Editing

4th October 2010                   Mrs. Fisher

Objective: To be able to show an understanding of how editing is used to create meaning.

Reaction Shot: Any shot (often used as a cutaway) in which a subject reacts to a previous shot. This shot can be used in a film when there is shocking news to a character and they react to the news or actions made by laughing, crying etc. This type of edit can help me in my thriller film because for example is someone dies in a scene, i can use this edit to show the characters reaction and face expression; if the character is crying then it may bring sympathy to the audience.

Here is a clip from the film obsessed which shows a eaction shot. At the beginning of the clip where the character which came into the house didnt realised that someone was in the house hears the champange pop caused a reation shot showing a surprised and confused look.




Invisible editing/ continuity editing: This is were the audience don't notice the editing when it cuts. It supports rather than dominates the narrative, the plot and the character are the focus.

Montage: Lots of different shots together in one sequence. The speed of editing, where shots are quickly juxtaposed together to create excitement. The clip above from the film obsessed shows this edit. From 1:53 seconds, the two ladies start fighting. This then showed many edits to show different angles of the fight. This would cause exitement to the audience and invovles them more. This edit will help me in my thriller film because it will make the audience feel more part of the film.

Slow Editing: Is when clips are put together at a slower pace and this is to create suspense. The shot lasts longer between each shot. The clip above also shows slow editing.

Straight Cut: The shot moves from one to another with a 'clean' abrupt cut. This is used often in edits becuase usually the audience don't notice this edit. This will help me in the makimg of my thriller film because as i use this shot it will help me to move to another shot without loosing the audiences focus on the film.

Fade-Out: The last scene fades into the blackness. This is used at the end of a film. This will help me in the making of my thriller film because i can use this shot when my film ends to acknowledge the audience that my film is ended.

Dissolve: Two images blended together. This would make the audience to not lose focus in whats going on from scene to scene.

Wipe Cut: This is where one part of the screen moves away to wipe the other scene.

Jump Cut: When the film suddenly focuses on something.

Linking of Selection: Where one section of a film is linked to another scene, which has significance.

Timing Shots: In the editing stage same shots are either edited slower or quicker to add emotional impact or to create suspense.

Kuleshov effect: This is where two shots equal a meaning. E.g. A shot of a man lying on the ground then a shot of another man holding a gun. Although no one said someone has died, us as a audience make our own narrative that someone has died. Under neath is an example is this type of edit. This is a clip from Halloween Resurrection. A Kuleshov effect is used from 35 seconds. The audience makes a guess that the man stabbed the lady. Although noone said or saw his face when he killed her, we make a guess that he did. This is because he was following her before and it was only them in the scene so it was either one or the other. This edit allows that audience to make there own narrative with the film; this is because noone tells them that he killed the lady but we assume. This edit will help me in my thriller film because i'm allowing the audience to get involved with my film. This would make my film more interesting for my audience to watch.



180° rule: The camera has to be positioned in a certain way to make sense to the audience. This edit is usually used in sitcoms such as "Everybody Loves Raymond." Here is an example undernearth. Films don't usually follow this rule because in order to make the audience feel like they are part of the part, they must see all around a scene. So i wouldn't use this in my thriller film as it won't give the audience the full experience of  the film. 




Shot reverse shot: This is mostly used in films where a conversation is taking place. This edit is used in the above clip. From 7:30 to 8:19 there is a converstion between three people. This edit involves the camera going back and forth to the characters to show a coversation taken place. This edit will help me in my thriller film because i can use this shot when there is a sort of interection with two of the characters.

Graphic Match: This is when the shape from one shot matches the shape of the next. For example a woman screaming with her mouth open in a circular shape, the next shot could be of a tunnel.

Film Physco 1960- The shower scene

The speed of the editing from this scene started slow then quicken when she was being attacked.

This table shows how many times i saw editing in this scene. Straight cut was the most common. There was more editing during the attack. This was to show what was taking place at different angles. Kuleshov effect was used during the attack because none said that the lady was dying but we knew from the action that she was dying. The practical reason to do editing around the 1960's was because there was only one camera used so this allowed the camera to change position. So this would be used so the camera can change position and show another angle of the scene.

Scene from Kidulthood

Scene from Slumdog Millionaire

There are a few similarities between these two scenes. For example they both have wipe cuts but this is for different reasons and creates different effects to the audience. The most common style of editing used was straight cut. This may have been because it is simple and it doesn't bring much attention to the edit, so there is still a focus on what's going on in the scene. During the wipe cut of the two scenes, the attention was taken away from was was actually going on. The editing of the films did follow the generic convention of the films because tension was brought where needed through the edits. For example the fast editing during Slumdog millionaire when the boys were running for their lives.