Editing
Editing describes the relationship between shots and the process of combining them together in order to get a good standard film that flows. Editing is and has been essential for decades changing the way films are presented. The proliferation of technology in the 20th century has meant that editors can get their hands on good quality editing software. Another important thing to understand is that modern day editing has only been developed within the last century , following adverts and techniques used in adverts. Filmmakers and editors may work with various goals in mind.
This Blog will analyze various examples of editing techniques used in a wide range of films, by which are effective to the target audience and make a difference in the over all portrayal of the film, I will also talk about the importance of editing and the way I see it in the perspective of a modern day film viewer.
Shot/ Reverse Shot
Shot/Reverse Shot is an editing technique that can be defined as multiple shots edited together which shows two in most cases two characters having a conversation. n a way that alternates characters, to show both sides of a conversation, say two people are conversing and we want to get both of their perspectives we would often use this editing technique to show this. The second clip is from director John Dahl’s 'Rounders'. I have to say, this is one of my up most favorites because the editing is overwhelmingly impressive in my view. There is a bit of an experimental aspect to the Shot Reverse Shots in the clip. As opposed to the clip above, the Shot Reverse Shot technique is used to distort space between the characters in a way to show their separation. In reality there is an 8 or so foot table separating the characters but the Shot Reverse Shot lessens this to a point where the scene seems almost intimate. We see the characters changing left and right sides, which I think is the standard way of editing, showing us what they're seeing. Again, eye-line matches are used to show how intensely each character is focusing on the other. It is an effective way of portraying emotion through an edit , the audience gain understanding of how these characters are feeling, which also helps to understand the plot better.
Eye-line Match
In an eye-line match, we see a shot of a character and what they are looking at then it cuts to another shot showing us exactly what the character sees. Importantly, the point is that the camera becomes the character’s eyes with this editing technique. In many cases, when the sequence cuts to the eye-line, camera movement is often used to imply movement of the character’s eyes. For example, a pan from left to right would imply that the character is moving his/her eyes or head from left to right. Because the audience sees exactly what the character sees in an eye-line match, this technique is used to connect the audience with that character, seeing as we practically become that character for a moment. Each of the following sequences is from No Country For Old Men, directed by the Coen Brothers.
In the first clip, five eye-line matches are shown in a sequence that’s only a minute long. The first of these contains movement from left to right, mocking Llewelyn’s motion as he walks up to the dead body. We then see relatively still eye-line matches as Llewelyn looks at the man’s face, and then at the gun as he picks it up. The next eye-line match is shown as Llewelyn opens the briefcase of money, which contains a slight zoom. This zoom is not necessarily used to mimic Llewelyn’s eye movement, but rather his thought and emotion, as the sight of all the money understandably “brings him in.” The Coen brothers decided to use so many eye-line matches in this sequence and in the rest of Llewelyn’s journey so that the audience would come closer to experiencing what he was experiencing.
In the second clip, portraying Anton’s unfortunate car ride, we see multiple eye-line matches once again. The first and last eye-line match simply follow Anton’s eyes as he looks at the road while driving. We also see another eye-line match of Anton checking his rear-view mirror; in this match the good thing is that you gain an appreciation for how perfect the angle is, mimicking exactly what the character sees. With these eye-line matches, we feel almost as if we are driving the car, which makes the crash even more disturbing. As illustrated in these two examples, and throughout the rest of the movie, this makes us ask the question of whether the Coen brothers wanted us to gain perspective on both Llewelyn and Anton. In order for us to gain a better understanding of the relationship between the hunter and the victim, and funnily enough this is one of the film’s themes. I think that eye-line matches as an editing technique help massively with many things including, making the film more interesting, because if it was just Anton driving the car for 30 seconds the audience would get bored and it will be hard to get their attention again. By including these eye-line matches the director or even editor has succeeded in keeping the audience engaged, it makes it look like there is something happening and we're tempted to keep watching.
Match on Action
The second scene is from Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky IV. Here we see a different, much more simpler style of match on action. The camera stays at relatively the same level, with a few zooms in or out. The matches on action are used to keep the fight realistic looking, as well as to keep a certain character in focus/at the centre of the screen. This is effective because it allows for the audience to not feel disoriented or uncomfortable whilst watching. The audience also benefit because they are in the place of the actual audience in this scene, which makes them feel involved and welcomed to the fight again getting them excited to watch on. The audience may also benefit as some may find a common ground with the characters , they will personally identify with the fighting if they were perhaps always a fighter who has anger issues. Another way the audience will benefit is through catharsis they will gain pleasure from watching people being hurt. Therefore this editing technique is a tricky one to define but it opens doors for many audience gratifications.
Parallel Editing
This combination of parallel editing and eye-line matches for each line of action allows the viewer to practically experience both sides of the event first-hand and it gives them a feel for the action, where they feel that they're involved with what is happening, it sets a fine line between active and passive audiences.
The second clip offers a different kind of parallel editing in the use of sound. In the scene we see a basement of criminals and it contains only diagetic sound, but as the sequence cuts to the police raid, the voice of the man on the TV carries over, becoming non-diagetic sound. This created the effect of the man practically narrating what we see occurring with the police. In this way, parallel editing can be used not only to add suspense but also to narrate a line of action with another line of action. I will be using this technique in a similar way with my short film, where there will be a narration over the action in a parallel way.
In-Camera Editing : Long Take
Recently , in class we looked at in-camera editing which is best known as editing that is done within a camera, this means that you record each shot without deleting anything. I have noticed in-camera editing through long takes and thought I should include it in my blog. Long takes are simply shots that go on for a long period of time before cutting to the next shot. Usually done with a moving camera, long takes are often used to build suspense or capture the attention of audience without breaking their concentration by cutting the film, into apparent sequences of shots. In a way I think that this is effective because it not only keeps the audience engaged but also interested and actively responsive with the film.
The opening scene from Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump follows a feather blowing in the wind, eventually landing on the foot of the protagonist (Tom Hanks) who then goes on to pick it up and put it in his suitcase. This scene can be interpreted as a metaphor for the whole movie, as the feather represents Forrest. Just as the feather blows around for what seems like forever, going where the wind takes it until it eventually lands in a safe place, Forrest seems to just blow aimlessly through life, going wherever life and fate may take him with out too much consideration of his own, until he eventually lands in a happy place. So by using this technique it is useful when telling a story and portraying an idea , just like in this example. Although it isn't so obvious the technique is a mystery in itself. I can't grantee that I will use a long take in my short film , because my time is limited to only 4 minutes , therefore it will be difficult to fit in such a long lasting shot. The obvious use for an audience watching would be engagement through information- they're are suspiciously engaged and want to what will happen next, the only clue they have is that what will happen next is unexpected. The take allows the audience to social interact, being inquisitive about the scene and the paranoia that it conveys. The long take showing us the travels of this feather , also gives us an establishing shot of the city , which is always good when trying to work out the location.
The next long take is from Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption. A white bus is seen driving up the street towards a long building. As the bus turns to drive around the building the camera goes straight over the top of the building to reveal the vast expanses of Shawshank Prison. Hundreds of prisoners in the yard are all seen walking in the same direction, seemingly toward the same place. As the camera makes it to the end of the prison yard the bus returns to the frame, meeting a group of guards at the same spot all of the prisoners had been heading towards. This long take is perhaps more appealing for me as an audience member, this is simply due to my taste in style and movement of the camera. With the last example we are taken along a very slow and empty shot of a feather and although carrying intrigue , we're not as engaged with it compared to this example. Here , not only are we interested but there are more people in the scene- adding life and a sense of movement to the scene. The camera twisting to a 180 degree angle - showing us the entirety of the people there and again adding to the scene in terms of engagement.
This long take sequence, from Scorsese’s Mean Streets, shows Charlie in a state of barely coherent drunkenness. The sequence was accomplished by attaching a Steadicam to the actor’s body in such a way as to continually frame his face in close-up in spite of his uncertain movements. The position of the camera serves to capture the disorientation and unstableness of the character as he stumbles around the crowded bar. The red colour of the image, together with the absurd musical accompaniment, helps to render the atmosphere of a unpleasant night club. With this example I think that the audience gain many things in terms of the effectiveness of the editing. Firstly, this idea with the camera acting as the motion of the character helps us identify his personality on a broad picture and his emotions and thoughts at this particular time, we understand the psychological element the editor or even the director was trying to highlight. Therefore the audience gain understanding through the information they read off the character ,that being drunk makes you look / feel like this-not very approachable. Alternatively the audience will choose to not drink so much. Another good use for this editing technique is it acts as a disorientation for the audiences eyes , the camera sways in and out , dipping jerkily, making the audience feel as though they're also jerky so on the other hand the escapism here offers the audience encouragement to go out and drink. Another thing is the eye level of the camera position, this is also effective because it again enforces the point of the audience feeling the same as the character(s) and copying them.
Jump-Cuts
A Jump-Cut is where one shot seems to be abruptly interrupted. Typically the background will change while the individuals stay the same, or vice versa. An example that I have found of this editing style can be seen in the following clip from Capote (2005). Here the character who is being detained and about to be strangled is seen looking nervously at the bishop , seconds later there is a quick jump cut , showing an over the shoulder shot of the victim and the bishop begins talking. This is an effective way of showing two interactions happening at once, and saving time. We know what happened to the victim- his head was covered with a bag.
The audience are offered information , because as we're behind the victim we feel his situation and empathizes with him, not only this but we're also offered entertainment through two perspectives- the first would be being entertained with passion as we're experiencing something that we're not used to making us excited to be involved and engaged or having a cathartic attitude towards it. The other could be seen as simply being entertained by the ruthless character who is the bishop and his representation where the edit unveils how unexpected situations or life can turn out to be.
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