2. WHAT IS EDITING?
• Video editing is the process of assembling various clips of raw footage or altering
the footage which has been captured on a video camera. This is so a complete
video can be created.
3. PRINCIPLES
• There are four main principles of editing, these are storytelling, combination of
shots, creating pace and the 180 degree rule. These rules must be followed when
editing a film.
4. HOW VIDEOS CAN BE EDITED
• Altering- This is the process of changing footage to suit what you want.
• Annotation-This means adding more layers e.g. text, images and special effects.
• Final Product-This means getting rid of all the waste materials.
• Cutting- This is when part of the footage is removed and the next bit is shown.
5. STORYTELLING
• This means to piece together scenes which are usually in a logical order to tell a
story to the audience. There are different types of story line as well. There is
linear storylines in which the events are in chronological order. There is also non-
linear storylines, this is when the events are in non chronological order. This is to
mimic/ replicate memories.
• We also have open ended stories which mean the story has no clear end.
• A closed story is one that has a clear ending.
6. STORYLINE EXAMPLES
• An example of a non linear storyline in a film is Life of Pi (Ang Lee, 2012). During
this film we can see many occurrences of the story jumping from the present to
the past. This is used to express his experience to someone else.
7. OPEN ENDED FILM EXAMPLES
• Sherlock Holmes (Guy Ritchie, 2009)
• Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010)
• Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)
• The Italian Job (Peter Collinson, 1969)
8. COMBINATION OF SHOTS
• This is when a variety of shots and angles are used in order to draw in the viewer
and establish settings, feelings and relationships. It is predominantly used to
establish other characters in the scene or to create tension. A great example of a
combination of shots is in the film ‘The Longest Yard’(2005). In this scene a man
named Paul Crewe has just been arrested and is being transported to prison.
•
9. CREATING PACE
• In order to create a sense of pace or speed within a movie or tv programme, the
editing techniques used must match the scene, for example in a fast paced scene
you would have many cuts and fast paced music whereas in a slow romantic
scene you would have few cuts to slow music.
• An example of creating pace is in the movie ‘Hot Fuzz’(2007). In this scene the
main character is preparing for a fight and taking various weapons from a police
storage room. There are many quick cuts during this scene and the music gets
increasingly faster. This scene is from 1:30:47 to 1:31:10
10. 180 DEGREE RULE
The 180 degree rule states that once two or more actors have been established on
a certain side of the screen, then they must remain on that side throughout the
scene. This rule followed so that the audience does not get distracted as breaking
the 180 degree rule can result in disorientating the viewer.
An example of breaking the 180 degree rule is in the movie ‘The Dark
Knight’(2008). During this scene Batman is interrogating the Joker in the police
station.
11. EDITING TECHNIQUES
• There are a variety of techniques used to ensure that all scenes flow and so it
looks like no mistakes have been made.
12. CONTINUITY EDITING
• This is the ensuring of the mise en scene is kept constant throughout cuts, this
includes the setting, props and the costumes. This is done so it gives the allusion
that everything has been done in one go and is natural.
• An example of an error of this is in ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets’(2002). In this scene Harry and Draco are duelling and as the camera
shows the rest of the students reaction a camera man can be seen.
13. MATCH ON ACTION
• This is when an action that begins in one shot is then continued or completed in
the next shot , which would be captured from a different angle. This is used to
show that the action is being carried on.
• An example of this is in ‘Skyfall’(2012) it is in a scene of confrontation, in this
scene James Bond is about going to place down some canisters filled with gas.
14. PARALLEL EDITING
• This is the cutting between two or more storylines that are occurring at the same
time, but in different places. This can be used to show how certain characters are
reacting to certain situations or to show what different people are doing at
different places.
• An example of this is during the film ‘Hercules’(1997). In this scene Hercules life
is being drained from him as he is trying to save the soul of his lover Meg. Whilst
this is happening the fates are about to cut his thread and kill him.
15. CUTAWAY
This is cutting away from the main subject to show other things happening around
it. This is can be used to establish an item or person in the scene that will come
up later on.
An example of this is in the movie ‘Skyfall’(2012) when James Bond and some
guards from a casino are having a fight, they then fall into a pit and the camera
cuts away to a salamander.
16. JUMP CUT
• This is when a scene cuts forward in time but at the same scene. This is a way of
reducing a long take by editing out one or more sections. It can be used to show
the passing of time and it makes the audience pay more attention to the scene.
• An example of this is in the movie ‘The Ring’(2002). During this scene the
antagonist is walking slowly after a guy, as she stands up there is a jump cut and
she is then closer.
17. MATCH CUT
• This is when an action that is shown in one scene will then be replaced in a
similar fashion in the next scene. It is usually to show the passing of time in a
characters life and the action is done to show that it is the same person.
• An example of this is in the movie ‘UP’(2009). The mans wife does his tie up
many times throughout his life and we can see it is from when his young, up until
he is an old man.
18. GRAPHIC MATCH CUT
• This is when an object or shape in one shot transitions into something similar in
the next shot. This can be used to link scenes together.
• An example of a graphic match cut is in the movie ‘2001: A Space
Odyssey’(1968). In this scene a monkey throws a bone into the air and then it
cuts to a spaceship that is exactly the same shape.
19. SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT
• This would occur during a conversation. The cameras focus would be on the
character currently speaking and then when they finish speaking and the person
who they are talking to talks the camera will look at them and so on throughout
the conversation. This is used to establish the characters and who is speaking.
• An example of this is in the movie ‘Kingsman’(2014). Two characters are having a
conversation in a pub. The camera cuts to the character that is talking at all times.
21. FADE IN AND FADE OUT
• This is a gradual transition from one shot to another. The current scene would
darken and then the new scene will gradually get brighter.
In this example it is near the end of the movie the scene fades out and then the new
scene fades and then the new is set in the future. This example is from ‘Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2’ (2011)
22. DISSOLVE
• This is when one scene fades out while another fades in over the top of it. The
two scenes would mix into each other, this is used to link scenes or to show that
time has gradually passed.
• An example of this is in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’(2007). In this
scene Harry is walking up a hill and whilst this is going on we see the image of a
swing and a shadow coming over it.
23. WIPE
• This is when the subsequent scene wipes over the priority scene. This is used to
show that the scene is now finished.
• An example of this is in the movie ‘Star Wars: Episode I’(1999). In this scene
Darth Vader has just been talking and then the scene wipes to the other scene/.
24. SUPERIMPOSITION
• This is when one image is placed on top of another image. The purpose of this is
to show what is happening in the scene or to show that time has passed.
• An example of this is in the movie ‘The Lion King’(1994). In this scene we see
Simba running through a desert close-up and as wee see this we also see him in
the background running.
25. SLOW MOTION AND FAST MOTION
• This is the slowing down or speeding up of time or an action. This can be used to
emphasize movements that we cant see or to show that time has passed.
• Slow motion is used to emphasize a movement that we cant see as it is too quick
to comprehend. An example of this is in the game ‘Modern Warfare 2’(2009). In
this scene you have to throw a knife at the antagonist.
26. FAST MOTION
• An example of fast motion is in the film ‘The Mask’ from 18:10 – 18:25. In this
scene we see Stanley put on the mask and then suddenly he is being moved
around his apartment in fast motion.
•
27. ELLIPSIS
• This is editing out a period of time or series of events, leaving the viewer to fill the
narrative using their own imagination.
• An example of this is in ‘Harry potter and the Philosophers Stone’(2001). In this
scene Harry is a baby the scene then jumps cuts forward in time and we see
harry grown up.
28. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDITING
One of the first cameras ever made was called the Cinématographe. It was made by the Lumière
brothers; who were French inventors and manufacturers of photographic equipment.
Although the Lumière brothers made one of the first cameras it wasn’t until D.W. Griffith had an
idea to edit a movie. An editor would have used to have to cut cells from a film reel from one place
and then have to re-stick the cells into a different place, to edit the order that the film would be
shown in.
The first movie made using this technique was called “Life of an American Fireman”. This was
created by Edwin S. Porter. It was filmed in 1901, edited in 1902 and completed in 1903. After this
came “The Great Train Robbery” also by Edwin S. Porter; which was produced in 1903. It was the
first narrative piece of media published. It was here that editing truly began and it was the spark
that started editing to be used.
29. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDITING
• The first editing machine was a ‘Moviola’. This allowed manual labour to be done
automatically. By using a magnifying glass, you were able to view and chop cells,
as well as re-stick them in other places, this would then change the order of the
production. After this came a Steenbeck editor. The Steenbeck editor was
founded in 1931 by Wilhelm Steenbeck. It had a multipurpose processor counter,
which could count the time and length of the film and could also produce the
sounds that went with the specific scene.
30. HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF EDITING
• VHS editing started to become more popular. VHS stands for video home system. It works
by having cells in a cassette that rotate around a wheel, when put in the player. The
system can then produce the film or media on the tape. This can then be cut, and edited to
your preference.
• Nowadays we use digital editing where we are able to use transitions, techniques, colours
and more, to produce media that looks real and professional.
• Also nowadays it is easier for amateurs to edit as they can use things such as ‘Windows
Movie Maker’ which can be used on mobile phones and also ‘IMovie’ which can be used
on Macs.
