2. + Provide a simple definition of what film editing is
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing shots in a
coherent and narrative sequence. Also to create a relationship
between each shot. They do this by join the shot together by
adding the beginning of shot B onto the end of shot A.
A B
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
An example of early film editing is the Lumiere Brothers. In 1896
they created a shot film called “Arrival of the train at station”. For
their movie there was no story and no editing this was to make
sure the audience was not confused about what's going on they
kept it very simple by using long static shots. There was only one
shot taken and it was taken in one go for 48 seconds. This was of
the train.
4. +
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
Another example is George Melies. In 1903 he created the film “A
trip to the moon” In this film he used editing. There are over 15
shots, a lot more than the other films and he also connected each
shot by a dissolve giving it the effect they faded into each other.
This was very advanced for their year, in the film he used close up
and different shots. The film has no audio but instead has music
played over it. Also the shots are filmed very wide to give the
audience the feel they are in a theatre. They have done this because
everyone was used to watching play and this was very new and to
make sure this did not shock them or scare them they try to create a
surrounding they are used to.
5. +
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
A final example Is Edwin Porter. In 1903, Edwin
created “The Great Train Robbery”. He was one of
the first people to discover cutting between shots
without a dissolve. He figured this out by running
out of film one day and putting some back with the
person not in the shot and realising you could just
cut the video and make the person disappear. He
used this for his film. In the film there are only 12
shots that take up 12:09 and they are long and
static shots. There are no close ups just long shots
of the actions. He also started to use props in his
film to make to action look more realistic in the 4th
shot he throws a dummy off instead of a person to
give It the effect of him throwing a person off.
6. + Describe the concept of ‘montage’ and juxtaposition
[remember Eisenstein and Kuleshov] and give an
example
Lev Kuleshov was on of the first people to experiment
with montage by creating the Kuleshov effect. This was
made in the 1910’s and 1920’s and was two shots that
were edited together, this can also be known as the
juxtaposition. The purpose of this film was to let the
audience bring there own emotion's to the sequence of
images and how they interpret it. In three scenes of his
face people believe they change due to the shot after but
his face is the same all along and its people emotions and
views that make them think the face has changed. An
example of his work he placed a sill image of a man face
and placed it against three shots. The first shot is his face
placed next to a a bowl of food, this is to portray hunger.
The next shot of his face is placed next to a girl in a
coffin, this is t portray sadness. The final shot was placed
next to a women lying down, this was to portray lust.
7. + Describe the concept of ‘montage’ and juxtaposition
[remember Eisenstein and Kuleshov] and give an
example
After the Kuleshov effect Sergei Eisenstein created his own theory of montage
which contained 5 methods of montage metric, rhyme, tonal, overtonal and
intellectual. Rhyme montage is cutting shots to match the pace of the film, an
example of rhyme montage is the masika on the odessa step scene in the
Battleship Pokekemin directed by Sergei Eisenstein. He cut the shots rapidly of
the marching of soldiers and people running away to build pace and visual
continuity. An other example in this film that is used is intellectual, This is taking
two more shots with meaning of their own and putting them together to create a
new meaning. An example of this is the soldiers walking strongly down the stairs
with force then cuts to civilians fleeing shows the helplessness of the Russian
people, creates a new meaning of the forces brutality.
8. + List the types of cut/edit you can use and provide an
example of each on in use
Cuts- Instant transition between two different shots.
Fade-outs- When the shots get darker until the screen in
completely black.
Fade-ins- This is an opposite to a fade out. The screens
is black and gradually gets lighter.
Dissolves- Where shots A is briefly overlaid over the
beginning of shot B.
Wipes- A moving Lines crosses the screen. Shot B
pushes shot A off the screen.
10. + Below, list the four relationships between shots
Editing and Graphic Relationships
Editing and Rhythmic Relationships
Editing and Temporal Relationships
Editing and Spatial Relationships
11. + 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]
Graphic relationship between shots are useful when connecting two different shots
together. You can do this by ending one shot with a frame containing the same
compositional elements as the next shot, to connect the two shots with a smooth
transition.
Director Randal Kleiser has directed this shot
using graphic relationships. Here he has two
very similar shots that are connected to one
another.
The first shot is the red fancy car against a
plain wall , in great condition compared to the
next shot where the car is old and rusty in a
scrap garage. In these two shots the position
of everything is the same, the movement of the
actors, the car are the same the only difference
is the car type/condition. The shots are
basically the same but he has done this is
show the imagination of the character and how
he sees his car compared to what it actually is.
12. + 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 relationship between shots is when
assembling shots according to a rhythmic pattern.
An example of this is the shopping scene in Wild child.
Here they play the song “About you now” by
Sugababes. In the scene the song starts off quite and
has a slow tempo with a long shot of the main character
walking past the clothes but as the music builds up and
the tempo gets faster the shots get shorter such as fast
cut montage and speed up shots to match the tempo
creating a Rhythmic relationship between the music and
the video. Also at the begging the character claps twice
and this start the beat of the song and the tempo of the
clap matches the song.
Here as the music gets faster the shot match's the
beat as each beat happens the shot changes to a
different face, this is visually pleasing to watch and
also creates a cool effect as the rack of clothes gets
pushes along a new face appears.
13. + 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 relationship uses match on action in
continuity editing where they cut two alternate views
of the same action together at the same moment in
order to make is seem uninterrupted. The reason for
hits is to be able to see the action from multiple
angles.
An example Is the a scene from Sylvester Stallone’s
rocky IV. This is a fight scene where two people are
fighting each other in a ring. The camera stays at the
same level through out the shots. There are different
shots of the same fight so let you see different angle
but you do not miss anything from the fight just see it
from different places. This editing it used to make the
fight more realistic as you would see them at different
angles through out the fight.
14. + Define the ‘Hollywood method’ of continuity editing and why it
became so prevalent…
The Hollywood method is a way of ensuring a smooth flow from
shot to shot and establishing space and spatial so the narrative of
the story will be obvious without interruptions. It is a way of
combining more or less related shots or different cuts from a single
shot.
For this method there are 3 ways you can use to make sure
everything Is smooth.
180 degree rule
POV
Cross cutting
15. +
180 degree rule- This rule enables the audience to to
visually connect with the unseen movement happening
around and behind the subject.
This rule normally applies to a conversation between two
people. When filming two people are talking an invisible line
is drawn between the two people, the camera is supposed to
stay on one side of the line. In a person is filmed over the
right shoulder of the someone else than the other person will
be seen over the left shoulder.
An example of this is a conversation scene in “Harry met
Sally”. This is contestation between the two where the 180
degree rule is used. As you can see there a front shot of
them then is turns to an over the left shoulder shot of her
talking then a shot over the right side of her shoulder of him.
This is stop confusion between the shots and also the
camera stays on the one side of the line through out the
scene. One this rule is broken it will start to confuse the
viewer as they will not known where everyone is and will
make the shot very messy, sticking tot his rule creates a
smooth shot everyone can understand.
The first example of the Hollywood method is the,
16. + Another rule to this method is,
POV and Identification- this is a shot that allows the audience
to see what character/subject is looking at.
This shot is usually positioned between a shot of a character
looking at something and a shot of their reaction afterwards. The
purpose of this technique is to put the audience in their
perspective so they can experience what the characters are and
feel like they are in the movie.
An example of this is in breaking bad. Here is a close up shot of
the characters face, this lets the audience see his emotions and
physical state and also shows up that he his focuses on
something. This is then followed up with a shot of the object his
face was focused on a gun. The shot then focus back on him but
the camera angle is now below him showing his reaction to him
looking at the gun as he closes the boot.
17. +
The third method for the Hollywood method is,
Cross Cutting- This is an editing technique used to show action
within a film occurring in two different location at the same time.
This method allows suspense to by added to the film. As the
expectations are built. This creates dramatic effects as you believe
one thing is happening but it turns out to by something else, this is
usually used in horror films to throw people off or scare them.
An example of Cross cutting is in Silence of the Lambs. This is a horror
film and in the film you are present with armed police knocking on
someone door as they get ready to arrest him for kidnapping a women.
In the scene it starts off with armed police surrounding the area. Then
they get a post man to ring the bell, this then cuts to the criminal bells
ringing and him getting up to open the door. This leaves the audience
thinking they are going to catch him but as he opens the door you
realize is another officer that had done her own investigation and with no
back up it leaves the audience scared for her as they know how
dangerous he is and that no one listened to her now she is in danger.
18. + What is Ellipsis? Select an example and explain how it
works…
Ellipsis is a narrative device and also the most basic idea in film editing. Ellipsis has a part of
the omission of a section of the story that is obvious for the public in or concealed for a
narrative purpose such as a horror film to create suspense.
Ellipsis is important, because films are placed of days, months and year and need to be
reduced into 100 minutes and this is were ellipsis comes in. It allows scenes that happen in
different location and times to be seen side by side on screen. Kuleshov effect and Parallel
editing can also help cut the screen time.
• From the film glossary: the shortening of the plot duration of a film achieved by deliberately
omitting intervals or sections of the narrative story or action; an ellipsis is marked by an
editing transition (a fade,dissolve, wipe, jump cut, or change of scene) to omit a period or
gap of time from the film’s narrative.
An example of this is from the film “A space Odyssey” in 2001
where Kubrick cut from a bone to a space station. At the begging
of the shot you can see the Apes messing around till they found
a bone and realize the can use it to hit other animals with it and
then find out they can build with it. This results in the bone being
from up into the air, the shot then cuts to a space station. This is
a perfect example of cutting screen time. Here the director wants
you to see the past but also the present so by cutting between
the two difference allows the audience to see both quickly
without all of the past being shown and also allows you to see
how far we have come from when we started.
19. + What is meant by the term ‘intensified continuity’? Why do you
think continuity editing has developed in this way?
Intensified continuity is the idea that over the history or film the average amount of
shots has increased, the framing in closer and more unusual focal lengths are used.
The film industry have become more wacky in there choices, trying new things. In
1930’s film making was very much the same, not many shots but had some changes
through out the year but not drastic. Between 1930’s-1960’s films consisted of 300-
600 shots very different to the present day. Film making today generally has over 2000
shots.
An example of this is “The Bourne Supremacy”, this
was created in 2004 and has an extensive amount of
shots with large movement of the camera. This movie
had a average length shot of 2 seconds. This creates
actions with so much happening within a shots
suspense is also created amongst the audience
leading the audience to pay attention to what's going
on in the scene.
Another example Is the 2003 movie “Hulk”, in this
film there is lots of actions and defiantly a lot of
shots and movement. In this 2 minute scene I
picked there was 43 shots this is nearly a quarter
of the shots a film in 1930’s would use just in 120
seconds, the film is 138 minutes long that’s an
average of just under 3000 shots for this film . As
this was a fighting scene the shots needed to
match the tempo and it did do that as the scene
was filled with lots of action and suspense.
21. +Case study-
The Kings Man Secrete Service
The scene I have picked in from the Kingsman Secrete Service, the bar fight. In
this scene the man is speaking to egsy about his job and in walks a crowd of
men. When they are talking you can already see a filming method straight away
for example the 180 degree line rule. As someone is talking to egsy you are
looking over his left shoulder towards egsy then this cuts to looking over egsy
right shoulder at the man. This has been done to create a spatial continuity for
the audience.
As the shots goes on the man is asked to leave but while he is leaving some
rhythmic editing is used. While he is locking the door the song is building up,
every time he locks the door the beat drops, this is to emphasize his power. This
technique is really effective because it lets the audience know that the tension is
building up and something is about to happen,. After the door is locked the
tempo speeds up and the rest of the shots get faster and cuts are faster to
match this.
There is also another example of rhythmic editing in this scene again to do with
the beat drop. When one of the men is knocked out everyone is looking at him
but as the beat speeds up again each person turns their head to the song. This
creates suspense as the audience knows as soon the tempo changes and they
are all looking ahead a fight is about to happen, this also creates excitement
from the audience for a fight to happen and because of the music being so fast
and up tempo is makes the audience feel up beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG9_A
D1bfnU
22. +
In this scene the shots are graphically continuous as they are all filmed in one
room, the shots are cut to show exactly what's happening and to show every
position of it. There are no random cuts or parts to it that doesn't’t fit in with what's
happening. The scene is very fast and the there are lots of cuts but the shots
change from very fast to slow motion. This is to show the best part of the fight
very clearly to the audience without them missing them but also to make the
scene ore interesting. If the whole seen was just too fast the audience wouldn't be
able to keep up and would probably get bored by adding this slow motions parts It
it drags the audience attention back in as they have gone from lots of action to
just focusing on one thing.
Another example of continuity editing is POV. Here you can see the main man
looking at something this then cuts to the criminal getting out a gun it then pans
back to his reaction where he is holding a bullet proof umbrella. This is effective
as the audience has a split second of panic as you don’t know what his looking at,
it also allows the audience to be in his perspective as the bullets are being shot
creating a stronger relationship between the movie and the audience as the
audience can have a feel of what he is doing and how he sees it creating a feeling
like there in the film.
This film is defiantly an example of intensified continuity. As this scene alone has
104 shots. Compared to filming 100 years ago this would be half the film already
done. This prove the change in how people edit films in present days and what
people enjoy more.
23. +
Case study-Hannah Montana
The scene I have picked to also talk about is from the Hannah
Montana film. In this scene she has to be at a meal with her family
but also on a date with her boyfriend but as two different people.
In this scene I would say the shots are graphically discontinuous,
this is because the shots are all over the place there is not set
room or position, there is lots of camera movement are Miley runs
around from inside to outside. The shots are long shots this is to
show the audience what is happening as it is quite a confusing
scene. If the shots were to fast the audience would be ale to see
what was going on.
In the scene there is a big example of cross cutting. This shows
two different scenes in one. The meal happening with her family
and the date she is having with her boyfriend. I would say this is
used differently to how it is normally used as this is a rom-com and
this technique is usually used in horror films. This method is a
really good way to get information across and create suspense in
a film. This would be a different type of suspense, this film makes
the audience feel nervous for her as you want her to be able to
make both but as the seen goes on and everything getting faster
out don’t have any idea what's going to happen.
24. +This scene demonstrates the 180 degree rule. When
Miley and Travis are talking everything in the shot and
location stays on the same side of the line, the rule is not
broken. If the rule is broken it can cause confusion about
where everything is and with the scene already taking
places at two location this could be wrong. Here when
you look over his shoulder (left) you look over her
opposite shoulder (right), this technique gives the shot a
smooth flow and doesn’t confuse the audience.
Also this scene includes rhymic relationship between the
song and the shot. There is not music throughout the
whole scene but when there is it fits perfectly to what’s
happening. When the song in up beat Miley is running
around everywhere, being chased and hiding. The song
matching the actions makes the scene really silly but
really fun and enjoyable. After everything is ruined the
song then changes to slow and sad, the shots are now
edited to slow motion. This is to show us her emotion on
her face by slowing everything down but also change
drastically from happy faces to sad faces and for the
audience to really focus on her at that moment.
