the pace isbroughttoa complete halt
as one of the othercharacters on-screenexplainseverythingLuisjustsaidinone sentence,
renderingthe whole pastsequence almostcompletelypointlessandaddingtoitscomediceffectfor
the audience.
Once this sequence isfinishedandthe maincharacteragreestoget involvedinthe jobLuis
proposed,the audience ismetwithasimple montage showcasingthe team’spreparationsforthe
heist.Thisincludesjumpingbetweenlocationsandtimesof day,incorporatingnon-continuity
editingasthe situationsappeartodiffervastlywhilststill tellingacohesive storytothe viewerinan
efforttoshowcase the preparationsforthe heist,whichisasequence executedsuccessfully.

4. In the end,the editingusedinthis filmismostoftentryingtoachieve acomediceffectforthe
audience,andIbelievethatthisisdone successfullynotonlybecause of how the filmiswrittenbut
mainlythroughthe editor’suse of varyingpacingduringediting,whichisanimportantfactorinany
movie whetherit’stobuilttensionormake the audience laughasisthe case with“Ant-man”soin
the endI believe thisisawell-executedsequence.
Conclusion
Afterbothexaminingdifferenttypesof editingaswell asanalysingspecificexamplesIbelieve thatI
have gaineda deeperunderstandingof the importance of editingandthe techniquesthatIhave
bothexploredandthe onesthatI was notable to delve intointhisreport.The use of pacing,sound-
mixingandcontinuityappeartobe the three mainaspectsof editingwhentryingtoconveyacertain
emotiontothe audience ortryingto make themfeel acertainway,and thisdeductionissomething
that I will be keepinginmindandreferringtowhenworkingonmyowncreative projectsin the
future.