What is editing: history and development.
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| The Kulevshov Effect |
Editing is the way of having visual and audio combined, this being the basic editing skill. Before digital editing was a thing, and before digital cameras, film used to be physically cut with scissors and then spliced together. This is were the editing term 'cut' originated from. By combining shots together into sequences gave the film a narrative. For example The Kuleshov Effect, this creates a meaning through the edits It may start with a close up shot of a man looking sad, and then cuts to the object that he wants or even needs. In-camera editing is a technique where the cinematographer shoots the sequences in strict order, this way the 'resulting' edit is already complete when the film is developed. An example were in-camera editing is Alfred Hitchcock's Rope, the camera moves were carefully planned and there was almost no editing. Non linear editing is now seen as the normal way to edit. Were the editor can upload the footage on to the computer and be able to access individual shots without having the trouble of looking through reels of footage.
As mentioned before most films in the history of filmmaking were filmed and edited using film cameras and film editing machines were as nowadays we use digital equipment. Even now film is still preferred by most filmmakers because of the tradition and the technology that they understand. A big advantage of using film was the broad exposure latitude. This means creating areas in the frame that are soft focus or even blurry is easier, this creates a direct attention to the audience. The main reason to choose to shoot digitally would be for the workflow, the price and the reproducibility. Digital filming can speed things up, where as film it was the time of loading the magazine in a light-safe area, then after shooting the film has to be developed then processed and then turned into a digital file on the computer. The price of shooting film was extremely expensive, roughly one hundred dollars for a four hundred foot role and sixteen millimeters stock. As said above digital video is good for reproduciblity, just like any files on your computer they are digital so it can easily be copied over and over without any loss in quality. When editing different transitions are used for example the cut, wipe and dissolve are the three primary transitions. The term cut originates from when film reels used to be cut with scissors and then spliced together. A fade is also another transition this is when the image currently onscreen can fade in or out to or from a blank image. This creates a good effect for tension.
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers directed by Josh Whedon. This clip is really usual when describing the different editing techniques that I mentioned above. At the very beginning with three seconds into the clip, there are three shot reverse shots, but instead of having the shots over the shoulder they are slightly further away, this is almost confusing as they have broken the 180 degree rule, although we know that she is using Loki's weapon to close the portal and that is clearly shown through the beginning shots. Her screen position changes from the left of the screen to the right of the screen confusing the audience of her actual position. At 1.12 there is a point of view shot, This is a technique where the camera is represents as the characters eyes so that we can see what they are seeing rather than having a full shot of them. It works really well as the audience can understand their views of whats happening. In this extract it helps us see the direction of the nuke and where Tony Stark is taking it.
During the extract at 1.44 there is an identification with the main protagonist, this camera angle is a close up, this camera angle creates a close relationship between the character and the audience and you can see the emotion much clearer. In this extract there are a few close ups of Tony Stark in his Iron man, this helps us see the emotion and creates emotion for the audience as this could have been the last time they saw Tony Stark. At 0:32 there is an establishing shot, this is usually used in an opening scene or a change of location, In this extract it is following the character to the location, The shot is an extreme wide shot and is far enough to see all of its surroundings. This is a large city and gives an effect that he is reaching his destination and that the destination is crowded.
At 2.56 there is a match on action shot, this is an editing technique when they cut from one shot to another, the first shot is the action about to happen and the second shot matches the first shots action. In this clip The Hulk (Bruce Banner) catches Iron Man as he fall from the portal, the first shot is him sliding down a building and the second shot is him smashing into a car landing Iron Man to safety. This works really well when following the characters and how they act.
During the beginning at 1.01 there are three shots that fit with motivated editing, the first shot is when Pepper Potts is seated in jet and is watching the news on what is happening. The second shot is where Agent Maria Hill and Nick Fury are watching whats happening on the ground from their computers, the final shot is what is actually happening where Iron Man is taking the nuke up the portal, this is motivated editing because each shot is relevant to each other. This helps us see the large impact of Iron Man's role as he takes the nuke.
During the whole clip, Iron Man has the most screen time, this means how much time on screen does each actor get. Iron Man has the most important role, he is taking a live nuke, and placing it inside the portal, this could potentially kill Iron Man but he still goes ahead.
Captain America also has a lot of screen time during this scene although the shots of him are short, the audience still know that he is important.
A reaction shot is a characters response to event that has just happened, in this clip Pepper Potts is watching the local news about the attack in Manhattan, her emotion and body language tells the audience that she is worried for Iron Man (Tony Stark). During this clip there are a few reactions shot for example at 1.28, just after Iron Man has inserted the nuke into the portal, the shield agents and Agent Maria Hill and Nick Fury have a celebratory reaction.
The audience are usually only interested in the main protagonist when things happen to them, some editing techniques create suspense and excitement which help the audience gain more emotion for the main protagonist. For example shot variation, this is where there are a sequence of images that are using movement, so this could be a long shot, medium shot, wide shots, and close ups. In this short sequence Iron Man is our main protagonist, he has the most action. At the beginning of the clip there is a close up of Iron Man, that then cuts to wide shot which also is a tracking point of view shot. Then there is a medium shot of Iron Man which he moves closer to the camera creating a close up. All these shots create suspense for the audience, they can see all angles of the main protagonist and how he uses his skills to prevent the nuke hitting the city.
Montage is a technique to shorten time and space, Although this does not happen in my selected clip, I have an example where it does. This is Dirty Dancing (1987)
This clip uses the same song throughout, but uses different clips of the couple dancing to show that that Baby Houseman is improving her dance skills, they also change locations and clothing, to show that time has past and her progression has changed. for example in the first clip she is wearing trainers and the next shot she is wearing heals this shows her improvement and her new skill of dancing in different and more experienced shoes.
Providing and withholding information is a great way of creating suspense for the audience, for example if you withhold certain information from the audience, it gives them the chance to figure out a suspect for themselves, or if you give them more information than some characters know, you create suspense as the audience know who did it but the main protagonist still has to figure out. Murder Mystery's are usually the films or Television shows that use this technique, for example BBC One's Silent Witness airing on a Monday and Tuesday night at nine. After the title sequence for Silent Witness a short preview is shown of what murder has happened, and how much evidence is left, it then cuts to the beginning of the show when the main protagonists find out that the murder has taken place. Another show that does the same thing is Murder She Wrote.
Parallel editing/cross cutting is used to show different scenes that happen at the same time but at different locations, although my clip does not contain any parallel editing here is a film that does The LoneDale Operator (1911). In 1903 Edwin S.Porter first discovered the use of this editing technique although he didn't use it to his full potential. This allowed D.W. Griffith to develop the technique he used it to create suspense in The Lonedale Operator The three scenes that are used parallel are the frightened girl, the robbers attempting to break in and the approaching posse.
Editing Rhythm is used to control the pace of the film for example fast cuts create an exciting pace were as slow cut edits are calming and steady. A film that uses this is Sucker Punch (2011) Although action is related to fast edited shots, in this film its more about the technology and skill of using editing rhythms, At the beginning of the clip i have selected the shots are almost slow motion, the editing is extremely slow to really emphasize on the fact that the action is just an imagination as the girls dance for the gentlemen's club which infact is also an imagination as shes in a mental institution.
Here is a film that shows construction of 'time' and 'space' of the story both diegetically and implied. In this short clip you see the young boy and his sister sailing across the river, while the sister is singing a song. This clip really shows the change in time, when they set of on the boat its late at night, but along their travels they meet various people, this shows the time change.
Here is Alisha Dixon's song Drummer Boy. As you can see the music video is really up beat, and the shots are also up beat, the editor is using the drum beat to control the length of shots. If the shots are slow then the music will match and if the music is up beat the shots will match.
Multiple points of view is when the camera is the eyes of one character and then another and so on, here is an example, This is a deleted scene from Iron Man here the camera moves around the characters showing their point of view, this gives the audience a feel of what the characters are looking at and how good or bad the scenario is.
A cutaway is a shot that cuts away from the main action and is something completely different, but this shot can be related to the main action as a secondary shot. For example If the main shot is a fight scene they will add a cutaway that has no connection to the first shot. Here is an example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeeoEpmyb2Y
A jump cut is when two shots are taken from slightly different angles usually this clip is to show a change in time, this editing technique became famous in 1960 in the film Breathless It helps relate to the couple who are on the run. This jump cut has a manipulation of the duration of one shot.
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