2. VIDEO EDITING
Final product: end result of the video/ movie clip.
EXAMPLEā¦
open-ended storyline : cliff-hanger/ incomplete end.
OR
Closed storyline: story is resolved/ clear definite end.
Annotation: adding extra features
e.g. sound effects and bloopers
Cutting: editing out certain parts of
the clip / video that are deemed
unnecessary
Adjusting/ altering: the video and
certain scenes throughout to give
it more effect or to bring emphasis
to the scene.
Improving (a draft): changing it
/editing it to suit the final
product
3. PURPOSE: VIDEO EDITING
ā¢ Video editing is the process that leads to a final product by piecing together raw footage , changing it
cutting and adjusting it to suit your desired result. An example would be fighting films such as rush hour
that use many different shots of raw footage piece it together to make a more intense setting.
ā¢ Editing is powerful as it can alter time space and interpretations of a clip or scene in the video, it can
give it a greater significance towards the end result. (An example of this would be baccano which is
used to create an effect of mystery that is set over two different years).
ā¢ There are multiple methods in which we can edit videos such as linear editing non linear editing and
live editing each is used in its own way . However linear is now mostly unused as we now have a non-
linear method which became available starting from the 1990s when the linear method became
obsolete and live editing is a fairly specialist topic and wonāt concern most people however itās editing
in real time.
baccano
5. STORYTELLING
ā¢ Storytelling: piecing together scenes in a clear way to tell the story so that a message is clearly
delivered. Examples: EastEnders & Transformers film cut from scene to scene too quickly making the
storylines unclear. Indiana Jones however had a very clear story line.
ā¢ Storyline: it is the plot. The events that create the story and the things that happen throughout.
ā¢ Linear narrative: story of events told in order. An example of this would be Indiana jones (May 22, 2008)
how it goes from scene to scene with hardly any major time skips. Itās straight forward.
ā¢ Non-linear narrative: story is not told in the order of how each situation took place. Example oblivion
(April 10, 2013) starring tom cruise is filled with very hard to understand story line that confuses the
viewer (about a man who has had his memory wiped and is forced to repeat the same activities
everyday until one day he breaks the chain and remembers who he is)
6. COMBINING SHOTS
ā¢ Combination of shots: combining a mixture of shot types / angles to attract an audiences attention &
establish settings, relationships & emotions introduced in scene(s) E.g. fist of fury (November 12,
1997)has a close up of his eyes and then a wide shot, making the viewers shift their eyes to focus on
the sudden change causing disorientation (and confusing the viewers) touch of cloth is in logical order
and has less close to no disorienting combination shots.
ā¢ 180 degree rule can be broken to emphasize the mental state or to throw the viewer off which links it
here.
7. CREATING PACE
ā¢ The pace matches the beat of the music / sound in the background to create the mood of a scene
through the speed of the cuts within the video. An example would be Eminem's music video āNot
Afraidā (April 29, 2010) as it changes scene/ point of view every time the beat hits and speeds up
towards the chorus to give the lyrics much more āoomphā and meaning.
ā¢ Depending on the rhythm of the music the scenes will change accordingly. An example would be the
music video ājust a kissā by lady antebellum (May 2, 2011) on ever fourth beat the scene changes and
the rhythm and it speeds up in the chorus to bring the focus to the lyrics and with this the scene
changes faster too.
8. 180 DEGREE RULE
ā¢ When youāve established your character on a certain side of the screen they must stay like that unless
you show the change in the movement.
ā¢ The camera is used as the point of view of the audience, this does not change unless something in the
scene does.
ā¢ The camera moves across to the other side as the other character talks/ responds to the first character.
This is so they seem to be sitting on opposite sides of each other (characters canāt be on the same side).
This is best used in conversations or interviews/ interrogation. (e.g. man left, woman right)
ā¢ 180 degree rule can be broken to emphasis the crazy or mental state of a character this throws the
viewer off so they know something is wrong with this character.
ā¢ An example would be the conversation scene in ālock outā, where the male protagonist and the female
protagonist are discussing their escape.
10. CONTINUITY EDITING
ā¢ Make sure everything is kept the same when you switch shots e.g. Harry
Potter the goblet of fire (November 18, 2005) the scar changing side on his
forehead.
ā¢ It loses the realism in the film and the audience lose interest along the
way, itās hard to keep continuity thatās why a continuity manager was set
in place to make sure that everything was the same before the scene
continues.
ā¢ Make sure to take picture of everything as the shots are switched
example twilight Jacobs tribal tattoo changes from being up on his
shoulder to lower on his shoulder.
11. MATCH ON ACTION
ā¢ when an action begins at one angle and then continues from another angle the audiences eyes are
drawn to this change of movement and it draws them into to the scene more and gets them interested
in what could happen next.
ā¢ An example of this is when there is a medium long shot of someone drinking a drink, it will then cut to
the drink touching that persons lips as a close up. This technique is used to show what's going to
happen in detail the cuts match together to show what's going on and this is effective for the audience
to understand.
ā¢ Another example is the amateur shot above of someone going to the door. Match on action is used
when movement is made by a character or object to add a different angle to the story.
12. PARALLEL EDITING
ā¢ Cutting between two or more scenes to show that while this is going on in scene one
something else is happening at the same time in scene two. An example would be from
the movie inception the top picture is what's happening in reality, the second shows what
is happening in the first dream and the last picture shows the second dream. These are
happening in the same moment of time and the editor shows this by cutting between
scenes often to prove this is all happening at the same time.
ā¢ If you were to add juxtaposition which is when two opposites put together to emphasize
contradiction the god father 2 (December 12, 1974) is an example of this as he is getting
christened promising to never cause pain etc. and at the same time in multiple other
positions heās got his men committing crimes.
ā¢ Parallel editing is a a link between two scene's an example being when there is two
separate story lines that come together at some point.
13. CUTAWAY
ā¢ Cutting away from the main subject to show other things
happening around it. It adds to the background information
that will help the audience understand the movie/ music
video more or acts as a buffer between scenes.
ā¢ An example of this is the longest yard (May 27, 2005) it
switches between the game to the people around it for
instants the crowd on the bleachers to the commentators
and back to the players in the game.
ā¢ Cutting to a āhappy imageā e.g. a baby smiling or puppy ,
would imply a āsafeā or a positive tone, whereas, cutting to a
ādanger of deathā sign would certainly imply something bad
is about to happen.
14. JUMP CUTS
ā¢ A way of reducing long takes by editing out one or more sections this can be
disorienting for the audience so you must be careful with the way you edit scenes
out because too many scenes taken out would cause too much of a leap between
scenes and it would stop the audience from understanding the video. Jump cuts
show the time difference and make the audience take notice of the video/movie.
ā¢ And example would be driving on the road then pulling up to the destination OR a
character walking upstairs and the jump cut to them reaching the top step (for
example the amateur shot to the side).
15. MATCH CUT
ā¢ A different scenario with the same action being repeated or
continued to suggest a relationship between two different
objects and to create a visual metaphor the link between two or
more scenes could also be like a time skip (progression of time)
with people not objects. Match cuts are the basis of the
continuity editing.
ā¢ An example the lion king (October 7, 1994) it shifts from them
walking across the bridge in the same position the only thing
changing is the background and their surroundings.
16. GRAPHIC CUT (GRAPHIC MATCH CUT)
ā¢ Much like match cut except its to do with objects switching places with
objects (with objects not people) its when two shots are successfully
joined (same colour and overall shape) to make a smooth and easier
transition it can also establish a strong continuity of action that will link
them.
ā¢ An example is a bone club changed in the next scene to an orbital nuclear
weapon from the movie (2001) space odyssey they both link to death as
the bone is stripped of skin and the orbital nuclear weapon could kill
billions of innocent people they link through danger and impending doom.
17. SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT
ā¢ When people are talking this technique is used to cut
between both characters faces to show the audience the
reactions and allow them to understand what the
conversation consists of so that they understand why they
are reacting or how they are reacting.
ā¢ An example is crazy stupid love (July 29,2011) as they show
the reaction to the other persons comment theyāre
obviously shocked and the audience knows it too.
18. FADE OUT / FADE IN
ā¢ The fade-out is used to signify the end of the scene and fade-in signifies a
new start or the beginning to a new scene. The terms fade out and fade
in are used to describe the transition to and from a blank image, cuts
such as a jump cuts have no such transitions because they are an instant
switching between scenes to reduce long takes.
ā¢ These transitionās are important as they represent change, as without
change we wouldnāt have perception. The transitions give as steady pace
in the movie / music video.
ā¢ An example of this is in the Simpsons with Homer and Smithers looking
out the broken images. .
19. DISSOLVE
ā¢ This is when one scene fades out while another fades in over the
top of the first image/ scene, the two scenes mix into each other
much like the graphic match cut this is used as a transition
between scenes and can be used to indicate that a period of time
has passed between the two scenes.
ā¢ An example of a dissolve is the gif where the image of a cat
dissolves into a lollipop.
20. WIPE
ā¢ A wipe follows a motion wiping away the other scene and focussing
on the main one. An example is the star wars (July 16, 1999) first
few movies used wipes the following image is an example of this.
ā¢ One image is replaced by another with a distinct edge that forms a
shape. For example a simple edge, an expanding circle, or the
turning of a page . It makes the audience more aware theyāre
watching a movie.
21. SUPERIMPOSITION
ā¢ When an image overlaps another and seems to be side by side
with one another. They overlap but donāt interfere with each
other this is a method commonly used to make a relation or link
between two images. For example: Grease (September 14, 1978)
near the end of the hit song summer dreams (1978) the girl and
boy are at different locations but they use superimposition to
make them seem like they are side by side this is used to make the
audience understand they are thinking of each other the
superimposition just shows the link.
22. SLOW MOTION / FAST MOTION
ā¢ Slowing down the action to emphasize how fast theyāre moving an
example would be the matrix where Neo dodgeās the bullets being
shot at him the screen slows down to emphasize heās going really
fast to dodge them.
ā¢ speeding up the action is used for comic effect an example of this
is āupstreamā (January 30, 1927) the silent black a white movie itās
a comedy so they speed up the dancing clip to make it funnier for
the audience.
23. ELLIPSIS
ā¢ āā¦ā is used to emphasize or cut out a piece of
time generally used to allow the viewer to fill in
using their imagination based on how the last
scene ended and how the characters/ the next
scene begins. Ellipsis are used for a part of the
story thatās either obvious enough for the public
to fill in or hidden for a narrative purpose, such
as suspense or mystery.
ā¢ An example ātraining dayā () when the man is
talking to the boy then a period of time passes
shown by the sun and then we see the boy and
the man asleep on the couch.
25. HOW IT EVOLVEDā¦
ā¢ Movies were just pictures at a fast pace (3o frames per second) but Edwin s. porter thought it would be
interesting to cut up the film reals and stick them together in different scenes.
ā¢ Editing didnāt exist until the movie ālife of an American firemanā (1901) by Edwin S. Porter when he
came to realize you could cut the dots on the film reals and stick them together with other scenes to
make it seem like it was cutting to a new scene this excited the public as it had never happened before.
ā¢ The Moviola machine allowed you to edit mechanically still using the same method of cutting the film
reals and sticking them together but the Moviola sped the process up by a lot and saved time when
editing.
26. ā¢ After the Moviola came the Steinbeck's (1953) they are film editing tables for the motion picture industry this
sped this up. Then came vhs editing and digital editing now the most recent is the computing editing using
hardware and it will continue to evolve as time progresses. The adventures of editing gave birth to a new art
the slow motion and fast motion. Editing is used to give the audience emotional responses.
ā¢ The amateur film makers use phones to film and edit because cameraās are too expensive however
professional editors see what's on the screen and shift it around trying to think of what the audience would
want and what's best for the movie.
ā¢ Before films were only short 5 to 10 min clips now we are able to use thousands of shots to make 2 hour
movies which is the limit. They need to use a manageable length so they use editing to edit out unneeded
scenes so its not too long.
ā¢ Modern editing is much quicker than before and the process has so many more options unlike previous
editing you can change saturation and the audio around so that it fits the scene or idea the director has in
mind for the film modern editing is much more detailed and less time Is wasted working cutting scene's.