EDITING Film 1010 – Week 3.1

EDITING
Film 1010 – Week 3.1
The “Cut”
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Film strip is cut with
scissors.
Another segment is
then pasted to it.
“Cut to…”
The Shot
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A shot is any continuous piece of film.
Terminology still applies, even with digital
production.
Earliest films were single-shot films
 Lumiere
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Bros., Arrival of a Train
Editing does away with fixed perspective and
continuous duration.
Transitions
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Most apparent form of editing
Fade-In/Fade-Out: gradual darkening or lightening
of the image.
 Fade-Out
a/k/a “Fade to Black”
 Example: Dead Man
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Dissolve: two shots present at one; one fades in
while one fades out.
 Both generally signify a gap in time
and/or shift to a new location.
Transitions, cont’d
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Iris In/Out – obscures portions of the screen in
darkness; shifts in or out.
 Generally
a silent film effect.
 Example: The Cheat (DeMille, 1915)
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Wipe – a line moves across the frame, replacing
one image with another.
 Example:
Star Wars
Continuity Editing
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Dominant style in Hollywood (and worldwide)
We assume a continuous time and space*
Continuity editing is designed to be “invisible”
Continuity seeks maximum clarity.
 Ensures
that viewers don’t get “lost” in the scene.
Continuity Principles
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Establishing Shot – initial long shot that orients the
viewer in space.
The Two-Shot – Close shot of two characters
speaking.
 Sets
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up individual close-ups
Shot/reverse-shot — alternating close-ups of
characters
Insert – a brief close-up of a significant detail
 Examples:
computer screens, letters, guns
180-degree Rule
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The “heart” of continuity editing
Establishing shot sets-up an IMAGINARY line.
All shots take place on one side of this line.
Ensures consistent spatial orientation for viewer.
30-degree Rule – Shots must be varied by at least
30 degrees
 Each
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shot new angle should be motivated.
Examples: Million Dollar Baby; A Few Good Men
Exceptions to the rule
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Jump Cuts – a segment of time is cut out
 Examples:
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Disorientation
 Example:
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Breathless; Taxi Driver; Royal Tennenbaums
Dark City
Experimental films & Art films
 Often
avoid Hollywood norms
 Strive for alienation
Matches
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Eyeline match – a character looks offscreen; next
shot displays what character sees.
 The
look motivates the cut.
 Example: Dead Man; Do the Right Thing
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Match-on-action – cut to a different angle during
an action
 This
“hides” the cut
Example: demo video
Chronology
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Film’s ordering of events
Most films are linear (beginning-middle-end)
Non-linear films – juggle the order of events
 Examples:
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Pulp Fiction, Memento
Flashback – earlier event is inserted into the
chronological order
 Motivated
(character memory, story)
 Visually cued as different
Rhythmic Editing
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Editing may have a rhythm or tempo.
Tempo (number of cuts) increases during action
scenes.
 Example:
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Musical Editing – cut to beat of music
 Example:
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Bourne Ultimatum
Franz Ferdinand video
Magnolia (Anderson, 1999)
Montage
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French for “editing”
Soviets in the 1920s adopted the term.
 Editing
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as the creation of ideas through association
Definition: Juxtaposition of 2 images creates an
idea not present in the images alone.
A metaphorical use of editing
Example: Modern Times
Montage, cont’d
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Also, a condensing of time by showing a series of
shots.
Example: Chasing Amy
Bonnie & Clyde (Penn, 1967)