This document analyzes the editing techniques used in the film The Descent. It summarizes each shot type used in one scene where a family is in a car crash. The shots start out long and slow to establish normalcy, but quicken to build tension before the crash. During the crash, shots are close-ups to surprise the audience with the fast pace. Afterwards, a crane shot shows the aftermath at a slow pace to emphasize the eerie calm after the accident.

1. The Descent – Editing Analysis
Jordon Jones

2. Long shot
This scene is a long shot as it shows the car including the entire location of where the
people in the car are driving to. This would have been done to show the audience the
family are driving somewhere. The camera shot would’ve been a wide shot.

3. Over the shoulder shot
This shot is an over the shoulder shot. This shot has been done to show the mother
conversing with her daughter, and showing the strong bond between them.

4. POV/Reverse shot
This shot is a reverse/POV (point of view) shot. This shot is done to show the
relationship between the mother and daughter, and has the background purposely out
of focus to draw attention to the mothers face.

5. Close up shot
This shot is a close up shot. The shot is done to show the dads face, giving the impression he
doesn’t want to be there, making the audience think that not everything is okay like it was
suggested earlier.

6. Mid shot
This shot is a mid shot. This shot was again used to show the relationship between the
mom and her daughter, but shows the dad uninterested and quiet, giving the
impression he doesn’t have a very good relationship with his wife or daughter.

7. Frame two shot
This shot is a frame two shot. This shot uses the seats as a frame to focus on the car in the
middle of the shot. The shot shows the couple talking with the dad looking towards towards
his wife instead of keeping his eyes on the road, as you can see the cars about to crash into
each other.

8. The editing pace
• In the first half, the editing pace starts off slow, and leads
towards a faster pace before the crash happens. It starts off slow
because the editor wants to give the impression of things being
dull with the dad, and hints towards him saying something or
them about to break up. However it is also slow because the
editor wants to create a normality, giving the impression that
everything is okay, and shows the mom and daughter building
towards the future even with the shots showing the dad being
unhappy. The pace slowly starts to build up, as before the crash
happens you can see the car coming, which is a scene that lasts
for about 3-4 seconds compared to the others that last between
5-10 seconds. This was done to make the buildup to the crash
more effective as the audience could see something bad was
going to happen.

9. Close up shot
This shot is a close up shot. The shot shows the two cars crashing into each other. This is
the first scene that shows the editing pace change from slow to fast, which happens
because it surprises the audience as the film has been slow until now and the change of
pace grabs the audience’s attention and makes them jump.

10. Close up shot
This shot is a close up shot of the rods. This shot is the only shot where the rods are real,
as when they enter the window that was all done in C.G.I (computer generated images)

11. Close up shot
This shot is another close up shot. The shot shows the rods going through the window.
The rods in this scene are made with C.G.I, and the pole going through the chair is fake
because you would see the pole in front of the dads chest instead of just popping out of
the back. It shows the dads reaction and shows how scared he is.

12. Close up shot
This shot is another close up shot. The shot shows the rod entering the dads skull and
popping out through the other side, but it is fake as you can clearly see the large
amounts of fake blood coming off the rod, and is made to show what happened to the
dad so that they aren't questioning whether he was killed or not in the next scenes.

13. Crane shot
This shot is a crane shot. The shot shows the aftermath of the cars after the accident has
happened. The editing pace slows down again to show how nobody is coming to help and
has an effect to show how weirdly calm the scene is after the accident.