1. 28/12/2015
The eye is quicker- Richard D. Pepperman, 2004: MichaelWiese
Productions
After reading The eye is quicker, new insights into successful editing techniques and
practises were learned.
“Cut on Action. This is a simple practise to facilitate a safe cut- a cut that is more or less
inconspicuous.” (mind watching the cuts page 7) This quote explains why cutting a piece
of footage during motion within the clip is necessary to produce a successful edit.
Although this technique had already been previously explored, the statement has
enabled me to gain a better understanding of the concept. In order to make the cuts in
an edit appear invisible to the eye they must be “Cut on Action.” in order to make the
motion within the frame flow into the next one without the cut being as noticeable.
Another technique stated in the book that I have found useful is “maintaining the focal
point” (editing with two left feet page 16). When cutting between two different shots of
the same person, a medium and a long shot for example, it is essential to cut with the
movement of focal points such as the eyes or the face rather than a different part of the
body. This is due to the face and eyes taking preference over any other focal point. A
person will subconsciously be drawn to focus on a face or eyes on screen therefore an
edit will flow more effectively and be more invisible if it is cut on action to one of these
areas. “If you ‘find’ the focal point you’ll ‘find the cut’.” (editing with two left feet page
15)
Beats are the measurements of time within an edit to make it flow and be consistent.
These beats do not, however, have a specific length. They are instinctive choices made
by the editor about where one shot should cut in order for the next to follow on in
keeping with the pace of movement within the frame. The use of beats by the editor
prevents the people and objects within the scene from jumping from one place to the
next with insufficient time for them to move in between. This enables the spectator to
follow the narrative of the filmand keeps the cuts invisible to them.
