UNIT 60 (16.1.1)

UNIT 60: 16.1.1

• What is editing?

Without the process of removing, adding and manipulating source material, all film and video would have to be shot in a sequence and without mistakes.

• What is Elliptical editing?

To help fill in the gaps, so the audience can see where what the character is doing and where she is, helps to move the story on quickly. For example, the video the girl was shown sleeping, but the camera didn’t have to show a close-up because the long shot shows she’s sleeping and where she is.

• Why are long shots used?

Long shots are used to keep the audience where of her surroundings and where she is, because in the beginning of the video her partner was seen in the video and then he disappears; so the director would use another long shot to remind the audience that the partner is no longer existent.

• What is ‘non-diagetic sound’?

The music that had been added to the scene to set or create an atmosphere or to create tension. For example, when the girl had gone to pick up the ring as she was getting up the music had been played to create the suspense that something bad has happened to her partner. It can be a voice, sound or music and it’s played unnaturally because the actor is not aware what is being played.

• How do we know she is bending down to pick up the ring? (What shots are used and why?)

The director had used the close-up of the ring and her hand reaching towards the ring, rather than showing her face going to pick up the ring; this saves times because when she had picked up the ring the camera had shown her face-expression before and after she picked up the ring. The use of the close-up of the ring was to save time of showing her full action. 

Hustle

• Overhead establishing shot – what does this achieve?

Overhead establishing shot is achieved to show the audience who is part of the scene and where everyone is placed and what they are doing. Also, this helps show the audience different status, to show that’s powerful in the conversation.

• What is Shot-Reverse-Shot?

It a shot cutting back and forth showing the audience that the people are talking to each other. It shows an understanding that they are in a conversation. It assumes they are looking and talking to each other.

• What is Eye-line matching?

The man stands up looks off screen and down and the guy sitting down looks off screen and up but they’re eyes angle show that they’re staring at each other.

• Why do we cut to the other members of the group?

So we can see their faces to see the other member’s reaction to the plan the boss has set, and tells the audience their reaction to what is planned and it makes it easier for the audience to know who they are in future references.

• What is a wipe?

To move the location at a different place and time and he uses and diagonal shot to make the view seem mysterious or not to scale.

• What is the effect of using quick cuts?

This creates a fast rhyme and keeps the audience on their toes because the tension is still there.

Now watch ‘Editing: The Invisible Art’ and take notes:

• How can editing build tension and pace?

They use editing to keep build tension and keep the story moving at a good pace.


• What is crosscutting?
Cross-cutting is an editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different locations. Considered as an editing method in which the point of view (P.O.V) switches alternately from events at one location to those of another related action. This action is usually a simultaneous and used to create a dynamic tension as in the chase scene. For example, in the edge of the world (1987) they use cross-cutting to show the males progress as they climb up the mountain.

• What are reaction shots?
Reaction shots,(in a film or video recording) a portrayal of a person’s response to an event or to a statement made by another, is a term used in motion picture production and cinematography referring to a basic unit of film grammar. It is a shot which cuts away from the main scene in order to show the reaction of a character to it. For example in the edge of the world (1987) they used a reaction shot to show the audience the reaction of the people watching the two men climb up the mountain.

• What is seamless editing?
Seamless editing is the predominant style of editing in narrative cinema and television. The purpose of seamless editing is to smooth over the inherent discontinuity of the editing process and to establish a logical coherence between shots. For example, the shots are varied by close-up and long shots, showing the men as tiny in contrast with the cliff they are hanging to. This enables the audience to fill in the caps, because when we are used to seeing these sequences in other movies we either expect something bad or good to happen, it keeps us engaged so we don’t notice how it has been constructed.

• What is a jump cut?
A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subjects are taken from camera positions that very only slightly. This type of edit causes the subject of the shots to appear to “jump” position in a discontinuous way. For example in Food for a blush (1959) shows a man with a big black hat next to a big bowl striking at it gong when the sound fades the camera cuts to show a smaller bowl.

• What is a flash back and what does it achieve?
A flashback is a transition in a movie or novel when the scene is set in a time earlier than the main story. This makes the audience understand a key moment/scene in the person’s life which explains how they are now. This is known as a back story. It also helps add tension, drama and interest to their stories. For example, in a cottage of dartmor (1928) uses flashback to tell the story, it goes from a convict fleeing across dartmor cottage to a woman with a baby alone in the same cottage. From the way the action is cut together it shows that it’s happening at the same time supposedly this should be the present; however when the woman recognizes the man standing in front of her, the film cuts back to a flashback showing the man “Joe” in a different way, he looked much healthier and seemed to enjoying life. He looks very different from the present. Throughout, the film it shows the flashback to how he became insane because he is seen cutting a woman throat but before he makes another threat the film has gone back to the present to the point where the flashback had started. The flashback made it easier for the audience to understand who this man was and what he done which then makes the present seen complex and emotional because we know what he capable of doing.

• How can editing be used poetically?

Poetically editing can be used by symbols, face expressions etc... To make the audience understand the connection between them. For example, in Distance Voice still lives, outside it is raining and umbrellas are shown through then the scene dissolves and zooms into an audience then pan’s across to two woman wiping, this doesn’t make it clear because the connection isn’t obvious, the viewer makes the connection the woman are inside watching something while outside it’s raining. Another example, two men falling in slow motion and eventually crash through a glass maybe through a roof, which breaks up into tiny shades of glass. The director has purposely put these two actions together in order to make the audience think about the connection. This can make the audience wonder because the audience will want to know why the director has chosen this style of editing.

C. Watch ‘Playing with Time’ – watch the film ‘The Gloaming’. Write a short evaluation of the editing used in this film. Refer to detailed examples from the film and use the terminology you have learnt today.

The director had chosen to start with a blackout while the music begins to play, this could have been done to make the audience think the tension will start at the beginning but instead the blackout transits into a Medium Long-Shot of the married couple on their motorbike riding through fields this suggesting they are around the countryside; which is followed by a medium close-up of the wife face, showing how she’s feeling. The shot has changed into a medium shot of behind the motorbike this makes the audience aware they are a married couple which is then followed back into the close-up of the woman’s face again. However, the camera does not seem as its steady because the camera is moving this suggests the cameraman could be on a vehicle and he may not have a good balance with the camera at that they are driving. There is a sudden change in the music because the scene has gone into the fields and changed into another point in time, maybe suggesting it is the present because the woman is no longer present with her husband and the scenery is quite dark, suggesting it is a cold day because the woman look as if she is cold whilst in shock with what has just happened. A close-up had been used to show the woman’s expression. The music has also stopped and you can hear her footsteps as well as her heavy breathing. It seems that the woman is probably looking for her husband whilst she is looking confused since she doesn’t know where she is heading. Music has faded into while she looking around, you would not have noticed because the audience will be paying more attention on where she is going. A flashback has been used to show the couple driving and the music seemed to change into another shows they have used a non-diagetic sound. The woman has stopped and it has gone into a flashback showing her husband telling her to come back onto the bike because she’s standing the way, however the director has combined the shot-reverse-shot as if her husband’s right in front of her, as if he is talking to her at the present moment even though the scenery is different; the music has also gone louder.

Established shot has been used to showing the lake; however it can also be considered a point-of-view shot because she could be facing the lake but the director has chosen not show this in order to save time. The music has faded out so you can hear the birds, whistle, long sound and her movement. The camera has gone to a close-up showing the viewers she is staring at the lake this suggests she remembers something sufficient about the lake, this is then shown with a flash, where the couple are sitting down and the woman is smoking and staring at her husband, music has been added to set the pace. The shot-reverse-shot has been used again to show the woman’s reaction as she remembers what happened; the music fades out when there is a close-up of the grass where the woman’s hand is reaching for the ring, the director has not chosen to follow her action while she goes down to reach the camera when her hand explains how she would of reached for the ring, it has gone back into a close-up to show the woman’s reaction then it zooms out into a medium close-up showing her putting on the ring, then the music that had been playing at the beginning fades in. Which a wipe s used to go back to where she was at the lake with her husband smoking. A wipe is used from the close-up of the woman’s face into a longshot where she’s sitting by a fire pit suggesting she is in the forest because the fire showing the trees and grass in the background; a medium shot is used showing the woman’s hand reaching into her bag and bringing out papers. Also, it shows the woman looking at the fire and papers suggesting she’s thinking of what to do, instead she burns them and a clos-up used showing the paper burning in the fire.

Close-up of the woman face showing she’s cold however they are quick transitions while she closes her eyes quick glimpse of her husband is shown but it is not very clear then the flashback is shown and it seems that their motorbike has broken down because his wife bends down to join him and the music fades out when the scene wipes to another where the couple are standing in the middle of the fields and the camera has turned to their angle using a P-O-V(Point of view) shot to show what the couples are facing, a long shot is used to show the vehicle near in between the fields but the camera seems to be recording from a long angle not eye-length because you can see the grass instead of the road. A medium close-up is used to show the couple looking into the vehicle; the director has used the medium shot to cut out the section where the couple will be walking towards the vehicle. Music is played very loud while you can still hear the wind. Close-ups are used to show what the woman is looking at and touching; then a point of view shot is used to show she has seen something that has interested her, then a close-up is used to show her face expression while she reaches for to see what’s underneath. It wipes to her hand removing the blanket where a skeleton of someone’s face is underneath and it’s a reaction/medium shot was used to show her reaction (she had screamed). Fast pace music was used to increase the tension between the women revealing what was underneath the blanket. Another wipe was used to go back into the present where a long shot is used telling the audience she is still in the forest, and where she’s laying. The music changes into slow pace to go with the scenery. The long shot is used even when she has woken up we can see this through the smoke being passed and as she gets up; which is then followed by a close-up of the woman’s face shows she scared, lost and confused. The background has been blurred so they’re more attention paid to her face. They use quick transition flashback showing her husband standing facing her while still being in the present. The music gradually gets higher increasing the suspense because we don’t know what she is thinking. Drums have been added to the music this normally creates more tension because it can imply something bad could happen. Lastly, she is blurred so she blends into the scenery of the smoke but her shadow is still able to be seen and the music helps fade out the scenery into a blackout.