Research
for Editing Techniques
Development of Editing
There are two types of cuts; the image on the left side is
Reprise (In Camera Editing). This is when you stop the camera where you want
Shot A to end and Shot B to begin. The image on the right is Aboutage (Splice
Editing) and this is physically cutting the film at the point of edit, then
taping the shots together.
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Shot A
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Shot A
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Shot A
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Shot A
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Shot B
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Shot B
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Shot B
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Shot B
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Modern day programme used
for film editing.
The original editing
machine, an upright Moviola.
The Silent Cutters
Edwin S. Porter
Porter discovered that a
shot’s meaning is not self-contained in his film The Life of an American
Fireman in 1902. He then discovered parallel editing in the Great Train Robbery
in 1903.
George Méliès
Méliès directed
531 films between 1896 and 1913. Méliès was a former magician who added more
than one shot to a film in 1899’s Cinderella. He also discovered in-camera
special effects.
D.W Griffith
Griffith discovered dramatic
emphasis by utilizing close-ups to create more of an impact on the audience in films
such as The Birth of a Nation. Griffith and his personal cinematographer G.W.
Bitzer collaborated to create and perfect such cinematic devices as the
flashback, the iris shot, the mask and crosscutting.
The Revolutionaries
Lev Kulshov
Kulshov founded the world’s
first film school and conducted cinematic experiments in which he studied the
juxtaposition of images. This was later referred to as the Kulshov Experiments.
These experiments discovered an images juxtaposition affects an audience’s
interpretation of the shots.
Sergei Eisenstein
Eisenstein expanded on
Kulshov’s experiment with his own ideas in Film Grammar. His ideas include five
types of montage. Metric, Rhythmic,
Tonal, Over Tonal and Intellectual Montage.
V.I Pudovkin
Pudovkin explored the ideas
of Kulshov and interpreted his own idea. He expanded Kulshov’s idea and focuses
on ‘constructive editing’
Anti- Cut Movement
Andre Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky did not agree with
Eisenstein’s ideas and experiments. He believed that films are moulded by
metaphysical themes, long takes and images of extreme beauty. He also thought
that editing did not determine rhythm.
Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock wanted to see if a
film could be executed within one shot. This became the film Rope (1948),
because of technical limitations the film was executed in ten shots with hidden
cuts.
Alexander Sokurov
Sokurov the director who was
mentioned by Tarkovsky completed the first film to be completed in one shot, in
his film Russian Ark (2002) there was no cuts.
Different Shots
I am going to mention a few different shots
and show examples.
Aerial shot-A shot taken from a plane, helicopter or a person on
top of a building. Not necessarily a moving shot.
Backlighting- The main source
of light is behind the subject, silhouetting it, and directed toward the camera.
Cross-cutting- Literally, cutting between different
sets of action that can be occurring simultaneously or at different times,
(this term is used synonymously but somewhat incorrectly with parallel
editing.) Cross-cutting is used to build suspense, or to show the relationship
between the different sets of action.
Jump cut- Cut where there is no match between the
2 spliced shots. Within a sequence, or more particularly a scene, jump cuts
give the effect of bad editing. The opposite of a match cut, the jump cut is an
abrupt cut between 2 shots that calls attention to itself because it does not
match the shots seamlessly. It marks a transition in time and space but is
called a jump cut because it jars the sensibilities; it makes the spectator
jump and wonder where the narrative has gone.
Continuity cuts- These are cuts that take us seamlessly and logically from one sequence or
scene to another. This is an unobtrusive cut that serves to move the narrative
along.
Dolly- A set of wheels and a platform upon
which the camera can be mounted to give it mobility. Dolly shot is a shot taken
from a moving dolly. Almost synonymous in general usage with tracking shot or
follow shot.
Flashback- A scene or sequence (sometime an entire
film), that is inserted into a scene in "present" time and that deals
with the past. The flashback is the past tense of the film.
Iris in/out
An old
technique of punctuation that utilizes a diaphragm in front of the lens, which
is opened (iris in) or closed (iris out) to begin or end a scene. The iris can
also be used to focus attention on a detail of the scene.
Cut
A
visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously
replaced on screen by another.
Continuity
editing
Editing
that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring
visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.
Cross
cutting
Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating
they are happening simultaneously.
Dissolve
A
gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the
beginning of the next one.
Editing
The
work of selecting and joining together shots to create a finished film.
Errors
of continuity
Disruptions
in the flow of a scene, such as a failure to match action or the placement of
props across shots.
Establishing
shot
A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur.
A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur.
Eyeline
match
The matching of eyelines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.
The matching of eyelines between two or more characters. For example, if Sam looks to the right in shot A, Jean will look to the left in shot B. This establishes a relationship of proximity and continuity.
Fade
A
visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief
interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in
the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place.
Final
cut
The
finished edit of a film, approved by the director and the producer. This is
what the audience sees.
The purpose of editing
Video
editing
is the process of manipulating and rearranging video shots to create a new work.
Remove
unwanted footage
This is the
simplest and most common task in editing. Many videos can be dramatically
improved by simply getting rid of the flawed or unwanted bits.
Choose
the best footage
It is common
to shoot far more footage than you actually need and choose only the best
material for the final edit. Often you will shoot several versions (takes) of a
shot and choose the best one when editing.
Create
a flow
Most videos
serve a purpose such as telling a story or providing information. Editing is a
crucial step in making sure the video flows in a way which achieves this goal.
Add
effects, graphics, music, etc
This is often
the "wow" part of editing. You can improve most videos (and have a
lot of fun) by adding extra elements.
Alter
the style, pace or mood of the video
A good editor
will be able to create subtle mood prompts in a video. Techniques such as mood
music and visual effects can influence how the audience will react.
Give
the video a particular "angle"
Video can be
tailored to support a particular viewpoint, impart a message or serve an
agenda.
