This document provides guidance for a project on editing techniques for short film production. It outlines three sections: the development of editing, the principles of editing, and the conventions and techniques of editing. For each section, it describes the grading criteria for a pass, merit, or distinction. It directs the reader to resources on the history of editing and lists specific editing techniques that should be researched and analyzed with examples for the project.

1. Section 3
Short Film Production
Project
Editing Techniques

2.  This section will have 3 parts
 A = the development of editing
 B = the principles of editing
 C = conventions & techniques of editing
Grading Criteria
PASS – Describe the development of editing
MERIT – Explain the development of editing
with use of illustrative examples
DISTINCTION – Critically assess the
development of editing with
use of detailed examples that
you have analysed
Section 3 - Editing

3.  This is the first part of section 3.
 In this section you must discuss the following;
◦ In early films, what was editing like? Did it exist at all? Why did they
start to do it and when? Can you identify, explain and analyse some
examples of early forms of editing?
◦ How and when did it start to get more sophisticated? Why did it
change – was it due to technology or theory or a bit of both? What
effect did the early use of editing have on filmmakers and the
audience? Can you identify, explain and analyse some examples of the
evolution of editing?
◦ Mini case study of 2 important people in film editing. You should
research Lev Kuleshov and Sergei Eisenstein – who are they, where did
they work, what did they do in terms of the development of editing
that was so important? Can you identify, explain and analyse some
examples of what they did? What lasting effect did they have on
filmmaking?
◦ NOTE – if you want to aim for a DISTINCTION you should most
definitely give detailed examples and analyse them also you could
carry out another mini case study of a modern director and their use of
editing in their films.
Section 3A – The development of
editing

4.  Obviously being in the lesson will have
helped you to understand all of this but a
great resource to START with is –
www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Critici
sm-Ideology/Editing-THE-DEVELOPMENT-
OF-EDITING/htm
 You should also be searching for and
using sources of your own research
Section 3A - Sources

5. In this section you are basically discussing
and analysing the purposes of editing.
Grading Criteria
PASS – Describe the principles of editing
MERIT – Explain the principles of editing
with use of illustrative examples
DISTINCTION – Critically assess the
principles of editing with
use of detailed examples that
you have analysed
Section 3B – The principles of
editing

6.  A good starting point is to think about this
question;
Why do we edit film?
 In class you came up with 3 key reasons
that you think all forms of editing link to;
 Storytelling
 Engaging the viewer
 Creating meaning
Section 3B – The principles of
editing

7. Storytelling
 Storytelling is all about the narrative of the film and how the editing helps to move the
narrative forward or help the viewer to understand the narrative better.
 When discussing this you need to think about the different types of narrative that can be
used in filmmaking and the tricks used by the editor to help move these narratives
forward.
 Think about – linear or non-linear narrative, use of flashbacks and flashforwards, use of
dream sequences.
 A very important thing to discuss would be how editing manipulates time. For example,
most films are 90 minutes or more yet some films will tell a narrative which spans the
period of days or weeks and even months of years. So the editor has to use tricks to
portray the progression of time to the viewer in the shortest way possible.
 Another example of the manipulation of time in film is by cutting out unnecessary parts of
story and allowing the viewer to make inferences instead. For example, imagine as part of
your narrative your characters are going to church. Actually showing your characters
travelling to the church might not move the story forward so the editor would connect
together a shot of the characters leaving their home and a shot of the characters arriving
at the church. The audience can then use inference to assume how the characters got
from one place to the other.
Section 3B – The principles of
editing

8. Engaging the viewer
 Engaging the viewer is all about keeping them interested and involved in the film, its story
and characters.
 When discussing this you need to think about different genres of film and how they use
editing to keep the viewer interested.
 A good tip here is to talk about examples from two very different genres and compare clips
from these genres that are very different. For example I might use a clip from an action
film and a clip from a drama or romance film. When comparing these I would be able to
highlight the differences in editing styles and how even though they are different they are
both used to engage the viewer.
 For example if I were to analyse a clip from an action film I might pick a chase scene or a
fight scene. The filmmaker wants the audience to be on the edge of their seat with
excitement and also to emphasise the chaos and speed of a fight or chase scene. In order
to do this they might use very fast paced editing and lots of close up shots mixed with a
sprinkle of high angle long shots or crane shots. This would give the audience a sense of
the intensity, chaos and speed of the scene as well as allowing them to feel part of it all.
 In contrast the use of editing to engage the viewer in a drama film might be almost the
opposite. Imagine I am going to analyse a scene from a drama where two characters who
are at odds with one another are having a conversation. The filmmaker wants the
audience to be aware of the tension between the characters and maybe to feel
uncomfortable about what might happen between them, however this is all about the
verbal conversation not a physical confrontation. The editor might decide to use lots of
long, lingering shots of close-ups of the characters, faces and hands. These would give the
audience a sense of the tension between the characters because they would be able to pick
up on the body language of the characters.
Section 3B – The principles of
editing

9. Making meaning
 Making meaning is all about using editing to create subtle meaning or meaning
which is not explicit/obvious to the viewer – the viewer would have to make
connections and assumptions to pick up on it.
 A good starting point for your discussion of this would be to refer back to your
section on Lev Kuleshov and the Kuleshov Effect. The Kulesov Effect is all
about giving the audience clues or pointers to use to make assumptions or
connections about the characters emotions or motivations.
 Another way you could discuss this is by talking about juxtaposition.
Juxtaposition is the placement of two things (usually totally opposite) next to
each other to create meaning or highlight the obvious differences or unfairness
between the two.
 For example, imagine I were making a charity video for comic relief asking
people to donate money to those in need. Rather than using words I might
edit together two clips, one of starving African children crying and straight next
to it I might cut in a clip of healthy, happy English children in a McDonalds
eating burgers – what feelings might this create in the audience? What
meaning could you read into it?
Section 3B – The principles of
editing

10. In this section you will be discussing the actual
tricks or types of editing that can be carried out
– this will be the most in-depth part of section 3.
Grading Criteria
PASS – Describe the conventions & techniques of
editing
MERIT – Explain the conventions & techniques of
editing with use of illustrative examples
DISTINCTION – Critically assess the conventions &
techniques of editing with use of
detailed examples that you have
analysed
Section 3C – the conventions &
techniques of editing

11.  This is where you will need to research
types and techniques of editing and do
the following for each;
 Explain what it is
 Discuss the effect it has on the viewer
 Suggest why the editor might chose to use it pick
 Find an example of it in use in film that you can
discuss and analyse
Section 3C – the conventions &
techniques of editing

12.  These are the types & techniques of editing that you need
to research;
 Continuity editing Editing & conventions of
 Motivated editing/cut time
• Compressed time
 Montage editing
• Long take
 Parallel editing
• Simultaneous time
 180 degree rule
• Overlapping time
 Shot-reverse-shot
• Flashback
 Match on action/match
cut • Flashforward
 Graphic match TIP – this website will have
 Cross cutting lots of useful information
 Jump cut www.aber.ac.uk/media/Doc
uments/short/gramtv
Section 3C – the conventions &
techniques of editing