2. EDITING
Editing is an important part in a media
text making as before the actual
product gets released changes to the
raw material have to be made before
the audience can consume it.
Editing is when you alterate raw
footage based on the purpose of it and
editing is powerful as you can change
things such as space and time.
Editing can and has to be used in
different contests as it can create a
specific pace in TV programmes, Films,
music videos and even in news.
3. KEY THINGS
There are 4 key things to consider when editing:
- Storytelling
- Combination of shots
- Creating pace
- 180 degrease role
By starting from storytelling we have these 2 key terms: Narrative
and Storyline, what is the difference between them?
1. Narrative in what order events have been shown
2. Storyline The plan, what the story is about.
4. STORYLINE & NARRATIVE
The storyline, which is what the media text is about, can have two different types of
ending, one is a open ended ending and the other one is a closed ending.
Having a open ended ending means that the story hasn’t finished yet which means that
there is going to be a sequel, or something else that will tell you the ending and often
times this is a good commercial move because as people like your media content you
can make more money with a sequel which people are almost forced to watch or get as
they liked the previous part of it. In open ended situations, producers tend to not to leave
too many unanswered questions as then the fans might not be happy of waiting till the
next release of the product.
Instead, a closed ending means that the story finishes there and that there is no continue
of narration, this is used when the producers know that there is no need to add more
things about characters, story or events as everything has been already answered.
5. OPEN ENDED ENDING
A clear example of a open ended ending is Transformers as at the
end of each film we can always see a scene where “Optimus
Prime”, one of the main characters says something that relates to
the message of the film and then does or says something that
makes the audience think about what’ s going to happen
afterwards.
In addition to that, on transformers 4 we
also have “Megatron” as he was able to
escape from humans again and survive
which obviously means that he is going to
come back emphasising a sequel to this
film.
6. OPEN ENDED ENDING
Another clear example of a open ended ending is the film
“Skyline” which is a alien invasion science fiction thriller film
that ends in a weird way as the main character gets
captured by the aliens and then his brain gets moved on to
a alien’s brain almost as human brains are their food, but it
seems that he is not dead yet as he
takes control of the alien body and
starts killing the others in the alien ship
as he was trying to save his wife/
girlfriend. And that’s when the open
ended ending comes as he remains
an alien after saving his wife, still in the
alien ship, leaving the audience with
a big question. “What’s going to
happen afterwards?”
7. CLOSED ENDED ENDING
A example of a closed ended ending is “I am legend” with Will
Smith as the main character, towards the end he finds finally a
cure to the vampire infection and at the same time the
Darkseekers assault the laboratory sealing themselves in with the
female Darkseeker on which the protagonist was experimenting
on; but because he found a cure he gave it to his wife Anna
and then he takes a grenade and kills the Darkseekers and
himself, saving the cure as before suiciding with the grenade he
let his wife and child escape from the city. The next day, before
the crack of dusk, Anna and Ethan discover that her theory is
right as they arrive at the survivors’ camp in Vermont. They are
greeted by some military officers and Anna hands the cure to
one of them and the film ends.
I am legend
ending
8. STORYLINE & NARRATIVE
The story can be narrated in two different ways, in a linear way and in a non linear way.
When the story is being told in a linear way it means that the events follow a
chronological order and usually this technique is used to not to confuse the viewer so
that the message can be easier to understand, whereas when the story is being told in a
non linear way it means that the events do not follow a chronological order and with this
technique some people may get confused, but sometimes it is really useful to explain
some scenes in a better way.
9. LINEAR STORYLINE
A linear storyline is a story that is being told in a chronological order
and it’s the most common way to tell a story as it makes it easier for
the audience to understand the plot and what happens to the
characters. Even if flashbacks are added in a media text, the story
is still linear as long as it is being told in a chronological way.
10. LINEAR STORYLINE
Here’s an example of a linear storyline: The conjuring
The plot of this film is linear and there is no going back in time, it’s a
common horror movie, paranormal events are happening in a house,
some demonologists come to solve the situation, they do an exorcism and
then then family that got saved lives happily.
11. NON LINEAR STORYLINE
A non linear storyline has the events not put in a chronological order and producers
use this technique to be different than the usual chronological storyline that everyone
does and to make people think more about the story and the characters as they need
to be able to solve “puzzles” which should make the media product more interactive
to the consumers as it’s not just something you just watch.
As explained before, a non linear storyline can be also used to explain something in a
better way.
12. NON LINEAR STORYLINE
A example of a storyline that is not being shown
in a chronological order is the music video Katy
Perry – Last Friday Night where straight at the
beginning we see the protagonist being lost as
she had no idea on what happened to her
room to when the video shows something that
happened in the past that explains why the
house was a mess at the beginning.
Here is when
we see the
house all
messed up
like it just had
a party.
This is a shot taken after the beginning
scene of the protagonist and we can
notice that people are having a party
which explains why the house was like
that in the first scene.
Katy Perry – Last Friday Night
13. COMBINATION OF SHOTS
The use of a variety of combination of shots in different angles is necessary in the
making of a media text as it is really useful to attract and draw the viewer’s eyes onto
something you want to show which can be the setting, the feelings of some
characters or relationships. Being able to use a wide range of shots at the right time is
a skill that needs to develop a lot in editing as you need to be careful on the order in
which you put shots, you should move from one shot to another slowly without
jumping too much and by this I mean that for example, if you want to go from a Long
shot to a extreme close up you have to do a mid shot, then a close up and then a
extreme close up and this process has to be done even when you go in the opposite
way.
14. COMBINATION OF SHOTS
Why do we have to follow this pattern? Simply because we, as producers don’ t want to
let the viewers move too much their eyes as that can be confusing and unpleasant, if a
scene is focused on a particular character and you move from a shot to another the
eyes of the viewer might be confused as the main focus of the scene shifts from one part
of the screen to another (for example from a low angle to a bird eye view)
Example of good use of combination of shots.
Eastenders clip
Close up Mid shot Mid Long shot
15. CREATING PACE
Creating pace is a editing technique used to create a sense of pace and it is used
a lot especially in music videos as you need to cut to the beat to match the
footing to the music/song. Although creating pace is one of the most important
things to consider when making a music video, it is vital in TV programmes too as
sometimes there are scenes where many cuts are needed due to specific
situations. Also the music has to fit the theme of the scene so that all flows natural.
16. CREATING PACE
Example of creating pace: FEDEZ - TUTTO IL CONTRARIO Prod. Jt
(OFFICIAL VIDEO)
In this music video
there were a lot of
cuts and they all
have been done
based on the beat of
the sound so that the
video can be more
enjoyable to watch
as you listen to the
song
17. 180 DEGREE RULE
This role states that once two (or more) characters are being
established then they must remain on that side from the camera’s
point of view.
This role cannot be ignored and in some situations such as in
interviews or general conversations breaking this role can cause
confusion and may disturb the viewer’s look.
18. 180 DEGREE ROLE
A perfect example is a
football match, they always
film from the same side for
the whole match and
sometimes they do change
angles to show what’s
happening from a different
scene but they never
change side completely.
Changing side can confuse a lot the viewers as they got used
to see from which side a team is playing and this is one of the
many reasons for which you should respect the 180 degree
role.
Football match
19. CONTINUITY ERRORS
Continuity errors are errors being made during films and they are
hard to find as they consists on having mistakes in props, locations
and costumes. These errors have to be constantly checked as
scenes are being filmed in different times and places, so even the
simplest and obvious thing which can be a difference in haircut
from one shot to another can make the viewer feel weird as
everything should be the same from one scene to another.
20. CONTINUITY ERRORS
Here is an example of a mistake in a famous film,
which is Titanic.
When Rose is trying to rescue Jack she spies a fire
axe. Smashing all the glass out from the holder she
grabs the axe and turns round. The next camera
shot shows Rose standing in front of the case with
almost all of its glass intact.
21. CONTINUITY ERRORS
In the scene where Forrest goes and visits
Jenny (and is introduced to his son), there is
an iron on the ironing board in the
background. It stands up, then down, then
up. The child's artwork in the background
also disappears.
22. MATCH ON ACTION
Match on action is when one action is being filmed from a specific angle and then cut to
another angle to continue or end it, it is a really difficult technique to apply as actors need
to try doing it several times before they get it right; at the beginning of the second shot
that continues or ends the previous one actors need to be at the same exact position as
they were at the end of the previous shot.
Eastenders clip
(0.3s – 0.6s)
In this bit of clip she goes down to
grab the beer
And this is when the match on
action happens as the previous
shot has been completed in this
shot where she actually picks up
the bottle
23. PARALLEL EDITING
Parallel editing happens when 2 scenes are being shown at the
same “in film” time and it is used to o show the viewers that more
things are happening at the same time. It is also useful to leave
more suspense to the viewers as there can be a scene that is fast
phased that then gets cut to another scene where all looks calm.
As an overall is a really good technique that is useful when you
have more than one story that has to be told at the same time.
24. PARALLEL EDITING
This is a clip from the film “The Silence
of the Lambs” and at some point the
producers used parallel editing to
show what the FBI is doing and In the
other side what the criminal Bill is
doing.
The Silence of the Lambs
parallel editing clip
25. CUTAWAY
Cutaway is another technique of editing which doesn’t involve the
main focus of the scene, what it does is cutting a scene where the
camera was focused on a specific character to show other things
and characters around it. This technique is used a lot and
specifically when sport matches are being shown on TV as
sometimes the camera moves away from the actual match to
show the reaction of the people watching or even the instructors
watching at the edge of the field.
26. CUTAWAY
This is a clip from “The GodFather”
https://videos.files.wordpress.com/Y7EaoGfX/the-godfather-clip_dvd.mp4
The camera moves from the main focus to show what’s happening around the main
characters as it was crowded and people might be interested on what was going on
around them.
27. JUMP CUT
Jump cut is a technique used to reduce a long take by editing out
one or more sections. Often times watching a scene where a
character is doing something and nothing else happens can be
boring and because of that editors cut to the end (like walking your
way back home and then cut into being in front of their house).
28. JUMP CUT
This example is taken from the film “Snatch” and
in this scene they go on a robbery to take some
diamonds and at the end after actually getting
the diamonds the scene suddenly cuts to the
characters being already on the car.
29. MATCH CUT
A match cut is a technique that is used rarely in films and TV
programmes, but can be really useful in adverts and it is an action that
is shown in one scene and then repeated in a similar fashion in the next
one.
Match cut is used to make the change of scene smoother and to tell
the viewer that there is a relationship between the two ( or more )
scenes and it a good way of changing scene.
30. MATCH CUT
The best example of match cut is the advert made by the
company John Lewis for the 150th anniversary and in this
advert there is a constant use of match cut as actions end in
a scene and then on the other scene a character does the
same action but in a different context and place.
The company used this technique in this video to show the
progress and the history of the business.
John Lewis 150
anniversary
advert
31. SHOT REVERSE SHOT
A shot reverse shot is used in a discussion between 2 or more
people and the camera angle firstly shows a specific character’s
face and then it shifts to the other character who is talking then
looks back to the other character based on who is speaking
32. SHOT REVERSE SHOT
This is another clip of EastEnders that shows really well the technique
“Shot reverse shot”.
In this scene there is a conversation between two people and each
time someone speaks, the camera either shows the facial
expression of the other person or shows the face of the one talking.
EastEnders clip
33. TRANSITIONS
Transitions are when you fade in/out and as in match cut it is used
to make a change of scene smoother, fluent and better looking; it
is also used in specific scenes to emphasise a flashback, a hot
climate or a specific scene.
Fade ins and fade outs are the second most common type of
transition. Fade outs happen when the picture is gradually replaced
by black screen or any other solid colour. Traditionally, fade outs
have been used to conclude movies. Fade ins are the opposite: a
solid colour gradually gives way to picture, commonly used in the
beginning of movies.
35. DISSOLVE
This is an example taken from “Citizen Kane” and we can notice
that the previous shot slowly fades away while the next one
appears on top of the previous one
Citizen Kane clip
36. SUPERIMPOSITION
Superimposition is when one image is being put on top of another
to create a special effect of relationship between the two shots
that are taken at the same time.
This is a general example of how superimposition should be used as
the black female with the light brown hair looks like it has a good
combination of colours with the other shot being but on behind her
Superimposition clip
37. SLOW/FAST MOTION
Slow/fast motion is when you slow down or speed up a scene to
give the viewer a different feeling of the scene as slow phased
scene can be more detailed and give suspense whereas fast
phased scene can emphasise time passing or something that
happens so quick that you can’t even see it.
38. SLOW FAST MOTION
This example is taken from the last fighting scene of “Suicide
Squad” and as the “Squad” is about to kill the antagonist with a
grenade we can notice the slow motion being used to give more
tension to the viewer and to put in evidence the details and the
situation in which the characters are.
After the explosion, after everything went as planned the slow
motion stopped and it was normal.
39. ELLIPSIS
Ellipsis is the editing out of a period of time as it can be boring to
watch it entirely and It gets cut out because it is a obvious thing
that people expect the character to be able to do.
40. ELLIPSIS
This is a short clip that explains really well how ellipsis works as the
main character reads a book on how to make a cake and then it
cuts on other scenes where everything is being prepared as if he
has already done some steps. It is being used to entertain better
the viewer as it is not boring as watching the entire scene on where
he prepares the props and ingredients.
This is the link for the scene:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg3viFdohH4
41. HISTORY OF EDITING
Analogue: physical media products
Digital: Electronic media products
Hardware: Is the actual device that you can physically touch
Software: It’s a program inside a hardware that cannot be touched
Editing: The editing process can involve correction, condensation,
organization, and many other modifications performed with an
intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate and
complete work.
42. HISTORY OF EDITING
The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film,
but increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
Early films were short films that were one long, static, and locked-
down shot. Motion in the shot was all that was necessary to amuse
an audience, so the first films simply showed activity such as traffic
moving on a city street. There was no story and no editing. Each film
ran as long as there was film in the camera. The use of film editing
to establish continuity, involving action moving from one sequence
into another, is attributed to British film pioneer Robert W. Paul's
Come Along, Do!, made in 1898 and one of the first films to feature
more than one shot.
Films at the beginning were being edited through the actual
material footage, such as film reels and they were edited
(afterwards when editing started becoming better) by hands with
scissors by cutting the actual footage in the reels.
43. HISTORY OF EDITING
Edwin S. Porter worked on a number of minor
films before making Life of an American
Fireman in 1903. The film was the first American
film with a plot, featuring action, and even a
close-up of a hand pulling a fire alarm. The
film comprised a continuous narrative over
seven scenes, rendered in a total of nine
shots. He put a dissolve between every shot,
just as Georges Méliès was already doing, and
he frequently had the same action repeated
across the dissolves. His film, The Great Train
Robbery (1903), had a running time of twelve
minutes, with twenty separate shots and ten
different indoor and outdoor locations. He
used cross-cutting editing method to show
simultaneous action in different places.
In 1999 films started being created on
hardrives (the first one created was Star
Wars Episode One). In 1903 instead there
was the first use of parallel editing/match
on action.
