EDITING

back to movie making techniques


 * Editing Tutorials **

[|Final cut X beginner Tutorial]

[|Final Cut X beginner Tutorial]

[|FilmLookTutorial]

@http://tale2tell.com/premiere-pro-tutorials/   [|history of Editing and techniques video]

[|History of editing]

1) How much cutting is there and why? 2) Are the shots highly fragmented or relatively lengthy? 3) What is the point of the cutting in each scene? To clarify? To stimulate? To lyricize? To create suspense? To explore an idea or emotion in depth? 4) Does the cutting seem manipulative or are we left to interpret the images on our own? 5) What kind of rhythm does the editing establish with each scene? 6) Is the personality of the filmmaker apparent in the cutting or is the presentation of shots relatively objective and functional? 7) Is editing a major language system of the movie or does the film artist relegate cutting to a relatively minor fraction? 8)are the edits graphic, rhythmic, spatial, temporal 9) how does the editing dictate pace
 * Questions to Consider when Analysing Editing **


 * Editing - Concepts of Continuity **Check out these tutorials, which will go over the basic concepts of editing, including video examples. This is a truly fantastic resource!

[|180 Degree Rule] [|Associative Cuts] [|Axis Match] [|Continuity Editing] [|Contrast Cuts] [|Coverage] [|Direction Match] [|Eyeline Match] [|Flashbacks] [|Graphic Match] [|Jump Cuts] [|Movement Match] [|Parallel Action] [|Point of View] [|Position Match] [|Reaction Shot] [|Rhythmic Match] [|Shot Duration] [|Shot/Reverse Shot] 


 * 1. CONTINUITY EDITING:** A system of joining shots together to create the illusion of a continuous and clear narrative action. When a scene is broken up into a sequence of shots for the purpose of achieving greater dramatic emphasis in main stream narrative films, the shots are usually reconnected smoothly so that viewers do not notice the cut or lose their orientation in screen space. This is often achieved by using matches or match cuts. Some of the common kinds of match or Continuity cuts are defined below.


 * 2. MOVEMENT MATCH (Match Action Cut):** In a movement match, a movement or gesture of a character begun in one shot appears to be seamlessly continued or completed in the next shot. As a result, the viewer focuses on the movement and not on the cut. If movements from one shot to the next are not matched, that is, if the same action is repeated in adjacent shots or if a portion of the action is omitted from one shot to the next, the effect will be a noticeable jerk and the action will lose its illusion of seamless continuity. Another form of movement match occurs when the camera moves (tracks or pans) in the same direction at the same rate from shot to shot. Here the movement match is on the camera movement.


 * 3. DIRECTION MATCH:** In a direction match, the direction in which a person or object is moving is consistent across the splice. If, for example, a character exits frame right in shot 1, he or she must enter from frame left in shot z. If the direction is not matched, it will appear that the character has suddenly turned around and is moving in the opposite direction. This is also referred to as maintaining **SCREEN DIRECTION**.


 * 4. EYELINE MATCH:** The glances of characters in separate shots seem to meet. In order to create this illusion, the direction of their glances must be consistent. For example, if the character on the left looks in the direction of screen right, the character on the right should look in the direction of screen left.


 * 5. SHOT/REVERSE SHOT:** A technique usually used to photograph two characters in conversation. Rather than photographing them in a two shot, that is, a shot in which two characters are shown together in the frame, the shots alternate between the two characters. First we see one character and then we see the second character from the reverse angle. Over-the-shoulder framings are common in shot/reverse shot editing: that is, the camera alternately photographs one character from over the shoulder of another, with a shoulder prominent in the foreground of each shot. MUST MAINTAIN THE 180 DEGREE RULE TO KEEP ACTOR PLACEMENT CONSISTENT.


 * 6. 180 Degree Rule:** The 180 degree line is the imaginary line between 2 people that preserves screen space and actor placement. This is also referred to as the line of action. A cinematographer must stay on one side of the line in order to preserve screen direction.


 * 7. AXIS MATCH:** The angle from which the camera shoots the action remains the same from shot to shot. For example, if the first shot is a long shot and the second a medium shot, the camera moves forward without changing the angle from which the action is photographed. If the angle changes slightly, it will appear that elements in the background of the shot have shifted slightly, and the continuity will not be perceived as smooth. If there is a marked change in camera angle (in which the camera moves through 90 degrees) the shot will be perceived as smooth because the background will be markedly different and not create a confusing jump in the position of background objects.


 * 8. POSITION MATCH:** The position of an object or person remains in the same area of the frame from shot to shot. In a cut from pursuer to pursued, for example, the pursued person would appear in the same area of the frame as the pursuer. This can also be used as a scene transition.


 * 9. GRAPHIC MATCH:** Any juxtaposition of graphically similar images, such as a cut from a spinning umbrella to a spinning train wheel. Vivid visual effects can also be achieved by deliberately contrasting graphics from one shot to the next so that, for example, a composition emphasizing vertical lines clashes in the next shot with a composition emphasizing horizontal lines.


 * 10. RHYTHMIC MATCH:** Any Juxtaposition of images with actions moving at similar rates or speeds. In the above example, the umbrella and wheel would be spinning at the same rate.


 * 11. JUMP CUT:** A continuity mismatch in which the rules of continuity are violated, often resulting in the disorientation of the spectator. In jump cuts the characters seem to jump around in space against a constant background or the background suddenly changes while the characters remain in the same position. Jump cuts are sometimes deliberately created by directors who wish to call attention to the medium. Creators of experimental or art films often deliberately violate the rules of continuity cutting. Examples of the deliberate use of jump cuts can be found in Jean-Luc Godardís Breathless (1959).


 * 12. POINT-OF-VIEW (POV) OR EYELINE SHOT**: A POV shot is the shot that immediately follows a shot in which we see a character looking at something offscreen or beyond the borders of the frame. The camera is positioned where the characterís eyes would be. Viewers are cued mentally to construct the shot as if they were viewing it from the point of view of a character in a film. The use of POV shots can establish powerful identifications between the spectator and the characters on the screen. Mentally, we merge with the on-screen characters, seeing the world as they do, from their point of view. Usually, POV shots are from the viewpoint of a protagonist with whom we are supposed to identify, but complicated effects can be achieved when the point-of-view shot is seen through the eyes of villains or monsters.


 * 13. REACTION SHOT:** A shot following a POV shot, revealing the reaction of the character from whose point of view we were looking.


 * 14. PARALLEL ACTION/CROSS-CUTTING/INTERCUTTING:** A cut to another scene or line of action that is usually (but not always) spatially remote from the original line of action, but which seems to be happening simultaneously in time. A common use of the cross-cut that never seems to go out of fashion is alternating shots of an imperiled person with shots of another person coming to the rescue, generating in the viewer’s mind the question: Will the rescuer get there in time? One or more lines of action are often crosscut to create dramatic irony (in which the film viewer is given information of which the characters are unaware) or otherwise to thicken the plot.


 * 15. CONTRAST CUT:** Cutting back and forth between two contrasting actions so that one action strengthens audience response to the other. Shots of a starving man contrasted with shots of a glutton, for example, will increase the impact of both shots, making the former seem more pathetic and the latter more disgusting. Contrast cuts combine 2 opposing or opposite images; hence the "contrast" name in the description. These are also referred to as SMASH CUTS.


 * 16. ASSOCIATIONAL CUT:** A cut made for symbolic purposes to an object which often is not present in the world of the film’s story (its diegesis) but is associated with the previous image. Pudovkin referred to these as symbolic cuts, and Sergei Eisenstein called the technique intellectual montage. In October (Eisenstein cuts from a vain, ambitious dictator to shots of a gilded, mechanical peacock. In the cult film Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby, 1972), after a psychiatrist asks Harold how he feels about his mother, there is a cut to a huge medicine ball crashing into a brick building. Here the association between shots is to show their similarities.


 * 17. FLASHBACK, FLASH FORWARD** :A cut which takes the action to a prior or future time in the plot. Often the cut to the past or future is accompanied by a black and white filter.


 * 18. SHOT DURATION:** The length (duration) of the shot can determine the rhythm or pace of the film (PACING), short shots traditionally being used in scenes of violence, and long shots being associated with more lyrical moments. Shots that end slightly before the viewer has had a chance to take in all they contain can instill an atmosphere of nervous, anxious excitement; films that cut after the average viewer has comprehended the con tent of the image tend to seem calming, contemplative, or in some cases, boring.


 * 19. COVERAGE:** The filming of one specific moment of time using multiple shots, angles and perspectives in order to emphasize the dramatic and emotional impact of the moment. Think of the Odessa Step Sequence that films the oppression of a peasant uprising by a military dictator. We experience the moment through the perspective of all the people involved: soldiers, men, women, the baby carriage, etc.

Thanks to 'Art of Video' @ Capuchino High School for this excellent summary of Editing: []




 * Top TEN Tips for Editing!**

By following some simple rules for video editing you can make your movies flow together smoothly, in a classic style, without resorting to multiple transitions. Of course, rules were made to be broken and creative editors take extreme artistic license. But, if you are new to the craft of video editing, learn these rules and consider them a foundation from which to develop your skills.

B-roll refers to video footage that sets the scene, reveals details, or generally enhances the story. For example, at a school play, besides shooting the play, you could get b-roll of the outside of the school, the program, faces of audience members, cast members hiding in the wings, or costume details. These clips can be used to cover any cuts, or smooth trasitions from one scene to another. Also ensure that you shoot establishing shots. Where is this scene about to take place? For the school play example used above, shoot the outside of the theatre with the name of the play, then perhaps shoot a poster of the play before we move into the theatre itself. It is important that the audience knows where they are.
 * 1. B-Roll and Establishing Shots**

A jump cut occurs when you have two consecutive shots with the exact same camera set up, but a difference in the subject. It happens most often when editing interviews, and you want to cut out some words or phrases that the subject says. If you leave the remaining shots side-by-side, the audience will be jarred by the slight repositioning of the subject. Instead, cover the cut with some b-roll, or use a fade.
 * 2. Don't Jump**

**3.** [|**Stay on Your Plane**] When shooting, imagine that there is a horizontal line between you and your subjects. Now, stay on your side of the line. By observing a 180-degree plane, you keep a perspective that is more natural for the audience. If you’re editing footage that disobeys this rule, try using b-roll between cuts. This way, the change in perspective won’t be as abrupt, if it’s noticeable at all. ( [|More Info on 180 degree rule] )

When editing together a scene shot from multiple camera angles, always try to use shots that are looking at the subject from at least a difference of 45 degrees. Otherwise, the shots are too similar and appear almost like a jump cut to the audience.
 * 4. 45 Degrees**

Motion distracts the eye from noticing editing cuts. So, when cutting from one image to another, always try to do it when the subject is in motion. For example, cutting from a turning head to an opening door, is much smoother than cutting from a still head to a door about to be opened.
 * 5. Cut on Motion**

When you have two shots of the same subject, it’s easy to cut between close and wide angles. So, when shooting an interview, or a lengthy event such as a wedding, it’s a good idea to occasionally change focal lengths. A wide shot and a medium close up can be cut together, allowing you to edit parts out and change the order of shots without obvious jump cuts.
 * 6. Change Focal Lengths**

There’s a cut in Apocalypse Now from a rotating ceiling fan to a helicopter. The scenes change dramatically, but the visually similar elements make for a smooth, creative cut. You can do the same thing in your films. Try tilting up to the blue sky from one scene and then down from the sky to a different scene, for example.
 * 7. Cut on Similar Creative Elements**

When the frame fills up with one element (such as the back of a black suit jacket as someone walks in front of your camera), it makes it easy to cut to a completely different scene without jarring the audience. You can set wipes up yourself during shooting, or just take advantage when they happen naturally.
 * 8. Wipe**

The beauty of editing is that you can take footage shots out of order or at separate times, and cut them together so that they appear as one continuous scene. To do this effectively, though, the elements in the shots should match up. For example, a subject who exits frame right should enter the next shot frame left. Otherwise, it appears they turned around and are walking in the other direction. Or, if the subject is holding something in one shot, don't cut directly to a shot of them empty-handed. If you don't have the right shots to make matched edits, insert some b-roll in between.
 * 9. Match the Scene**

Ultimately, every cut should be motivated. There should be a reason that you want to switch from one shot or camera angle to another. Sometimes that motivation is a simple as, “the camera shook,” or “someone walked in front of the camera.” Ideally, though, your motivations for cutting should be to advance the narrative storytelling of your video.
 * 10. Motivate Yourself**

Much of this info was taken from: []

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> [|Editing Concepts] **Editing History** > [|Advanced Editing Notes]
 *  Editing Unit **

[|Editing Cuts and transitions 101]

[|frenchnewwaveediting] > > []

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Editing: Cutting, Timing, and Montage
Much can be learned about the assembly of a film, from the technique of famous editors like Walter Murch to how to manipulate an audience through montage. Here are some video essays worth studying:
 * [|How to know when to cut]
 * [|Walter Murch's Rule of Six]
 * [|Cinematic manipulation through editing]
 * [|When to use match cuts]
 * [|Case Study: Cutting on Sound: Learn from the Transitions of //Lawrence of Arabia// Director David Lean]
 * [|Case Study: What Spike Lee's //Do the Right Thing// Can Teach You About Editing]

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