2. +Provide a simple definition of what film editing is
Fundamentally film editing is taking a group of different
shots and placing them together in a way they flow and
work to make a nice clip. The actually editing is the way
they are put together technically for example the cutting
the clips and linking them together on the computer.
3. +Can you list some examples of early film editing? Think about
the different ways that film makers could combine shots using
the technology of the time. Include weblinks/images where
necessary
In 1903 Edwin Porter made ‘The Great Train Robbery’ he was one
of the first people to actually edit the film he made, for example
cutting between different scenes. He also tried other thing for
example more close up shots which were not used very much at all
in the early film making.
George Melies created ‘A Trip to the Moon’ in 1902, in this he used
quite simple editing for example using dissolves to connect every
shot in the film. He would also change to another scene by stopping
the camera on one scene and turning it back on after changing
what was in front of the camera to create another scene.
The Lumiere Brothers were very simple with their editing, they
created ‘Arrival Of A Train At A Station’ in 1896. The brothers didn't
believe in editing and cutting from one scene to another as they
thought it would confuse the audience too much and they wouldn't
understand. SO they would record the action of what ever was in
front of a static camera, this means that a lot of their clips would be
quite long and have only a small amount of action.
4. +Describe the concept of ‘montage’ and
juxtaposition [remember Eisenstein
and Kuleshov] and give an example
Juxtaposition is the technique of
combining two or more shots to suggest
an idea. This technique was first used by
a Serge Eisenstein in the 1920’s
Lev Kuleshov was a Soviet filmmaker. Through his experiments and
research, Kuleshov discovered that depending on how shots are put
together, the audience will attach a specific meaning or emotion to it. In
the 1920’s he made a short film in which there is a shot of a characters
making a certain facial expression. This then after each one had a
different image coming straight after it. First was a bowl of soup, next a
coffin and third a women. When showing this o an audience they thought
he was feeling a different emotion towards each image, yet it was the
same shot. This shows how what comes next can effect what they think
of the first shot and how clips effect each other. This technique is still
5. +List the types of cut/edit you can use and
provide an example of each on in use
A wipe is when one shot replaces another by coming
in from one side of the screen and wiping across
over the other shot to cover it and fill the screen.
Dissolves are an editing technique where there is a
gradual transition from one shot to another, this is
similar to a fade out.
Fade outs are when the shot fades off the screen
gradually but to a black screen, this is what makes it
different to a dissolve. It is commonly used at the
end of a scene.
A fade in is the opposite of a fade out it goes from a
black screen and gradually shows the shot, this is
used a lot to start of a scene, it happens a lot in
soaps for example.
6. +Below, list the four relationships between shots
Editing and Graphic Relationships (PICTURE )
Editing and Rhythmic Relationships ( RHYTHM)
Editing and Temporal Relationships ( TIME)
Editing and Spatial Relationships ( SPACE)
7. +For GRAPHIC relationships provide a description and
examples of it’s usage [with a weblink to a sequence on
YouTube and still frames where necessary – you may add
more slides if you need to]
A Graphic relationship is where on shot will change to
another, but so it isn't obvious to the audience. For
example it could be done of an image slowly turning in
to another image but of a similar shape so it isn't
noticed until it has fully changed. For example this
happens in 2001 Space Odyssey when a bone is
thrown up in to the sky as if falls back down it changes
in the a space ship but of the same shape. Another
example is of a shot to show that time has moved, for
example to same shot but the weather changing the
seasons. A good example of this is in Twilight the
weather is shown to be changing out side of a window
showing the change in time but with the same shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4gEFZ0TJ8o One
last example of this is in the film Grease this is shown
when they are sining to grease lighting and it is
showing the real car they are working on and cutting to
8. +For RYTHMIC relationships provide a description and examples of it’s
usage [with a weblink to a sequence on YouTube and still frames where
necessary – you may add more slides if you need to]
Rhythmic editing is when the editing and cutting of
the shots in a scene is done in by the beats of the
music of the song being played or the speed of the
narrative being spoken. For example this happens
in lots of fight scenes in movies, a good example
of this is in dead pool during a car fight scene. The
tempo of the music gets louder and fast whilst the
action is occurring and matches the crashes and
hits, for example they seem to hit the beats of the
song sometimes and the more intense the fight
gets so does the tempo of the song. During the
fight scene there are also some points where it is
shown in slow motion as a joke as the film is a
comedy, these slow parts matching with the music
too and the tempo slows down to work with the
film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI-
yMivF9X0
9. +For TEMPORAL relationships provide a description and
examples of it’s usage [with a weblink to a sequence on
YouTube and still frames where necessary – you may
add more slides if you need to]
Temporal editing is when time is suggested to be
extended or contracting. For example time could
be shown to be moving forwards or backwards in
what are called flash forwards and flash backs. A
good example of this is in Hot Fuzz, at the start of
this film there is a sequence of shots in a montage
format showing the actor traveling from London to
a small village and it shows the difference in the
places during this from small clips. This is a good
example of showing time moving forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8dFK5nI1YA
A good example of use of flash backs are in the
film Back to the Future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msoYwla66Hs
10. +Define the ‘Hollywood method’ of continuity editing
and why it became so prevalent…
The Hollywood Method of
continuity editing is used to add
shots to a sequence to show a
character carrying out a task or
a mission.This can also be
doing by using the ellipsis
method, this is a fast way of
showing time pass quickly but
still explaining the story
effectively. Some of the best
example of this are in Rocky
with the fight scene and Hot
Fuss.
11. +Provide a definition of cross-cutting/parallel editing, what is so
effective about this technique? Where might a director use it?
Parallel editing which can also be known as cross cutting
is an editing technique used mostly to show when
something is happening in two or multiple locations. The
camera will cut from one location to the other, showing
different scene of action, some times related other times
not. This way of editing the clips together can add to the
drama and help to create tension and suspense. I think
this editing technique is effective as the editor is able to
keep the scene interesting for the audience by cross
cutting to a different scene. A good place for an editor to
use it could be to show flash backs in a film or a couple
who have fallen out in a film in their separate homes upset
or something. For example it is used in silence of the
lambs in one of the end scenes where they are cutting
between two people going to two homes and you don't
know who is at which house, as one is the house you
expect the bad guy to be in when you realise it isn't it
helps build up tension and create a certain atmosphere to
12. +POV and identification – explain how we are invited to identify
with a character through POV and shot reverse shot
The point of view shot is a shot which shows the
audience what the character is seeing or being shown.
The POV shot can also be used for more than one
character, viewing the next shot. This type of shot also
works well when being used with a shot reverse shot. A
shot reverse short works well when being use in a
conversational clip, for example E4 uses this a lot with
programs like friends and scrubs for example. Using
this shot is a good way of showing a conversation
quickly with out having to pan backward or forwards all
the time. This is a good way to help the audience
understand the narrative more and understand the
relationship between the characters more.
13. +What is Ellipsis? Select an example and explain how it
works…
An ellipsis is a narrative device and and used a lot in
film editing. This is when a section of a story is cut out,
they do this either because the audience will be easily
be able to fill in what should have been there
themselves, or to create a mystery or some type of
suspense. For example this is used in the film The
Purple Rose of Cairo, the movie starts with the main
character (Cecilia) looking at a poster, her morning
routine is not in the film at all, for example her getting
up getting washed and eating breakfast. This happens
in a lot of film and tv programs at the editor doesn't
think they are important to be seen and that the
audience will understand that this will of happen but
doesn't need to be shown every detail.
14. + Provide a description of a scene where the 180 degree line
has been used, how does it provide spatial
continuity/discontinuity?
The 180 degree rule is like a guideline which film makers
will use, it is used for when there is a scene containing
two characters and how they need to maintain the same
position on the scene to each other, for example one on
the right and one of the left. The rule is that when the
shots change from one character to another they stay in
the right place in terms of the view from the camera.
When the camera passes over this ’invisible axis’ it is
crossing the line and the the shot of the characters
becomes a reverse angle shot. This helps to make the
scene understandable for the viewer and make it look
how it would in real life in terms of the side you are
watching it from. When you break this rule and you cross
the line the shot loses its continuity and becomes messy
and confusing for the viewer. This is used a lot in soaps
as there terns to be lots of shots from people have
conversations, this is an example from friends of Rachel
and Monica having an argument. This clips used the rule
16. +
Questions to ask
When any two shots are joined, you can ask several questions:
1. How are the shots graphically continuous or discontinuous?
2. What rhythmic relations are created?
3. Are the shots spatially continuous? If not, what creates the
spatial discontinuity? [Cross-cutting? Ambiguous cues?] If the
shots are continuous, how does the 180-degree system create
the continuity?
4. Are the shots temporally continuous? If so, what creates the
continuity? [e.g. matches on action?] If not, what creates the
discontinuity?
17. + Silence of the lambs - Buffalo Bill
This scene at the start uses clips cutting between two
different scenes, one of all the police men going in to a
house they suspect to have the murder in, it shows the
police men hiding all around the house and a fake delivery
man approach the door, cutting between the scenes of them
it shows the murder in his home arguing with the woman he
has held captive.
You then see the delivery man ring the door bell and at the
same time the murders door bell rings, so it make you
presume that they are outside his home. It then shows him
coming to the door, when he opens it it shows the woman
outside not the police.
There is no rhythmic editing in this clip as there is no music,
but there is temporal editing.This clip shows nicely the
movement of time, due to the cutting between clips but
showing in each clip something new happening, so this
helps to show that time is moving but at a normal speed.
This clip does fast forward time slightly as you don't see
18. +Silence of the lambs - Buffalo Bill
It then cuts back to the house where the police are and
shows the barge in to an empty house.It the cuts to a
panning shot of the location she is in, showing how empty
it is and how isolated this mans house is, this helps to
create more tension in the scene as it makes her look
very vulnerable as there is no where to go for help.
It also uses the 180 degree rule while she is talking to the
man at the door, It shows an over the shoulder shot of
him talking to her then cuts to a close up of his face form
the angle she will be seeing him at but while using the
180 degree rule to keep continuity.
There is no use of an ellipsis in this clips as everything in
the scene needs to be shown, as every detail is there to
build un tension and everything is slowly pieced together
by the woman and showing all of these is key to creating
suspense in the film.
19. + Silence of the lambs -
Buffalo Bill
While in the house, she is waiting for a card
from him and she begins to get suspicious,
while asking him questions the camera
keeps cutting from close ups of the woman
showing her facial expressions, then back to
clips of what she is looking at around the
room. It has a couple to start with just of
him. Then the camera begins to pan around
the room. This shows the home being very
messy, it them moves over to show two
different objects which were key parts of the
investigation, after it has shown these it cuts
back to a close up of the woman’s face
showing the moment she realises this is the
man they are looking for.
