Editing techniques

The history of editing

The first moving image production was shown to the public in 1895. There were no methods of editing the sequence that was created, any "effects" would have to be done in-camera, as in there at the time of filming, leading to the technique being very limited in what could be done. The first film to utilize what today we consider post-production was directed by Robert W. Paul and was entitled Come Along, Do!, released in 1898. The film was the first of its kind as it features more than one shot and therefore showcasing the technique of editing shots into sequences. 

Since then things have changed drastically. When editing techniques were further perfected a widespread method was adopted. As all moving picture productions were recorded on film it was edited using the film. A copy of the footage would be made, called the positive, as film was created as negative. The positive of the film would then be edited.One of the transitions, still used in modern day film making, is called a cut. This is where one scene ends and the next scene immediately starts. The term "cut" comes from the older days of editing in which film would have to physically be cut by a person, or machine, and then taped back together to create the effect.


After the takeover of non-linear editing systems, editing footage on computers, the role of linear editors, cutting clips manually, became more and more redundant as more people were looking to digitize their productions. The linear method of film editing is still going however it is a lot less popular than it used to be due to technological advances. Since the improvement of non-linear editing systems, various different techniques have become more popular. Nowadays the majority, if not all, editing work on movies is done digitally through a video editing software such as Adobe's Premiere Pro, or Sony's Vegas to name a few. A final technique which is still used today is in-camera editing where all the effects are performed live, for example an explosion effect can be loaded and set in-camera so when they start rolling it can be triggered and can be seen. The opposite of this would be editing the explosion in after. Although this is still used today it is not as common as adding effects in post-production is generally cheaper and can be timed perfectly and edited if needed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_editing)

       
Above is a clip from the film Inception released in 2010 and directed by Christopher Nolan.

Visual analyisis

Establishing shot

An establishing shot is a shot taken of a surrounding or setting to show the audience the area and the set the scene, usually using a wide shot. Within the text I have chosen there are 3 establishing shots used at the beginning of each shot that is using a different setting. One at 0:17 to show the mountains, one at 0:31 and 0:36.

Transitions

The first technique used commonly in editing is transition. It is impossible to have a feature-length film without a transition. Transitions can be done for various effects and come in several types. In the extract I have chosen from the film Inception there are a lost of fast-paced cuts. I think that this has been used to give the audience a build up of suspense due to the nature of the film.

180° rule
The 180° rule is a basic rule in film making and should be generally stuck to unless the director wanted to deliberately break this rule for effect. The rule is that the camera should stay within 180° of the subject between cuts. If this rule is broken it can cause confusion and disorient the viewer. In the text I have chosen it does not break the 180° rule however one example of it being broken can be seen in The Shining’s bathroom scene. Due to the genre of this film Stanley Kubrick may have chosen to do this to unsettle the audience.

      


Shot-reverse-shot 
A shot-reverse-shot is a film technique where a shot views the action from the opposite side of the previous shot, often used during a conversation on screen. Within the extract from Inception there doesn't seem to be a shot-reverse-shot but I have found an example as shown below.

Match on action shot
A match on action shot is where you see a character performing an action at one camera angle and then the camera angle is changed to see them follow through the action. This shot can be done for effect, to keep the audience in suspense but it is mainly used to identify the person carrying the action. From what I could see, there wasn't a match on action shot within the sequence however I have found an image to demonstrate what a match on action shot is. 

Motivated editing  
Motivated editing is where something happens in the preceding shot which affects the current shot. An example of this is a character points into the distance and then the clip cuts to show what the character is pointing at. One example of this could be a eyeline match. An eyeline match is a technique based on the premise that the audience will see in the next shot what the character is looking at in the current shot. In the text I chose there is a eyeline match at 0:06 where in one shot you see the character Cobb looking through the scope and then in the next shot you see what he was looking at (as shown below).

Identification with main protagonist or other characters

Screen Time 
Often in moving image productions it is clear to see who the main protagonist of the piece is simply due to the amount of screen time they are given. In the the film Inception, The main Character is Cobb, Who is seen at the beginning of the extract however within this extract the main protagonist would be Arthur who is seen fighting in the hallway. You can tell this due to the amount of screen time he has during this scene compared to the other characters.

Close Ups
Close ups are also used to indicate and give the audience a chance to identify the main protagonist(s). In my sequence chosen, the close ups that indicate the main protagonists are at 0:01 showing the character Cobb and another one at 0:08. As I mentioned before, this character hasn't been given a lot of screen time during this scene but there are several close ups showing him which also indicates that he is also a main protagonist.

Point of view shot
A point of view shot shows what a character is looking at. Within this extract there are two point of view shots, one at 0:14 where Cobb is looking through the scope of the gun and another one at 1:28 being Yusuf's point of view as they hit the motorcyclist.

Reaction shot
A technique used to portray to the audience who the protagonist of the scene is, it is to show the character's reactions to various events. For example if there is an explosion and then it cuts to a close up of a character's face looking shocked, we can assume that the character shown is the protagonist. During this clip there is a reaction shot as shown below.

Here we can see the motorcyclist getting ready
to shoot at the van.

And here we can see Yusuf's reaction to getting
shot.

Appropriate involvement in the storyline, pace, tension and suspense.

Shot variation
The clip I have chosen uses a wide variety of different shots to give different perspectives of the sequence such as a medium shot, over the shoulder shot, close up, long shot and eyeline  matches.
Montage
A montage is when a series of short shots are filmed and rapidly edited together. Montages are often used to indicate the passing of time. One example of a montage would be the opening scene to Hot Fuzz. (as shown below).

       

Providing or withholding information
The extract from Inception that I have chosen doesn't give much information yet it doesn't withhold any either. The only information that is really given is that Cobb is trying to find the truth that they want a character named Fischer to learn.

Parallel editing
Parallel editing (cross cutting) is the technique of alternating two or more scenes that often happen simultaneously but in different locations.Within the sequence I have chosen, due to to the story line of the film there is parallel editing throughout, showing one scene then alternating between two other scenes.

Editing rhythm 
Editing Rhythm is the speed that the sequence is edited at. At the beginning of the extract the edits are fairly average speed until about 0:34 and then they gradually speed up to build a sense of tension. Within this sequence some edits of certain shots are slowed down drastically giving it an atmospheric feel and to put the viewer in suspense.

Construction of time and space of the story both diegetically and implied
This is when time is constructed using various techniques such as time-lapses. Diagetic & implied types of different ways to show the passing of time. Digetic is when we literally see time passing(time-lapses). Implied is if we see a character get onto a train in the day and get's off when it's dark we would assume that time has passed due to the fact that it's gotten darker in the scene. Within my extract there isn't any time-lapses shown however I have found a great example of all the time-lapses within the series Breaking Bad.

Cutting to soundtrack

Cutting to soundtrack is where the footage cuts in time with the music. Within the sequence the soundtrack builds up as the speed of the shots increase along with the tension of the shot. When the gun is knocked out of Arthur's hand at 1:12 is signals the change in the soundtrack, becoming more up beat. At 2:53 near the end of the sequence a gunshot is fired and the soundtrack stops immediately.

Multiple points of view 

This is when several camera angles are used in quick succession to give us various points of view for the entire sequence. Within the fight scene they have used two different cameras positioned at two different angles, there in one camera position on the floor of the hallway so then it moves with the rotation of the building and the second camera is elevated on a crane to move with the action of the characters this then gives us various points of view throughout this sequence and it alternates between these angles. 

Cutaways 

a cutaway shot is the interruption of a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually, although not always, followed by a cut back to the first shot. As shown below you can see in the still images that it goes from the view of the van being shot at then it cuts to a man holding a gun getting into a car and then it cuts back to the view of the van.

Jump cuts 

A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly. This type of edit gives the effect of jumping forwards in time. Within my sequence chosen there isn't a jump cut however there is a jump cut at the end of the opening scene of Snatch where the subject changes from being in one environment to another.