assignment one

1. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
Understand the development and principles of editing (Unit 16
Assignment 1 of 2 & Unit 2 Assignment 1 of 3)
Film editing is where the editor cuts and changes the original scenes, this can
have many effects on the narrative because the editor has the power to make a
cut slightly longer to add suspense or cut it quicker to enhance the action.
Development
Editing is known as an invisible art because it is not meant to been seen unless
the editor wants you to know there has been an edit. Film editing in the early
days was known as a woman’s job because it involved splicing the film (cutting
and sticking the film back together) after audio was introduced in film it was
seen as a man’s job because audio was electronic and that was a male job. This
means the early pioneers of film editors were sexist.
The early film pioneers didn’t use
different types of shots in their film,
they just used in camera editing this
was just one long continuous was
shot. An example of this is Lumiere
Brothers when in 1895 they filmed
workers leaving a factory. This was
the first film recorded with one
continuous shot with no editing or
sound. They also developed the
Cinematographe, which was the first
motion picture camera and projector.
Early pioneers learnt they could add effects to the scene this changed the way
they shot movies. They also realised that the type of shot you filmed could also
indicate what type if emotions the audience would have.
An example of this is “A Trip to the Moon (1902)” by George Melies. George was
originally a French illusionist when he discovered you could use dissolves and
jump cuts; this was effective because
the audience had just seen moving
images before, this impressed the
audience. This was how they started
experimenting with ways they could
do transitions. This is where George
realised you did not have to give all the
information to the audience you could
skip parts of the scene and it would
still make sense this was the
manipulation of diegetic time and
space. This is shown when we see the

2. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
men entering the space ship and then see them take off, the next cut is them
landing on the moon. We still know what happed but we don’t need to see every
little bit of the trip for the film to make sense.
DW Griffith first did continuity editing; this is where he put lots of cuts in
chronological order to follow a narrative. An early example of continuity editing
in comparison to a modern example is “Rope” because of the way the film is
edited to show the seamless fluency of the narrative. Zooming in on the
characters blazer, which is a type of transition, these types of transition is a
graphical match, which hides the cut because the editor then zoomed back out
to the new scene. To a non-media student this cut would not have been as
noticeable; this is why editing is known as an invisible art.
Another example within “Rope” is the editor’s use of the 180o rule because we
are always looking through the doors towards the tables it is never reversed.
When the audiences are looking on screen they will always see the character of
Brandon on the left and Phillip on the right, this technique allows the audience to
have the feeling they are watching a play in the theatre.
This technique is still being used today for example in the film “Bird Man”, this
film follows the rule of continuity editing because it is edited in order so it flows.
This is effective because it allows audiences to get more interaction from the
movie as they get the feel they are the character, this allows the audience to feel
more emotion because they are in the characters shoes.
When analogue film was used there was not a library of edits so they had to
know where they wanted to make the cut because it was all filmed on one
continuous reel, so once it was done it could not be changed, whereas with
digital it is all stored on a hard drive so can be altered more than once and
changed. With analogue film it could only be cut in chronological order.
Digital editing has shown how advanced technology is by allowing the editor to
be more creative with their work as they can experiment with different types of
edits which they would not of been able to with the splicing machine. With
digital filming it allows the editor to use a computer to doing the editing this
allows the editor to use specific software such as Final Cut and Avid and does not
have be edited in chronological order and they can try multiply types of edits
before a final one is decided. When using digital editing it also allows the editor

3. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
to edit the film while it is still being made this could speed up the times it takes
for the film to be produced.
Overall this is showing that digital editing allows the editor to prioritise shot
order, this is effective because multiple shots can be layered to enhance the
effect of the scene, and this can make the audience more aware of what is
happening. The effect of the action happening on scene can make them think
something important is going to happen. This was not possible with analogue
editing because it had to be filmed in linear form and reel could not be joined
with multiple transitions. This shows that digital editing allows the editor more
freedom and creativity when editing a scene.
Purposes
There are some important reasons why editing is used films and television. It
engages and involves the audience to a greater level rather than them just
watching it. Using editing also advances the narrative of the film in greater detail
and creates meaning instead of just giving all the information away.
One way the editor can engage the viewer is to create pace. A good example of
this is the film franchise Fast and Furious where the action scenes are fast paced.
This is related to the genre of the film as helps to build the tension and engages
the audience giving them a sense of involvement within the action. In the scene
at the end of the “The Fast and the Furious” involving the two main characters
Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) and Dominic Toreto (Vin Diesel), they are racing
down a 1/4 mile stretch. To create tension the editor has used fast cuts at the
start of the race and as they get near the railroad crossing. We know this because
of the cuts back and forth with the moving train and the two cars. The pace adds
tension because you don’t know if they are going to make it across before the
train comes. The editor also uses a lot of eye trace in this scene because you are
all ways looking at the action when the cut has been made. They have also built
tension for this scene earlier on in the film by giving away information that
Dominic (Vin) is scared to drive the car because of what happened to his father
involving cars in the past, by the audience knowing this information it has
created extra tension and suspense because we don’t know if he is actually going
to jump the crossing with the oncoming train.
Parallel editing or cross
cutting is when two scenes
that are happening at the same
time being shown, an example
of this is in the “Silences of the
Lambs” and its use of parallel
editing. In the scene where she
walks in to the house thinking
it is the house of the victim’s
friend when however it is
Buffo Bills house, this

4. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
manipulates the perspective of the film, which is effective because we are
experiencing it through the characters POV (point of view). By the editor using
this type of technique it build suspense in the scene for the duration of the scene,
we can tell this because of how simple and effective the cuts are.
Furthermore, another example of editing is the pace of the edits an example of
this is “Fast and Furious” where the fast pace of editing and the shot variation is
matching the action genre of film this is effective because it allows the film to
flow and engage the audience. This happens because if the editor used the wrong
style of edit it could ruin the impact they have built up thought the movie.
Going back to the “The Silence of the Lambs” the editor withholds some vital
information from the audience introducing us to the character Buffo Bills as a
friend when really he is the killer does this. This is effective because the editor
has used chronological storytelling to create a bond between the character and
audience meaning when the last key part of the information is revealed is has
more of an impact to the audience, this shocks the audience. This can be linked to
the ways the editors has edited the film because if the edit is not done correctly it
can create different unwanted emotions.
An example of the editor creating drama is in “American Sniper” by using
parallel editing the editor builds suspense by using two simultaneous shots of
major action scenes taking place at the same time, this make the audiences more
aware of what is happening because they are seeing it from two different
perspectives.
Also, the editor creates motivation within the film by using in camera editing
with off centre close up shots of the main character Chris Kyle also referred to as
the legend by the audience. This name was given to him because of his
reputation of being a sniper.
(American Sniper - 204)
In this scene they use a close up with slow motion, this enhances the feel for the
audience because he would have to be concentrating on the gunshot he is about
to embark on, and they are rooting for the character to succeed.

5. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
Also, the editor uses a quick editing rhythm to see all the action that is
happening, the rhythm allows the editor to use parallel editing and this allows
the audience to process all the information that is being given.
Finally, a purpose the editor can use is to combine shot in to a sequences to
give a range of perspective of different characters of what is happening, an
example of this is “Band of Brothers episode 3 ” in which 101st air-born easy
company is attacking 3 artily guns that has been causing the beach landing some
trouble. This sequence is effective because it gives the audience a connection
with the characters we have created a bond with, we can tell this because of
facial expressions and body language to show what they are experiencing
through the different types of shot that have been combined into a sequence.
Moving on, an example of an editor using a montage of shots is in “Psycho” in the
shower scene all the information you are given in a man with a knife and the
woman in the shower screaming every time she is stabbed, these medium shots
are placed into a montage to hide nudity but still seeing the stabbing. While this
scene is happening the montage is cut to dramatic sound track to enhance the
tension for the audience, when the editor edited this scene it seems like he
already knew what sound track he was going to use so he then edited the movie
to this sound track.
(Psycho- 1960)
180o rule is where the camera can only film on side an imaginary line on a set,
which they cannot cross because it would give another view, point which would
confuse the audience. In early days directors had experiences in theatres this
allowed them to transfer what they had learnt there to the cinema world. This
example shows how the camera won’t cross the 180o line because of this we
know by what way the character is facing who he is talking to. If the camera
breaks the 1800 rule this would confuse the audience because they would be
changing side the audience would not know what way each person was
supposed to be looking at.
(Batman the Dark Knight Rise -
2008)

6. Aaron Metcalfe BTEC Media.
Another example of conventional editing techniques is crosscutting an example
of this is used in “Inception” where two simultaneous major scenes happen at the
same time this is effect because it allows the audiences to gain more information
of what happing to the characters. This type of sequences of cuts allows the
editor to set what type of genre the film is.
(Inception - 2008)
Cutaway shots are when the camera cuts away to a different subject in the scene
then back to the original subject. This could be a close up of a characters face
then cuts to the characters hands then cuts back to his face again. Another
example of a cutaway is in the film “Psycho” where she is writing a letter at the
desk then throws it into the bin then there is a close up of the bin then back to
the girl writing.
In conclusion with the advances of digital editing it has allowed the editor to
become more creative with what they are doing and as important as the director.
The editor can input their own view on how the movie should be told and how
the storyline progresses and can tell a different story to the one that the director
originally intended.