The Descent EditingClip 2

The first few scenes in in this clip last for a seemingly long time, starting with this shot which follows the car for, 3 secs, with the protagonists inside. Its easy to recognize this car as the protagonist’s because it’s the only car on the road, apart from the car in the distance. Another reason for this shot is to establish where the upcoming sequence will take place and where they are.

Slow Pacing

The clip then switches to this scene, where we see Sarah and her daughter, Jessica, occupying the whole scene. This single scene, which together with the next shot lasts 7 secs, shows the relationship between the two characters, due to how close they are to each other, as well as them being the main focus of the shot. Since the viewer is being introduced to the relationships between the characters in the car, the use of slow cut allows us to empathize with the characters.

Slow Pacing

After the shot focusing on Sarah and her daughter, we are introduced to the second half of the 7 secs, where the sequence cuts to a shot of Sarah with Paul. However, the shot has been produced in such a way which blurs Paul and focuses more on Sarah, showing he is quite distant from what is happening behind him. This particular shot also tell viewers that the relationships between Sarah, Jessica and Paul are breaking apart.

Slow Pacing

After establishing the relationship between the mother and the daughter, viewers are introduced to the third character, who so far has had no part in the conversation. This 6 second long shot is used to tell the audience that Paul is completely removing himself from his family. This is also a heads up that there is another relationship happening between him and somebody else, who we see in the previous clip.

Slow Pacing

This shot, which is 7 secs long, now shows all three family members in the car, in a shot which shows where they are positioned inside the vehicle. This then sets up the accident scene, as we now know if any of the characters die or not, depending on the pipes we see.

Slow Pacing

Finally, this 3 second shot of the same sequence ends up being the beginning to the fast paced scene. The placement of the camera is focusing on Sarah, Paul and the road ahead, from what seems to be the view point of Jessica. The shot also tells the viewer that danger is ahead and neither of the parents is really paying attention to the road.

Slow Pacing

The first section of the clip is used as the introduction to the characters who will be the main focus in that scene. So, by including slow paced shots throughout allows the viewer to process who they are as well as what their relationships are like. This small section also allows the audience to become attached/empathize with certain characters, in this case Sarah and Jessica.

In terms of pacing of the story, it allows the movie to ramp up certain events, in this case the death of Paul and Jessica. Slow pacing before a shock event also makes the shock much more powerful, since nobody is expecting it meaning it will have more results.

Overall, the first half of the clip is very slow to drag the audience into the movie through relating viewers to the characters.

Slow Pacing Summary

Fast Pacing

As soon as the last shot finishes, the audience is introduced to accident, which overall only takes a couple of seconds from start to finish. This becomes the shock factor of the clip, since the outcome is unexpected until the shot closes in on the copper pipes that fly at the main protagonist’s car, leaving the audience waiting to see what happens and who dies.

Fast Pacing

Finally, we are left with this shot which lasts slightly longer than the previous flashes, to ensure that the audience understand what has just happened and which of the characters has died. However, we do not see the second dead person, Jessica, due to it being frowned upon by society, as she was just a child. This shot also shows that the worst has passed, followed by the next shot of a crane shot fade to black.

After the fast paced event, the clip cuts to the camera looking down on the car crash whilst zooming out. This slow zoom out is used as a method to tell the audience that time is about to pass, due to the fade to black that follows. It also leaves the viewer wondering what the next clip will start with; a hospital or a grave yard? This shot also hints that people have passed away, giving the impression that the camera is actually their slow flying away from the scene while looking down on what occurred.

Transitions

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)

Ever since CGI come to be, it has both improved or ruined movies depending on the quality of the imagery. In the 2nd clip of the Descent, CGI was used to replace the copper pipes that fly into the car at high velocity. Although sometimes its better to avoid CGI, in cases like this, real props would cause damage to the actor which is something that no movie producer wants to do. Therefore, CGI is a much better and safer alternative to the real thing.