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1. Editing Techniques
Continuityeditingiswhenafilmscene iseditedtogetherinawaythat showsnatural consistencyto
the audience ina believable manner,the technique canalsobe referredtoas “cuttingto continuity”
insome cases.This isoftena standardtechnique usedthroughoutmanyfeature films,whichisall in
orderto appearvisuallypleasingandconsistentinthe eyesof the audience.Incontrasttothis,
approachesto presentationsuchasa montage – (where eventsthatallegedlyhappenoveralong
periodof time are presentedtothe audience inafractionof saidtime) don’tfollow the same rules
as the aforementionedmethodof continuityediting.
A specificexample of continuityeditingwouldbe anindividualreachingfor adoor handle,withthe
followingshotshowingthemgraspingthe handle andopeningthe correspondingdoor. Some
Directorsuse audience expectationslikethistotheiradvantage,andoccasionallyshockthe audience
by revealingthatthe doorin questionisinfactnot the door theywouldassume etc. – thiswouldbe
classedasnon-continuityeditingif the shothadinfact cut to a differentdoor(merely asan
example). Iamnow goingto analyse asetof clipsfrom various videoproductionstothe bestof my
ability, inanattemptto evaluate theiruse of specificeditingtechniques.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps-v-kZzfec&t=
In a veryoldexample of ascene fromthe film Battleship Potemkin (1925), knownas The Odessa
StepsSequence– there are clearexamplesof non-continuityeditingthroughout,asanearly
interpretationof amontage of the eventstakingplace isshowntothe audience.Thisisclearlynota
traditional montage aswe mayknowtoday,as audiencesare perhapsmore familiarwiththe
technique beingusedinthe likesof the Rocky franchise of films. InBattleshipPotemkinhowever,
the editingmethodisusedtoportraythe tragic eventof the OdessaStepsasa longand harrowing
experience forthe charactersinvolved.
Additionally,anequallymelancholysoundtrackisperformedoverthe topof the silentfilm –which
inmoderntimes countsas an editingtechnique,howeverbackin1925 thiswouldhave mostlikely
beenperformedby alive orchestraalongsideanyscreeningof the film. Duringthisscene specifically,
time jumpsare clearlymade throughoutthe action;whichshowcasesthe lengthof the ordeal,whilst
alsofocusingonspecificcharacters, alongwiththeiremotionsandreactionstothe events taking
place aroundthem,before jumpcuttingtothose eventstoshow themingreaterdetail. Overall,this
scene establishesthe condensingof time inordertobetterconveythe eventstakingplace onscreen
to the audience,thisalsoaidsinemphasisingthe desiredshockfactorinthisparticularexample.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lI2e3pXat54
Predatingthe previouslyanalysedfilm, Way Down Eastwascreatedin 1920 andDirectedby D. W.
Griffith.A particularscene fromthisfilm(involvingthe attemptedrescueof awoman,whois to be
sweptawayon an icebergtowardsthe edge of a large waterfall) showsone of the earliestexamples
of a technique knownas“parallel editing”.Thisissometimesreferredtoas“cross cutting”,and it

2. referstoa scene whereintwoeventsare takingplace atthe same time (therefore are parallel to
each other) – however,the pieceiseditedtogetherinaway that showsthe eventsasrunningone
afteranother. Thisisdone as it wouldbe impossible toshow the twoeventsonscreenatexactlythe
same time,withoutthe use of anunsightlysplittingof the screen –thisin itself isatechnique /trope
of films,wherecharactersonthe phone to eachotherin differentlocationsare shownonscreen
simultaneouslythroughthe use of thismethod.
The technique generallycomestoaclose withthe twofocusesof each parallel comingtogether,for
whateverreasonthe plotdemands.Inthe Way Down Eastscene,thisisthe equivalentof the
rescuerfinallyreachingthe womanonthe iceberginanattempttocarry herto safety – whichwas
builtupbeforehandinthe formof the parallel editingtechnique. Ibelievethatthe cross-cutting
methodisusedeffectivelyhere,asitemphasisesthe littletime the characterhasto rescue the
woman,as well asthe struggle toreach her,whilstalsoshowingherimpendingdoomindetail and
clearlytothe audience. Overall,itseemstoshowcase the scene asintendedbythe Director,
highlightingthe suspense andfeelingof dreadinparticular – whichisof course an effective
technique touse uponthe audience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM
A more modernexample of parallel editingcanbe foundin The Silence of the Lambs from1991, in
whicha scene usesthe technique todeceive the audience.Thisparticularwayof usingthe cross-
cuttingtechnique wastoucheduponpreviously,andthisparticularfilmisagoodexample of itbeing
put to gooduse.The scene inquestionbeginswithanestablishingshotof ahouse surroundedby
militarymen,before jumpcuttingtoa man holdingawomancaptive inhishouse.Thisisthe start of
whatmakesthe audience believethatthe establishingshotandthe interiorscenesall correspondto
the same house.
Thispatternof deceptioncontinuesthroughoutthe scene,withanotable momentbeingthe
pressingof a doorbell,whichisfollowedbya cut showinganinterioralarmbell ringing –thisis
shownmore than once to signifyitsimportance.The intentionsof the parallel editingused
prominentlyinthisscene istoshockthe audience asmuchas possible,catchingthemoff guardand
perhapsgivingasense of false hope.The scene isalsousedtoheavilyprogresscharacterarcswithin
the narrative of the film,withthe climax of the paralleleditingbeingthe opposite of whatwouldbe
expected.Thisputsthe femalecharacter“Clarice”,whoactuallyendsupatthe doorof the correct
man,in greatdanger;thisis heavilysupportedbythe expressionof the FBIofficer once the
realisation ismade –thisalsosynchronisesperfectlywiththe reactionthe audienceare expectedto
have.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4soF2wigKSM
The trainingmontage from Rocky III is a classicexample of amontage that wouldbe expectedin
today’sfilmindustry.The scene featuresnoaudiofromthe actual footage,butinsteadhasthe
famoustune “Eye of the Tiger”playedoverthe topof it – thisis inorderto emphasise the hardwork
Rocky isputtingintohistraining,whilstalsostrivingforwardandatthe close of the montage he

3. claimshisdesiredvictory.The positivityof thisscene isnotonlyaimedtowardsthe characters,butit
alsohas an effectonthe audience,whoare mostlikelyrootingforthe maincharacter of Rocky to
winthe fight.The scene sendsamessage toanyone watchingthatif youput the workin,you can
achieve yourgoal eventuallyasRockydemonstrates –thiswouldnotbe able to be portrayedon
screenanyotherway than throughthe use of a montage.
Acrossthe spanof the montage sequence,there isaconsistencyinthatthe focusis alwaysonthe
twocentral characters that are of course training.There isalsosome usage of repetitionassimilar
shotsare showneverysooften,inorderto clearlyshow the contrastbetweenRocky’sabilities
before andthroughouthistrainingtothe audience. A repeatedpointof reference withinthe
montage isthe locationof the beach; thisiswhere the montage begins,ittheninterludesvarious
shotsthroughoutthe sequence viajumpcuts,before beingshownatthe climax of the montage,as
the locationat whichRockycelebrateshisvictory.
The montage thenslowsdowninpace to show Rocky’scelebrationindetail fromvariousangles,
emphasisinghisemotionstothe audience –thisisthendrawn to a close as the shotpauseson a
single frame,whilst the musiccontinueson,before the image slowlyfadestoblack;thissymbolises
that particularchapterof Rocky’slife and of the filmitself drawingtoa close.Thisalsoallowsthe
audience totake inthe informationtheyhave beengiven,andmostlikelyprepare forashiftintone
duringthe scenesthatwill follow –youcouldrefertothisas a “breather”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhWiTORp22k
Thisexample of amontage from Team America:World Police is essentiallyadirectparodyof the
previouslyanalysed Rocky III montage,evenmentioningthe character’sname specifically.Some
unique stylisticchoiceshave beenmade inthisscene,asitisprimarilyaspoof movie andaimsto
parodyrecognisable popculture elementsfromvariousfilms;itcanbe notedforone that the shot
shakesdramaticallywhenthe characterisshootingagun or performingothertraining-like tasks.
Thisincludesspontaneouschangesinthe film’saspectratio also,whichisdone toparodycertain
otherfilms’frequentchange inaspectratiosize dependantonthe actionbeingshownonscreen.
The shot isshownto frequentlysplitintomultiple shotsoccasionallythroughoutthe sequencealso,
as a way of exaggeratingall of the actionthat istakingplace and emphasisinguponittothe
audience.
Some othercomparisonsfromthe Rocky IIImontage can be drawn also,as the theme of a mentor
beingpresentthroughoutmostof the sequenceisalsotrue here.Aswell as the factthat attentionis
drawnback to a single location,beingthe shootingrange where the characterimproveshisaim
uponeach attempt.The aforementionedcamerashake isartificial,meaningthatithas been
implementedinthe editingstage of post-production –thishas beenpreviouslyestablishedasa
methodof parody.Jumpcuts are obviouslytakenadvantageof throughoutthe entiresequence also,
whilstgreatemphasisisdrawntothe “fade to black” effectpresent atthe climax of the montage –
whichwasalso featuredinthe Rocky III example. Overall,thisscene createsthe desiredcomedic
atmosphere thatthe audience shouldenjoy,thisisthankstoablendof the implementedoriginal
parodysong,alongwiththe variouseditingtechniquesusedthroughouttogreateffect.