In this lesson we learned about editing and how it has been developing over the years. We watched some clips from different films and were asked to focus on the editing and cutting of the scenes. One of the clips was a car scene from Steven Spielberg's first feature 'Duel'.
Editing in 'Duel'
- The speed of the editing goes up as the car goes faster.
- The shot of the speedometer gets tighter as the car goes faster and the situation gets tenser (effective framing).
- Effective use of the sound (uses sound from the cars and machines). At the end of the clip there is no music which gives a "thriller-feel" to it.
Editing
- Editing is the art of joining separate shots together (to create longer sequences that make up the complete story of the film/programme) and to create emotion, drama, rhythm and action (through the combination of shots). 
- It is the only part of the production process that is unique to filmmaking, and is often referred to as the "invisible art"; because when done well it is so immersive the viewer doesn't notice the edits.- The very first film to use film editing as a storytelling device is 'The Great Train Robbery' (1903) by Edwin S. Porter.
- The language of film editing has developed over the years, refining with every generation, but essentially it still holds true to 'The Great Train Robbery'.
- What HAS changed dramatically is the technology of editing software.
- Up to the early 2000's all films were edited together using a machine called Steenbeck, splicing the film together with sellotape.
- Making a single cut using Steenbeck could take a few minutes, which meant every cut had to make a difference. It taught you economics of storytelling.
- Though there are exceptions, if you look at films from before 1990's there is always a lot less cutting in them. This physical difference had an impact on the storytelling (films were "slower" in pace and story).
- Films cut in the digital age are on the whole "quicker", with far more cuts.
Video Linear Editing
- Making a single cut using Steenbeck could take a few minutes, which meant every cut had to make a difference. It taught you economics of storytelling.
- Though there are exceptions, if you look at films from before 1990's there is always a lot less cutting in them. This physical difference had an impact on the storytelling (films were "slower" in pace and story).
- Films cut in the digital age are on the whole "quicker", with far more cuts.
Video Linear Editing
- With the advent of video technology, linear video editing was developed.
- Linear video editing is the most basic kind of editing, only allowing you to place one shot after another in order. You could not move shots around, and start again (without starting all over again).
- video linear editing developed further, whereby you could have a bank of machines with your source material, allowing faster access to shots and allowing for mixes and dissolves.
- This development sat along side that of MTV and the ever increasing demand for fast cut videos.
- This creative shift found its way into films and television programmes with cutting becoming faster and faster.
Digital Non-linear
- The advent of digital technology brought with it true non-linear editing. This combined the freedom of film editing and the speed of video editing.
- You could now move shots wherever you wanted, keeping sync and making cuts in a fraction of the time you used before.
- Though there was resistance at first from editors to move from Steenbecks to non-linear, by the early 90's all but a handful of films were cut digitally on non-linear software.
- The most common professional system at the moment is Avid. This is track based and similar in layout to Premiere.
- Linear video editing is the most basic kind of editing, only allowing you to place one shot after another in order. You could not move shots around, and start again (without starting all over again).
- video linear editing developed further, whereby you could have a bank of machines with your source material, allowing faster access to shots and allowing for mixes and dissolves.
- This development sat along side that of MTV and the ever increasing demand for fast cut videos.
- This creative shift found its way into films and television programmes with cutting becoming faster and faster.
Digital Non-linear
- The advent of digital technology brought with it true non-linear editing. This combined the freedom of film editing and the speed of video editing.- You could now move shots wherever you wanted, keeping sync and making cuts in a fraction of the time you used before.
- Though there was resistance at first from editors to move from Steenbecks to non-linear, by the early 90's all but a handful of films were cut digitally on non-linear software.
- The most common professional system at the moment is Avid. This is track based and similar in layout to Premiere.
Continuity editing
- The predominate form of editing style in narrative film and television is referred to as Continuity editing.
- The idea being the main purpose of editing is to take discontinuous shots and create a continuous whole.
- This doesn't always mean a continuous story, or scene, as editing can be used to create a scene that disorientates the viewer (e.g. Memento).
Alternatives to Continuity
- The French New Wave rallied against the classical Hollywood system and would often cut their films in a discontinuous style; deliberately crossing the line and jump-cutting.
- The idea being the main purpose of editing is to take discontinuous shots and create a continuous whole.
- This doesn't always mean a continuous story, or scene, as editing can be used to create a scene that disorientates the viewer (e.g. Memento).
Alternatives to Continuity
- The French New Wave rallied against the classical Hollywood system and would often cut their films in a discontinuous style; deliberately crossing the line and jump-cutting.
Continuity editing - Story
- The first layer of continuity editing is creating the continuous story.
- This doesn't mean that you have to include every bit of action within a story, you include the bits that tell the story.
- Cutting out material you have shot is the hardest thing to do - especially when you have spent a long time shooting it. However it is crucial for good storytelling to only leave in the elements that propel your story, that add to it.
- The simple rule of "less = more" applies all the way through the editing process.
- The biggest and easiest mistake to make is to leave too much in (too much material).
- The first layer of continuity editing is creating the continuous story.
- This doesn't mean that you have to include every bit of action within a story, you include the bits that tell the story.
- Cutting out material you have shot is the hardest thing to do - especially when you have spent a long time shooting it. However it is crucial for good storytelling to only leave in the elements that propel your story, that add to it.
- The simple rule of "less = more" applies all the way through the editing process.
- The biggest and easiest mistake to make is to leave too much in (too much material).
Continuity editing - Drama
- The most creative layer of editing is creating the drama of a scene through pacing, rhythm and emotion.
- The main thrust of pace is created through how quickly or slowly you cut from one shot to the next, and from one scene to the next. (It does not mean fast cutting.)
- Getting pacing right is absolutely key to creating a great film. A film paced too quickly will make the audience feel left behind, and a film paced too slowly will make the audience lose interest.
Pacing, rhythm and emotion
Two people talking...
- The obvious choice is to always cut to the person talking back and forth, but what if you hold on the listener? Suddenly you change the pacing and emotion.
- Someone saying "I love you" - show the talker or the listener? Both have very different outcomes, both achieved through editing.
Pacing
- Ordinarily, a scene starts wide and slow and then gets closer and quicker.
- A SLOW stilted conversation becomes more free flowing and ENDS abruptly. What if you start with a BANG and end slowly? This can still work if the pacing is right.
- Always cut for a reason, never to just cut. The cut must ADD something to the scene.
Emotion
- Creating real dramatic emotion in a scene is the cornerstone of great editing and hardest skill to pull off. You can create love, sadness, danger, tension, comedy, all through how and when you cut.
- When you make a cut,
always ask the questions: What are you showing? How are you showing it? WHY are you showing it?
- As a general rule: in an emotional scene you will hold the shots longer (slower). In an action scene you will cut quicker.
- A scene of tension is created by moments of holding shots and then quickly cutting. The timing is the key (e.g Atonement).
- The most creative layer of editing is creating the drama of a scene through pacing, rhythm and emotion.
- The main thrust of pace is created through how quickly or slowly you cut from one shot to the next, and from one scene to the next. (It does not mean fast cutting.)
- Getting pacing right is absolutely key to creating a great film. A film paced too quickly will make the audience feel left behind, and a film paced too slowly will make the audience lose interest.
Pacing, rhythm and emotion
Two people talking...
- The obvious choice is to always cut to the person talking back and forth, but what if you hold on the listener? Suddenly you change the pacing and emotion.
- Someone saying "I love you" - show the talker or the listener? Both have very different outcomes, both achieved through editing.
Pacing
- Ordinarily, a scene starts wide and slow and then gets closer and quicker.
- A SLOW stilted conversation becomes more free flowing and ENDS abruptly. What if you start with a BANG and end slowly? This can still work if the pacing is right.
- Always cut for a reason, never to just cut. The cut must ADD something to the scene.
Emotion
- Creating real dramatic emotion in a scene is the cornerstone of great editing and hardest skill to pull off. You can create love, sadness, danger, tension, comedy, all through how and when you cut.- When you make a cut,
always ask the questions: What are you showing? How are you showing it? WHY are you showing it?- As a general rule: in an emotional scene you will hold the shots longer (slower). In an action scene you will cut quicker.
- A scene of tension is created by moments of holding shots and then quickly cutting. The timing is the key (e.g Atonement).
Pov
- Where you position the characters in a scene is crucial in editing - whose story is this? Where is the focus of the story? Whose e
yes are the audience seeing the story through?
- Someone could be doing all the talking, but if you focus on someone else in the scene (who isn't talking) where does the power shift to?
- A close up of a person followed by their POV puts the audience right into their position. Very different to showing them looking
- Where you position the characters in a scene is crucial in editing - whose story is this? Where is the focus of the story? Whose e
yes are the audience seeing the story through?
- Someone could be doing all the talking, but if you focus on someone else in the scene (who isn't talking) where does the power shift to?
- A close up of a person followed by their POV puts the audience right into their position. Very different to showing them looking
Match-on-action
- Match-on-action is a very useful creative tool in editing, allowing for dramatic and artful shifts in time and spatial narrative.
- Essentially the idea is to match one action with a similar action in the next shot.
- One of the single most famous edits is a match-on-action in 'A Space Odessey' - when the bone turns into a satellite.
Cross-cutting
- Cross-cutting is an editing tool that can create great suspenseful action sequences.
- Essentially it is the cutting between two or more scenes that are occurring at the same time in the story. This allows the editor to open the story out onto many levels (unique to cinema).
- It's also possible to create moments of sadness, irony and symbolism (e.g cutting between a scene of death and survival).
Montage
- Different to the Russian theory, a montage is a collection of shots, often used to music, which presents a series of similar events over a period of time. For example someone trying on lots of different wedding dresses.
- It's a very useful tool to show time passing and characters developing without going into so much detail (e.g running scene from Rocky).
Fade/Dissolve
- Match-on-action is a very useful creative tool in editing, allowing for dramatic and artful shifts in time and spatial narrative.- Essentially the idea is to match one action with a similar action in the next shot.
- One of the single most famous edits is a match-on-action in 'A Space Odessey' - when the bone turns into a satellite.Cross-cutting
- Cross-cutting is an editing tool that can create great suspenseful action sequences.
- Essentially it is the cutting between two or more scenes that are occurring at the same time in the story. This allows the editor to open the story out onto many levels (unique to cinema).
- It's also possible to create moments of sadness, irony and symbolism (e.g cutting between a scene of death and survival).
Montage
- Different to the Russian theory, a montage is a collection of shots, often used to music, which presents a series of similar events over a period of time. For example someone trying on lots of different wedding dresses.
- It's a very useful tool to show time passing and characters developing without going into so much detail (e.g running scene from Rocky).
Fade/Dissolve
- Fade is one of the oldest creative tools in editing.
- You fade to black in one scene, and then fade up to the next scene. It was originally used at the end of each act (like a curtain coming down), but it cats used to show time passing too, or the end of a significant sequence.
- The dissolve os the merging of two shots, usually to show time passing. Done well it can be a very useful tool, especially when combined with a match-on-action.
Editing stages
Log - Log and arrange your rushes (so you know where they are and which shot they are).
Assembly cut - All the scenes (just one shot from each), assembled in the right order. Usually 4 times longer than the finished film.
Rough cut - Cutting into the assembly, adding in shots to the scenes, cutting and removing. 2 times longer.
Fine cut - Cutting into the scenes and creating the drama. Close to the finished length.
Final cut - It's all done. Thoughyou keep tweaking.
- You fade to black in one scene, and then fade up to the next scene. It was originally used at the end of each act (like a curtain coming down), but it cats used to show time passing too, or the end of a significant sequence.
- The dissolve os the merging of two shots, usually to show time passing. Done well it can be a very useful tool, especially when combined with a match-on-action.
Editing stages
Log - Log and arrange your rushes (so you know where they are and which shot they are).
Assembly cut - All the scenes (just one shot from each), assembled in the right order. Usually 4 times longer than the finished film.
Rough cut - Cutting into the assembly, adding in shots to the scenes, cutting and removing. 2 times longer.
Fine cut - Cutting into the scenes and creating the drama. Close to the finished length.
Final cut - It's all done. Thoughyou keep tweaking.
//Images and clips\\
Screenshots from movies
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