EditingTaking a good film and making it great
Editing
Editing is taking many different cuts and turning them into a finished productEditing also allows the director to correct mistakes made in the filming process
Continuity
Back in the day, shots were done in one long takeNow, directors do several takes and often do not film the scene in orderLong takes are called “cutting to continuity”
Cutting to Continuity example
Eurotriphttp://youtu.be/lKEXMQVrA1I
Continuity
Good editing ensures the film makes sense from scene to sceneHow the scenes play together must have some semblance of orderSome viewers dislike movies like Pulp Fiction, which has several interconnected stories being told out of order
Jump cut
Jump cuts move the action in terms of space and time and can be confusing to the audienceDirectors will use establishing or reestablishing shots to help the audience make the transition
Jump Cut example
Erin Brockovichhttp://youtu.be/5EuBZHEmRE4
Classical Cutting
Classical cutting involves editing for dramatic intensity and emotional emphasis rather than physical reasons
Classical cutting makes good use of close-ups for psychological reasons
By splitting action among a series quick shots, it keeps the audience’s attention and allows the director to place emphasis on specific elements
Master Shot
Master shots are long-range, wide angle shotsThey are also called sequence shots because they show the overall sequence of how the action takes place
Master shots
Some directors love master shots, some hate them. It allows the director a lot of flexibility, but also allows a meddling producer the ability to drastically change a scene
Classical CuttingClassical cutting is designed to be invisible... to not call attention to itselfClassical cutting uses several conventions of cutting:
Eyeline matchMatching action
180 degree rule
The 180 degree rule is not used by everyone, but is still used todayThe 180 degree rule incorporates classical cutting
180 Degree Rule
Storyboarding
Storyboarding creates the shots and the action before the director even gets on setHitchcock, in particular, was very good at storyboarding