THE POWER OF EDITING

1. Shapes meaning
2. Controls “narration” – order in which story info is given to viewer

   Shots  >  sequences  >  scenes
   
   

Three types of connections

1. Temporal Connections
   
   
   • Example: Cut from man dropping his drinking glass in one shot to glass breaking on floor in second shot. (or stairs ex)
     
     
2. Spatial Connections
   
   
• Example: Cut from wide shot of a suburban house to close up shot of the front door.
  
  
3. Logical ConnectionS
   
   
   • Example: Wide Shot of White House to shot of the President seated in an office.

Shot FloW

• The name given to the kinetic effect of a sequence of shots
  
  
• A sequence of shots comprised of complex rhythmic and dynamic continuity relationships
  
  
• Like a river, can be turbulent, tranquil or winding for different dramatic effects
  
  
• Two sequential ingredients that are SHOT SIZE and CAMERA ANGLE
  
  
• The ability to judge the effect of graphic variation in a sequence will sharpen your perception of mood, point of view, rhythm, tempo, emotional distance, and dramatic intent.
  
  
  

Transitions

Cut | Used as a present tense segue, not meant to be noticed

• Jump cut example: Breathless by Jean Luc Godard
  
  

Dissolve | Forms a bridge between disparate times and places, passage of time, meant to be seen

• Example: Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola / Chapter 1 > Slow tracking, cross-dissolves, match shot.
• Example: The Dissolve Video Essay by Kevin Lee
  
  

Montage | Compresses time, multiple shots demonstrating long period of time, condensed narrative

• Example: Citizen Kane by Orson Welles / Deteriorating marriage montage.
• Example: Naked Gun by David Zucker
• Example: Notting Hill by Roger Michell
• Example: Goodfellas by Martin Scorsese
  
  

Wipe | Recalls Hollywood style of 30s and 40s. A vertical, horizontal, diagonal “wiping” of the frame. Removes one shot and introduces a new one.

• Example: Star Wars > Angular wipes
• Example: Star Wars Wipes from Revenge of the Sith > Push off / push over
  
  

Match ShoT / MATCH CUt | Two adjacent shots that share a graphic element.

• Example: Apocalypse Now by Francis Ford Coppola / Ceiling Fan & Helicopter
• Example: 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick / Bone-club to orbital nucleur weapons satellite
  
  

Focus In / Out | POV transition, loss of consciousness

• Example: Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Julien Schnabel

PULL / RACK FOCUS | Changing the point of focus from one character or object in frame, to another character or object that is closer to or more distant from the camera, typically with little or no movement from the camera itself. Used to subtly direct the viewers' attention to a specific part of the screen.

• Example: Time Machine by Simon Wells
• Example: Spider-Man 3 by Sam Raimi
• Example: Shutter Island by Martin Scorsese
• Example: A Woman Under the Influence by John Cassavetes

White Out / In | Dreams, consciousness, blinded by light, ethereal quality

• Example: Six Feet Under deaths...
  
  

Freeze Frame | Humor, cast credits, taking a picture, freezing action to stop time

• Example: Harold and Maude by Hal Ashby
• Example: A Day with The Boys by László Kovács
• Example: Out of Sight by Steven Soderbergh
  
  

Split-Screen | Explores new ways of telling a story, simultaneous moments showed side by side

• Example: Rules of Attraction by Roger Avary / novel by Bret Easton Ellis
• Example: Time Code by Mike Figgis.
• Example: Boogie Nights by Paul Thomas Anderson
  
  

PHASES OF EDITING

Logging | First Assembly Edit | Rough Cut | Fine Cut | Picture Lock

• LOGGING
  
  The "dailies" or "rushes" are sorted and labelled in ‘bins’. Each take can contain extra notes from the director or the cinematographer. This is the first time the editor sees the film, and since it is shot out of sequence, it is out of context of the story. A good editor views the rushes and looks for fluidity of movement and nuances that will later be incorporated into the film.
  
  I like to sort things by "Interviews" and "B-Roll" (and I take notes on what content/footage exists in both). I mark my sequences as well, which I'll show you in class.
  
  You should also make sure to do all SYNCING in this stage, if you have multiple tracks/versions of each sound + video footage. Make sure it's synced correctly BEFORE you move on from here!
  
  
  
• FIRST Assembly EDIT
  
  

  The editor considers all the visual and audio material collected on the shoot for each scene and then re-orders it in the way to tell the story best. No need for any effects or sound design yet.
  
  In the scene above, the editor may decide to open with an aerial shot of Central London and then track in to Buckingham Palace. The next shot might be a closeup of the hands followed by a dissolve shot to the hands of the hobo playing the banjo. There are dozens of possible combinations the editor can choose for this one simple sequence, each of which create a different mood and tell a different story.
  
  Editing on a large budget feature usually commences as soon as the film starts shooting. An editor will work on the rushes and assemble scenes for the director and producer to view. Often at this point the editor and director will decide that additional footage of key moments is necessary in order to make more editing choices available during the edit.
  
  Hint: First assembly is like a sketch of the finished scene. It is a good idea to save these sketches for reference later, should the editor get stuck.

• Rough cut
  
  In the rough cut, the scenes are placed in order and checked for continuity. This all-important step in the editing process allows for revisions and new ideas to be tried and tested.
  
  The editor replaces takes as needed, based on the director's notes. The assembled film is reviewed and scenes/dialogue removed in order to get the film to an appropriate length, based on what works and doesn't work. Music and story-critical sound effects are also added here.
  
  Hint: Make the edit points between the scenes very obvious in order to emphasise the ‘roughness’. Failure to do so may result in the editor committing to an edit before it is ready.
  
  
  
• Fine Cut
  
  [There's also usually a "FIRST CUT" phase just before this one] The fine cut no longer focuses on the entire film, but on the details of each and every cut.
  
  Selection and sequence are basically fixed, although changes can still be made. The later film is visible. Detailed fine cut starts out from its proportions, structures, rhythms and emphasises them.
  
  If you need visual effects/titles, begin adding them in. Finalize music (make sure you're working with music that has been cleared or is possible to clear —  unless it's in the educational domain...we shall discuss in class). Overall, you eliminate any other extraneous scenes or lines of dialogue and fix anything else that isn't working.
  
  
  
• Picture Lock
  

  Work to get the film as tight as possible, going over it with a fine-tooth comb. All effects are finalized and incorporated into the cut. Additional sound work is done, as necessary. Finalize all titles, lower 3rds, and credits.
  
  Once you're finished, you export your final film (save time for this), upload it to Vimeo (in your case), and burn a couple of DVDs of it!