There are very many different editing styles and conventions. Most of them can be used in different ways to play with peoples emotions and in this part I will talk about them.
The first style of editing is continuity editing, these are the two different type of continuity editing:
Diagetic sound is sound that doesn't isn't within the actually film, a good example of this is Background narration or music.
Matched on action: Matched on action is basically two different camera angles filming the same thing. For example if there was a shot of someone bouncing a ball, then the shot went to a different angle but it was still filming the person bouncing a ball then this would be matched on action.
Then you have Temporal Disconuity, these are the differnent parts of temporal disconuity:
A fade out is basically what I explained before in another form, it is an image fading from it's normal image straight to black.
A flashback is a relocation of time within a story, for example if the character in the movie is looking back on something that had happened in their past life the film would go to white then go to another scene where the outsides of the shot would look hazy as to show a flashback.
Soviet Montage is juxtaposing two shots together. French Montage simply means "Editing". In Hollywood montage is a short sequence of a film, usually emathising in fashion.
An establishing shot is a full shot of where the action in the scene is taking place. For example if there is a fight in a courtyard, then the next shot may be an overview of that courtyard.
Cross cutting is when a two diffenent scenes cut between each other. A good example of this is if a fight is going on in one place and another fight is going on in another location, the editor would cut between the different fights.
Some people also choose to ignore the rules and conventions which were stated above, this is called "Discontinuous editing".
Sunday, 26 September 2010
How Editing Manipulates Time
Editors can manipluate time in many different ways, people can view what happens in the persons week in under 10 minutes. In this part I will talk about the different ways in how editing can manipulate time.
Screen Time is a period of events happening with in a film to make it look like, a day, a week, a month or in some cases a year. For example, if the editor shows one clip then shows another clip and puts on that clip the text "2 Weeks Later", this is screen time.
Subjective Time is the time that the character in the movie feels. For example in real life when we wait for a train it feels long, however when we are waiting for something exciting to happen or anticipating something it goes quick. This can be shown in movies too through the use of camera movement.
Compressed Time is the most common manipulation used by editors. It is achieved by cuts and dissolves, long journeys can be turned into seconds with the use of compressed time. In a dramatic scene, if climbing up a staircase is not the important part of the scene, they may shoot the character starting up the stairs then cut to him entering the room. This is a good example of compressed time.
Long take. As you have probably already guessed, a long take, or long shot is a a lengthy shot of one object which is taken for a long period of time. A long take can give a film an authentic feel seeing as it is not exactly dramatic.
Simultanious time is when things happening in different places can be presented as occuring at the same time by parralell editing, cross cutting, multiple images or a split screen.
Slow motion is really easy to explain and is the most commonly known manipulations. Slow motion is basically a peice of action that takes place and the editor wants to film it at a slower rate to empathise a dramatic moment.
Accelerated motion: Accelerated motion is obviously the oposite of slow motion, when an editor wants to make a peice of action funny, increase the thrill of speed or make a slow action visible
accelerated motion is usually used.
Screen Time is a period of events happening with in a film to make it look like, a day, a week, a month or in some cases a year. For example, if the editor shows one clip then shows another clip and puts on that clip the text "2 Weeks Later", this is screen time.
Subjective Time is the time that the character in the movie feels. For example in real life when we wait for a train it feels long, however when we are waiting for something exciting to happen or anticipating something it goes quick. This can be shown in movies too through the use of camera movement.
Compressed Time is the most common manipulation used by editors. It is achieved by cuts and dissolves, long journeys can be turned into seconds with the use of compressed time. In a dramatic scene, if climbing up a staircase is not the important part of the scene, they may shoot the character starting up the stairs then cut to him entering the room. This is a good example of compressed time.
Long take. As you have probably already guessed, a long take, or long shot is a a lengthy shot of one object which is taken for a long period of time. A long take can give a film an authentic feel seeing as it is not exactly dramatic.
Simultanious time is when things happening in different places can be presented as occuring at the same time by parralell editing, cross cutting, multiple images or a split screen.
Slow motion is really easy to explain and is the most commonly known manipulations. Slow motion is basically a peice of action that takes place and the editor wants to film it at a slower rate to empathise a dramatic moment.
Accelerated motion: Accelerated motion is obviously the oposite of slow motion, when an editor wants to make a peice of action funny, increase the thrill of speed or make a slow action visible
accelerated motion is usually used.
Editing Transition Types.
In this part I will talk about the many different types of editing there are. I will explain each one in detail as well as give an example of each.
First, let's start with the most common transition, Cuts:
Cuts are basically one transition to the next. For example when you film something, then stop it, then film it again the bit inbetween where you filmed and stoped it would be known as a cut. In film and television, the vast majority of transitions are cuts. If someone makes a long pause then a cut is very usefull to take off that long pause thus not boring the people viewing the film:
This is a cut from the film Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind starring Jim Carey.
The next transition we are going to talk about is Crossfade:
This cut is usefull if you want to create a relaxed feel or contemplated mood for your movie. Shots of scenery also work well with Crossfade. Crossfade can also convey a sense of passing time or changing location.
Click here for a good example of a Crossfade
The next transition we are going to talk about is Fade:
Fade fades the shot to a single colour. For example "Fade To Black" or "Fade to white" Fade can be used at the end of a film to add mystery of the ending and to make people wandering about what is going to happen next. Unfortunately I could find no example for this on the interenet, however if you watch the final episode of the latest Supranos series I believe that that is one.
The next transition we are going to talk about is Wipe:
Wipe is one shot progressively replacing another in a geometric pattern. There are many different types of wipe, from bog standard straight lines to complex shapes.
To view an example of Wipe, click here.
Digital Effects
Most editing applications offer a vast range of digital effects, thus there are too many to list. But some of these effects include: Colour Replacement, Animated Effects, Pixelization, Focus drops, lighting effects etc.
First, let's start with the most common transition, Cuts:
Cuts are basically one transition to the next. For example when you film something, then stop it, then film it again the bit inbetween where you filmed and stoped it would be known as a cut. In film and television, the vast majority of transitions are cuts. If someone makes a long pause then a cut is very usefull to take off that long pause thus not boring the people viewing the film:
This is a cut from the film Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind starring Jim Carey.
The next transition we are going to talk about is Crossfade:
This cut is usefull if you want to create a relaxed feel or contemplated mood for your movie. Shots of scenery also work well with Crossfade. Crossfade can also convey a sense of passing time or changing location.
Click here for a good example of a Crossfade
The next transition we are going to talk about is Fade:
Fade fades the shot to a single colour. For example "Fade To Black" or "Fade to white" Fade can be used at the end of a film to add mystery of the ending and to make people wandering about what is going to happen next. Unfortunately I could find no example for this on the interenet, however if you watch the final episode of the latest Supranos series I believe that that is one.
The next transition we are going to talk about is Wipe:
Wipe is one shot progressively replacing another in a geometric pattern. There are many different types of wipe, from bog standard straight lines to complex shapes.
To view an example of Wipe, click here.
Digital Effects
Most editing applications offer a vast range of digital effects, thus there are too many to list. But some of these effects include: Colour Replacement, Animated Effects, Pixelization, Focus drops, lighting effects etc.
The History of Developments and Post Production
When the first films were made, Auguste Lumiere said that Cinema was an "Invention with no future". This was because most of the film makers filmed things that interested them and just filmed that thing until either they got bored or the film ran out. Nobody new the true impact that film would make in the future and it was incredibly un-inportant. Luckily, the future of film was saved by a man called Edwin S. Porter who realised that you could maniplulate peoples emotions by putting cutting up bits of the film thus making two different cuts of film together and made the film "The Life of an American Fireman (1903)". In 1907, a man called David W. Griffith litereally wrote the rulebook for film editing with his groundbreaking and contreversial film released in 1915 called "The Birth of a Nation". In 1917 a man called Iwan Serruier had an idea for a device that allowed a film editor to view the films whilst editing. This idea would eventually come together in 1927 and become known as a "Moviola". Unfortunately very little copies of this genius invention was sold as it costed $600.00 (the equivelent of $20,000 in todays money). Also in 1917 in Russia Vladamir Lenin realised that film was the perfect medium to get people less able to join the revolution. The power of Juxtaposition was tested by filming a mans face then cutting to a bowl of soup, a woman draped over her husbands coffin and a child cradling a soft toy, when shown people commented on the look of hunger as the man looked at the soup, the look of greif as the man looked at the woman draped over the husbands coffin and the look of sweetness when the man was looking at the child cradling the soft toy. However, the man had the same expression each time. In the 1940's-50's editing was a womans job and was done by the studios and the directors had prettey much no choice as to how the film is seen. The woman would go through at least 200 hours of film and work through the night. As time went on editing has become the main part of the film and nowadays the editor is the person who spends most of the time with the director. Editing is seen as the primary factor for making a good film and the editors get far more credit then they used too. With this in mind, who knows what the future of editing might bring. As Gary Marshall, an american actor, director, writer and producer once said "Editing is the only process, the shooting is the pleasant work, the editing makes the movie, so I spent all my life editing."
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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