Editing is used to adjust film clips, change their order and viewpoint, and alter the pace. Common transitions include cuts, fades, dissolves, and wipes. Most editing creates continuity of time through ellipses while extending time with techniques like elliptical editing. When editing for production, the editor structures the narrative chronologically, develops characters through varied techniques, and manipulates atmosphere with different editing styles.

1. Understanding and using editing
The uses of editing:
• To remove unwanted material or to adjust the clips
to the required lengths
• to change the order of events and to allow for clips
to go back and forth from separate locations
• to create a ‘style’ when producing a film etc
• to change the view, e.g from one point of view to
another. To show relationships between characters
• change the pace or alter the timings
Common transitions in editing:
• cut- one shot is simultaneously replaced with
another, this is the most commonly used transition
• fade out- this is a gradual transition from which a
clip may fade out into a black screen, this is
particularly used when showing that time has
passed by, still showing the narrative has continued
• match cut/ graphic match- cut between two
objects, could be two different spaces or
compositions. This helps to continually show action
• dissolve- gradual transition from one image into
another, two shots appear to be on the screen at the
same time as they fade into each other
• wipe- this is when one shot replaces another by
travelling from one side of the frame to another

2. Manipulating time
Most common use of editing is called continuity
editing, this is editing which creates a continuation in
time and does this without showing everything.
time can be extended by elliptical editing its purpose
is to create tension and is often used when a bomb is
going to go of or a gunshot.
using editing in practical production
narrative structure: edit the film/clips so that the
makes sense in time order, and so someone watching
your edited clips/film will be able to understand the
narrative
characterisation: a variety of editing techniques should
be used to create depth and how you want the
character to come across and what editing could be
done to enhance this
atmosphere: use a variety of editing techniques to
create atmosphere, using a variety can enhance the
characters, setting and narrative.