Key words for editing.

1. AS Media: Editing
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Emma Mc Conologue AS Media
Film Language: Editing
Most films use a system of editing known as continuity editing. Its sole aim is to get the
story moving along and get the audience completely immersed in the plot and
characters.
In drama sequences, the purpose of editing is often:
 Identification (with characters)
 Conflict
 Intensification
The function of this system is to make the drama as fluid as possible, so that the
audience are not aware of the construction process.
Therefore, you need to be especially aware to spot the techniques of editing employed
during a textual analysis. Remember also that sometimes sound is used to ‘bridge’ the
cut and make it less noticeable on screen.
The process of editing is more concerned with the ‘creation’ of meaning rather than the
taking away of material.
Editing often works through the juxtaposition of different shots to create meaning.
Editing Pace:
- This is the speed and tempo of the cuts – slow can suggest emotion and fast can
suggest tension, action or uncontrollable events.
- This is the first, most obvious thing to look for as it gives an insight into the tempo
and feel of the sequence.
There are a huge number of editing techniques which filmmakers can employ.
The most common of these is the cut.
The cut is:
- The most common technique.
- Cut edit – The most basic tool of the editor. Editing trims the footage down but
also helps to create/maintain the logic of a start, middle and end (narrative).
Always ask yourself why a cut has occurred – there is always a reason.
Match on action:
- Where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shot’s
action. Cutting on action gives the impression of continuous time when
watching the edited film. By having a subject begin an action in one shot and
carry it through to completion in the next, the editor creates a visual bridge,

2. AS Media: Editing
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which distracts the viewer from noticing the cut or noticing any slight continuity
error between two shots.
Jump cut:
- An abrupt switch from one scene to another, used to make a dramatic point, or
mark a period of time passing.
Cross-cut:
- A cut from one narrative or line of action to another, e.g. Summer Nights –
Grease. Mostly used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two
different locations.
Sometimes sound is used to ‘bridge’ the cut and make it less noticeable on screen.
Cutaway:
- When the shot ‘cuts away’ to, often a reaction shot of another character or piece
of action, often reinforces a mood of togetherness or confrontation.
Reaction shot:
- Any shot in which a participant reacts to events/action. Often used to guide the
audience’s reaction to a scene.
Matched Cut or Graphic Cut:
- Is a cut between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different
compositions in which an object in the two shots graphically match, often helping
to establish strong relationship between two scenes. Used an object to get from
one place to the next. E.g. Space Odyssey – From Bone to Space Clip.
Other forms of transition are also possible:
Fade:
- A transition to or from a blank screen (normally black).
Dissolve:
- A slow transition as one image merges into another.
Both are used to suggest: differences in time or place. A dissolve might also suggest a
strong connection between two scenes involved.

3. AS Media: Editing
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Wipe:
- An optical effect in which one shot ‘wipes’ another off the screen for dramatic
effect.
Superimposition:
- Two or more images placed directly on top of one another.
Split screen:
- Division of screen in order to show two or more lines of action simultaneously –
this can be referred to as parallel action.
Effects are also added as part of the editing process – e.g.; slow motion or fast motion.
Slow-motion:
- The action literally slows down with the text – this connotes seriousness or a past
event. Helps to prolong tension, add style, or dramatic effect to the film.
Montage:
- A series of shots that are connected together to reinforce/create meaning –
intensifies and controls the emotion through collection.
Long Take:
- A shot that does not cut away but ‘lingers’ on one piece of the action. It is the
equivalent of staring – connotes intensity.
Split Screen:
- Division of screen in order to show two or more lines of action simultaneously –
this can be referred to as parallel action. E.g. Grease – Summer Nights.