Look at this film ending for The Devils Rejects. What editing techniques do you notice?
The Devil's Rejects
Film editing is the concept of displaying a combination of film shots in a sequence. This can add an added sense of drama as one shot is instantly replaced with another. Editing can determine the pace and feel of a movie. The process of editing can discover something that may not have been originally intended for the movie. Editing can help transfer film into more than a simple replication of reality. Through close-ups and long distance shots the audience's emotions can be played upon. It can enhance moods and feelings and show different perceptions of characters to give the film segment a greater depth of richness. Edwin Porter was one of the first to discover that the tying together of shots could help create a story.
A selection of commonly used film editing terms are included in this link
Here is a list of Irish editing and post-production film companies in Ireland.
The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (Abridged Version) Part 1
In the clip below, Walter Murch, the editor of such films as Apocalypse Now and The English Patient, discusses his "Rule of Six" in a presentation for the Imaginox Online Creative Academy of Film and Television. the six things
Murch disccuses how to make the perfect cut are:
1-Emotional-does the edit give the emotion that the director wants to give the audience or does it subtract or distract?
2-Story-Is the story advanced as a result of the edit?
3-Rhythm-Does the cut happen at the right point with the music? Is it in keeping with the pace of the movie?
The first 3 points here are often interlinked. The other points which are considered by Murch to have lesser importance includes
4-Eye-tray- do we know where the audience is looking and is that being taken into consideration when the cut is made? Is the movement of the audience's gaze disrupted by the cut? Could a disruption of the audience gaze be deliberately interrupted to enhance the film (eg scenes of horror or violence)
5-2-D Plain (the problem of dealing with 3 dimensional objects in a 2 dimensional world). This deals with the concept of the stage line and do the characters appear to be looking at each other or not
6-Coherent movement of 3-dimensional people and objects
The Rule of Six
Anything can be conveyed in terms of editing reality tv as often controversial media commentator Charlie Brooker demonstrates. Apart from the cheeky humour of this video-clip there lies a serious point, that through editing any argument or viewpoint can be proposed. Although this clip is commenting on reality tv, it could also be used in the form of documentary film to influence a certain viewpoint.
Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe - Reality TV Editing
Uploaded by SamusekTDS on Mar 1, 2007
Here is a clip from one of the world's best known film director's Alfred Hitchcock discussing his views on the editing and cutting process and how it can effect the movie.
Hitchcock explains about CUTTINGHere is a clip from the 1997 film Wag The Dog. The film tells the tale about how a war is sold to the general public to deflect them from a political sex scandal. This clip shows the power of how editing can help to influence public perception through media manipulation.
Wag The Dog
Uploaded by MosCalifar on Aug 16, 2008
In the violent historical epic Braveheart, watch how director Mel Gibson uses editing to control the pace and tension of this very violent clip. Viewer discretion is advised.
Braveheart - Battle of Stirling Bridge - Cavalry charge
How do you think the editing affected the tension in this scene?
Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter won an Oscar for Best Editing for the film The Social Network in 2011. This clip shows a boatrace from within the movie. How do you think the editing affects the pace of this clip?
The Social Network / Henley Sequence
Can you spot any editing mistakes in the following clip?
FUNNY MISTAKES in OUR FAVORITE MOVIES
Montage consists of a series of shots which are interlinked to reduce time yet give information. The clips are often short yet based around a certain theme with music to evoke emotion yet keep a continuity to the scene. One of the most famous montage uses are from the Rocky series. Here is a montage clip from the Rocky 4
Rocky 4 training montage - Hearts On Fire (HD)
Uploaded by Grownupcartoons on Jan 21, 2010
Some film segments deliberately don't edit traditionally in order to immerse the viewer into that world. A case in point is one of the most famous scenes in Martin Scorseses Goodfellas at the Copacabana Club.
Goodfellas - Steadicam Shot
To see what the director of this film Martin Scorsese envisaged in creating this shot, please click this link
Here is a selection of editing techniques from the work of Martin Scorsese.
Martin Scorsese Editing Techniques
The film Children Of Men has alot of complex long takes with the intended goal of immersing the viewer into the alterntative future reality presented by the film.
Here is a trailer for the film and then a clip which shows how a long take has the ability to bring the world alive that the characters inhabit.
Children Of Men Trailer
The greatest camera work in movie history...
Uploaded by belda67 on Apr 9, 2009
Children of Men: 'Uprising' Tracking Shot
What do you think of this technique?
What are the disadvantages of filming this way?
The concept of story versus plot does not always follow conventional structures. Often, visual imagery can say alot more than words as can be evidenced in this award winning student film below.
MEMORIES - Award winning short student film
Uploaded by RadekBNU on Jan 4, 2010
What do you think the film is trying to say?
What do you think about how this film was edited? How is the story enhanced?
Describe your thoughts on the visual imagery used? How effective was this?
What effect do you think of deliverately puzzling the viewer at the start of the film has?
Exercise:
Create a blog and pick a scene that you think uses film editing well (2-3 paragraphs). Explain your reasons why and what techniques were used.
If you need help have a look at this blog to help you with ideas.
The cutting Edge The Magic of Movie Editing (Full Documentary)
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