2. KEY TERMS
• Continuity
• Continuity Editing
• 180 degree rule
• Match on action (match cuts)
• Shot reverse shot
• Eye-line match
• Cross cutting
• Insert shot
• Cutaway
• Pace
• Time
• Transitions
• Special Effects
• Montage Editing
3. EDITING - DEFINITION
PART OF POST PRODUCTION PROCESS
The stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised to construct an
overall narrative.
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and filmmedia used to
convey information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, and
many other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate
and complete work.
So basically, it is how a film maker puts together and considers cuts/cutting and applies transitions,
special effects etc. to communicate a narrative to an audience.
4. CONTINUITY
• The key word in continuity is CONTINUE
• It is to make sure things are continuous
• Here are two good examples:
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFKLxAQBbc
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8liieRepk&feature=related
• Did you notice the editing?----NO!
Because good editing is INVISIBLE! So make a good connection is
very important.
Many things can cause continuity errors
-shots/angles
-costume/props
-lighting etc
Be carful with them !
5. CONTINUITY EDITING
• Continuity Editing
The most common type of editing which aims to create a sense of reality and time moving forward.
Also known as invisible editing referring to how the technique does not draw attention to the editing process but
allows the audience to concentrate on the narrative.
Various filming rules and techniques are applied to ensure this smooth continuity.
Basically, continuity editing is so that scenes look continuous. (the flow)
Techniques/rules of continuity editing:
-180 degree rule
-match on action (match cuts)
-shot reverse shot
-eye-line match
-crosscutting or parallel editing
6. CONTINUITY EDITING: 180
DEGREE RULE
• Purpose: Is to orientate the viewer, to establish the
placement of characters.
• Breaking the 180 rule, it will place the characters in a
different place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyyuqmCW14
7. CONTINUITY EDITING:
MATCH ON ACTION
1 ACTION = MULTIPLE SHOTS
• Is multiple cuts to show one continuous action.
• Match on action is part of invisible editing which creates flow when watching a scene.
• The cuts MATCH together so that the audience know it is one action.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMx-Az5Da4M Think of how many match cuts there are!
• .
What kind of pace is created in these clips? How? Why?
How does sound connect to the editing/pace? How? Why?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Nx1o7fkVM AS
example
8. CONTINUITY EDITING:
SHOT REVERSE SHOT
• Shot reverse shot is when a shot goes from shot A,
shot B, shot A, shot B etc.
• It goes continuously back and forth between the 2
shots to show there is a connection between them
• It is often used in conversations so you see what both
characters are saying
• It is a form of eye-line matching if the character is
looking at someone and the next shot is what they
look at
• Imagine if a conversation was just 1 shot of character
A and you didn’t see character B’s face at all?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JauH_EKpaY
9. CONTINUITY EDITING: EYE-
LINE MATCH
Shot A: character is looking off screen
Shot B: what character is looking at
Is a following shot that follows what character is
looking at, makes cuts smoother the audience
expects the cut to happen and is eager to see what
happens next/what character sees.
Example,
a) A person’s phone rings, she turns and looks in
direction of phone
b) Close up shot of phone ringing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KtVKu9CfDA&feat
ure=relmfu
• This is eye-line match because of the cards she is
looking at………..but it is also……..?
Her looking at cards her looking at cards
10. CONTINUITY EDITING:
CROSS CUTTING
• Technique of continuously alternating 2 or more scenes that often happen simultaneously (at same time) but in different
locations.
• As they cross, pace gradually gets faster and fast and tension builds
• Often the parallel scenes will intersect to create a climax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD0h7WcgJ5w
• 2 scenes: a) interrogation b) car approaching
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM&feature=related
• -2 scenes: a) FBI director (outside house) b) criminal (inside house)
• What is unique/different about this scene? How has cross cutting been used different? (What is it’s intention upon the
audience?)
A B A B
A
11. CONTINUITY EDITING:
INSERT SHOT
• In film, an insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length
from the master shot (original/establishing shot). Inserts cover action already covered in the
master shot, but emphasize a different aspect of that action due to the different framing.
• An insert differs from a cutaway as cutaways cover action not covered in the master shot.
Example
• CLOSE-UP of the gunfighter,
• INSERT of his hand quivering above the holster,
• TWO SHOT of his friends watching anxiously,
• INSERT of the clock ticking.
• Inserts and cutaways can both be tricky for directors, as care must be taken to
preserve continuity by keeping the objects in the same relative position as in the main take, and
having the lighting the same.
Insert
Insert
13. CUTAWAY
• A cutaway is video scene that CUTS away to relevant images or
footage
• Often used in documentaries or in film when a vital piece of
information is needed to show the audience. Usually the dialogue
or voice will CONTINUE during the cutaway (to keep it continuous)
• It is used to have variety in the visuals
14. PACE
TYPE OF
PACE
Effects
SLOW -to make slow/calm/still
-little number of shots/cuts which
are long
-to make audience calm or bored
(perhaps to pay attention to detail
or to emphasize emotion)
MEDIUM -to make normal and comfortable
-average number shots/cuts which
are medium time which could show
realism
FAST -to make intense, exciting and
thrilling
-lots of shots/cuts which are short
-to make audience tense/excited
?
TIME
TYPES OF TIME
STORY TIME: time of the
events (ex a film over 50
years ….)
DISCOURSE TIME: time
taken to narrate the event
(how long to tell the story?
Ex 2 hours )
15. MORE TYPES OF TIME
MORE TYPES
OF TIME
Example
Summary -discourse shorter than story A film takes place over 50 years but shown in 2
hours
Ellipsis -establishing discourse time rather than story -shot 1: man out of bed….
-shot 2: man in shower…..
-shot 3: man getting dressed….
-shot 4: man driving to work.
The audience can fill in the gaps (…)
Scene -story and discourse time are equal (to show
realism (real time)
Soap opera which shows a scene in 5 minutes
which is actually 5 mins
Stretch -discourse is longer than story
(using slow motion)
Scene in race where it is in slow motion to
show a runner winning and to capture the
emotion
Flashback -character has a flash back (which is a thought or
memory in the past)
-flashbacks are often in dull colours, black and white and
altered light (to make it different than real time)
-causes non linear narrative as you are changing
order of time
In hunger games, Kat is thinking about Peeta
at dinner table, she has a flashback and
audience see her thoughts of her sitting
outside the bakery and Peeta throwing her
bread
Flash-forward -when audience are shown the future scenes or
events (often to give clues)
-causes non linear narrative as you are changing
order of time
16. TIME ALLOCATION
• Remember the audience will not see everything, things are
edited in order they get to see what is important.
• Who/what has most time on screen? Why?
• Who/what has little time on screen and why?
• *link to representation/stereotype
• *link to placement (shots/angles) where are characters
placed in the scene? Are they in the middle of the screen
or hidden in a corner or behind other people?
• Think of the fast and furious chase scene = who has the most/little time?
Why?
17. TRANSITIONS
• Straight cutting – to show realism, in conversations etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLkUHZ1qips
• Graphic match – when 2 shots match graphically, often with an overlap transition (ex
shot of eyeball, then shot of the sun (same size/shape = to show their relationship)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HG5kPlxzeU
• Overlap/dissolve – makes a softer transition, to show ellipsis or time passing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvGc6D85fwE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6zGWox6S0
• Wipe – often used to show new day or new scene/location (sideways wipe)
• Fade in/out (fade to black or appear from black – often used to communicate ending or
beginning) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0_2ZFdB6Hk
• Flash – to show flashbacks or flash-forwards (to show thoughts or memories) (flashes to
white) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SY_qeOIjIg
18. SPECIAL EFFECTS
• B&w –often used to show memory or time period
• Contrast – to altar the lighting (or contrast = very light lights and dark darks sometimes with
memories
• Colour - to add a colour filter to show a specific mood
Example ‘The ring’ – many scenes are very blue-ish, which show sterile/coldness etc.
• Animation – titles of shows or cartoons
• CGI – computer generated images (example = avatar, planet of apes, polar express)
• Fast forward/slow motion – speeding up or slowing down footage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIK4Uf9NhJA (fast)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrlPmK4B94 (slow)
• Ghost trail – see multiple actions (overlapped) to show someone drunk or on drugs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5xkFN-pOJc (ghost trail) …..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI3bnkWD0Fg (hallucination when stung by bee at 2:06)
19. OTHER GOOD VIDEOS
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1japIhKU9I filming techniques
