Editing

Terms

Editing- assembling film shots into a desired order.
1. Speed of editing- how long is each shot? effect?
2. Style of editing- how is each shot joined?
3. Juxtaposition- the meaning created?

Continuity editing- create a sense of logic and coherence between the shots.
- a sense of reality
- the shots flow together and make sense to the audience. Realism?

The movement from shot A to shot B 
1. pace- how quickly it moves
    long frame- tension
    short frame- action
2. style- the way in which it moves
The most common editing transition is a cut. Cuts are used to aid continuity and allow the narrative to flow uninterrupted. 

Both of these aspects create meaning for the audience. 

180 degree rule
- camera must be one side of the line but it can point in any direction
- only cross if you show crossing

Match on action
- action followed on in next shot
- need to be going in the same direction as the shot before

Example

I filmed a short video with 2 other girls: Ebony walking into the room and having a conversation with Jess. In this we included match on action, 180 degree rule, shot reverse shot and cuts. 


Evaluation

Strengths:

• The timing of Ebony walking from the door when I filmed her from behind and her walking towards Jess from in front of her to show match on action, was successful.
• The video looks realistic due to the cutting of any laughter from the clips and placing them together. 
• The switching between the point of views over the shoulder have the conversations lining up and making sense.
• We successfully included a shot reverse shot in the conversation between Jess and Ebony. 

Weaknesses:

• We didn't follow the 180 degree rule as the camera looks over the right shoulder of Jess first and then Ebony's right whereas it should have been over Ebony's left so the camera stayed on one side of the line.
• It was filmed in portrait but it should have been filmed in landscape. 

Definitions 

To analyse editing you need to look at:

• Order of shots

Putting two shots together can suggest a connection/relationship or a contrast (juxtaposition).

• Continuity

1. Establishing shot (establishes the space where the action is going to take place)

2. The 180 degree rule

3. Shot reverse shot 

4. Eyeline match (character looks off-screen, next shot shows us what they see)

5. Match on action (we see the continuation of a character's movement in the next shot) 

6. Cross cutting (continuously alternating 2 or more scenes that often happen simultaneously in different locations)

• Transitions

Cut: One shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another.

Others include: fade to black/white, wipe and dissolve

Transitions can:

1. Imply a passage of time

2. Imply a change of location

3. Emphasise a connection e.g. a dissolve can present what a character is thinking, dreaming or remembering.

• Shot duration/Pace and rhythm 

1. Long shot duration- slower pace, tension and intensity, focus upon facial expressions and other mise en scene aspects.

2. Short shot duration- faster pace, creates action.

• Special effects

1. Colour filters- to show a specific mood 

2. CGI- computer generated images

3. Fast forward/slow motion

4. Blur- to show unclarity or fuzzy memory 

Extra terminology

Parallel editing: cross cutting or intercutting (alternate with contrasting scenes/shots) between different locations to make it seem as if the events are happening at the same time. 

Split screen: where the frame is split into different sections so you can see different events happening at the same time.