·      Editing

– the process of joining together two or more shots

·      Contributes to aesthetic qualities of film

Collage

o   “An assortment of images joined together in a sequence”- THIS CREATES MEANING

o   Comparison of 2 shots can reveal changes in Mise en Scène

§   Ex. Shot of a train speeding towards a man, cut to shot of a funeral

o   Encourages audience to compare and contrast shots

§   Changes in Cinematography (ex. camera angle) can evoke emotional responses- character filmed in low angle looks powerful, character filmed in high angle looks powerful

o   Evoke continuity- if two separate shots of people have same style

o   Graphic Match- 

When two shots are juxtaposed in a way that emphasizes their visual similarity

§   Makes visual connection between two parts of a film

§   Can suggest Parallels

Tempo

Composed of Shot Length and Shot Transitions

§   Long Take

quickens pace and intensity, used more in action sequences

§   Average Shot Length

has been decreasing with shift to digital (used to be 5.15 sec. and now 4.75 sec.)

·    Now audiences only respond to rhythm because don’t have time to take in shot

o   Shot Transitions

§  Method of replacing one shot on scene with a second

§  Used to convey passage of time and affect pacing

§  Wipes, Dissolves, Iris In/Out- more rare, commonly used to distinguish flashbacks or dreams

§  Cut

- most common transition, common in a Scene (several Shots edited together), suggest instant change

§  Fade Out/In

§  Dissolve

Shot A gradually disappears as shot B appears on screen

§  Wipe

§  Iris In/Out

Timing

• Shot Transitions match other visual and sound elements
• Can change emotional meaning of a scene
• Corresponds to dialogue to highlight characters’ responses
• Corresponds to visual cues
• Ex. Character’s actions

·      Narrative Sequencing

·      Sequencing is the arrangement of images to depict a unified story time. Creates the illusion of chronological time.

o   Narrative sequencing is used to cut out unnecessary events, only show events that affect the storyline.

• Condensing time is a very common and useful form of narrative sequencing in which unimportant events are cut out of the story.
• Expanding time is another useful technique, and can be used to place importance on certain events by literally spending more time on them.

• Montage 

• Parallel Editing

• is when a film cuts back and forth between two or more events, generally occurring at the same time, but in different places. Can create suspense.
• Can use editing to rearrange sequence of events. Reorder chronology.
• Can use flashbacks and flash forwards to do so.

·      Major distinction between theater and film

– the ability to draw the audience into the space of the story

o   Film allows for audience’s perspective to be brought closer or further from the action, telling them what to notice and when

·      Tableau Shot

– a long shot in which the film frame resembles the proscenium arch of a stage, distancing the audiences as if they were watching a play; found use in early films (p. 205)

o   Can provide audience with narrative information and can be used as a contrast to other close up shots

·      Shot/Reverse Shot

·      - a standard shot pattern that dictates that a shot of one character will be followed by a shot of another character, taken from the reverse angle of the first shot; used in conversations (p. 206)

o   Neither character looks directly at the camera

o   In general, timing of cuts correspond with dialogue so the speaker is the focus of the audience

o   Shot/Reverse Shot can be used to create patterns of repetition or to change them to evoke certain emotions

·      Eyeline Match

– a continuity editing technique that preserves spatial continuity by using a character’s line of vision as motivation for a cut (p. 208)

o   Character can be looking at a prop or another person

o   Allows for easy understanding of spatial relationships and what has caught a character’s attention

·      Cutting to Emphasize Group Dynamics

·      Cutaway

 - a shot that focuses audience attention of precise details (NOT character centered) that may or may not be the focus of characters (p. 209)

o   Can bring audience attention to non-human elements of mise en scène that can influence plot or develop a theme or motif

• Standard Shot Pattern:

•  used to make transitions less confusing.
• Typically starts with an establishing shot (usually a long shot), to clarify the setting of the scene.
• Often there is a re-establishing shot at the end of a scene, reorients viewers.

• 180-degree rule

Continuity Editing: Conventional Patterns and “Bending the Rules”

• Western audiences have specific expectations about what editing looks like due to Hollywood standard, called continuity editing, where cutting is seamless between shots.
• Continuity editing regulates audience’s sense of linear time. In general, editing jeopardizes illusion of chronological continuity.
• Actions generally don’t get repeated unless they happen more than once, or if the repetition is motivated

• 30-degree rule

• Unintentional discrepancies from shot to shot are called continuity errors.

• Match on action

“Breaking the Rules”: The French New Wave and its Influence

• The French New Wave defied conventions of filmmaking, such as continuity editing, intentionally.
• Use of wipes and irises, which hadn’t been used commonly since the silent era.
• New Wave directors felt that returning to basic techniques and elements would push film art forward.

Associational Editing: Editing and Metaphor:

• Editing used to encourage audiences to consider abstract ideas.
• Soviet montage is a style of editing built around the theory that editing should exploit differences between shots to produce meaning.

Key Concepts:

• Transitions- Dissolve, Wipe, Iris In/Out, Fade In/Out, Cut
• Other Terms- Parallel Editing, Shot/Reverse Shot, Eyeline Match, Cutaway, 180-Degree Rule, French New Wave, Soviet Montage, Tableau Shot, Graphic Match