Editing The joining of one shot (strip of film) with another. Often these shots are of events or pictures in different places at different times.

Sequence Shots »Realist style of editing. »Sequence shots contain no editing at all. »Imagine turning on a camera and letting it record whatever is there-- that’s a sequence shot. »Realist style of editing. »Sequence shots contain no editing at all. »Imagine turning on a camera and letting it record whatever is there-- that’s a sequence shot.

Cutting to Continuity »Basic editing technique developed in the early 20th century to compress time and space. »Continuity cutting tries to preserve the fluidity of an event without literally showing all of it. »Cuts are made to save time, not to comment on the action, so this style is relatively realistic. »Basic editing technique developed in the early 20th century to compress time and space. »Continuity cutting tries to preserve the fluidity of an event without literally showing all of it. »Cuts are made to save time, not to comment on the action, so this style is relatively realistic.

Classical Cutting »D.W. Griffith, the father of film, developed and perfected classical cutting. »Cutting to continuity had provided crude, simple stories, while classical cutting enabled directors to turn film into an art form akin to literature and drama. »Cuts are made to achieve dramatic intensity and emotional emphasis. »D.W. Griffith, the father of film, developed and perfected classical cutting. »Cutting to continuity had provided crude, simple stories, while classical cutting enabled directors to turn film into an art form akin to literature and drama. »Cuts are made to achieve dramatic intensity and emotional emphasis.

Classical Cutting, cont. »In classical cutting, juxtaposing long, medium, and close shots shifts the audience’s point of view within a scene, thus creating connections, emphasis, intensity, etc. not seen in a single take. » An establishing shot that moves to closer shots are common, classical cutting techniques. »In classical cutting, juxtaposing long, medium, and close shots shifts the audience’s point of view within a scene, thus creating connections, emphasis, intensity, etc. not seen in a single take. » An establishing shot that moves to closer shots are common, classical cutting techniques.

Other Classical Cutting Techniques » Master shot with cover shots » Eyeline match » Matching action » 180  rule » Parallel editing (cross-cutting) » Master shot with cover shots » Eyeline match » Matching action » 180  rule » Parallel editing (cross-cutting)

Eyeline match from El Mariachi (Rodriquez 1992)

»Example of matching action from Traffic (Soderbergh, 2000)

»Example of matching action from Snatch (Ritchie 2000)

180 degree rule- Into the Wild (Penn 2007)

»Example of parallel editing from Yi Yi (Edward Yang, 2000)

Thematic Montage »From the French, monter, to assemble. » Montage capitalizes on our brain’s ability to associate ideas. The cuts, however, are motivated by the connection of ideas, not by continuity of time and space. »Montage is associated with the Soviet filmmakers, especially Lev Kuleshov and V.I. Pudovkin. »Kuleshov’s experiment »From the French, monter, to assemble. » Montage capitalizes on our brain’s ability to associate ideas. The cuts, however, are motivated by the connection of ideas, not by continuity of time and space. »Montage is associated with the Soviet filmmakers, especially Lev Kuleshov and V.I. Pudovkin. »Kuleshov’s experiment

»thematic montage from The Wall (Parker 1982)

Dialectical Montage »Sergei Eisenstein took montage to another level by invoking the dialectical, that the world is in constant flux. »Two conflicting shots (thesis and antithesis) produce a wholly new idea (synthesis). »Think of montage as a collage of moving pictures. By juxtaposing different shots, new meanings and ideas are created. »Sergei Eisenstein took montage to another level by invoking the dialectical, that the world is in constant flux. »Two conflicting shots (thesis and antithesis) produce a wholly new idea (synthesis). »Think of montage as a collage of moving pictures. By juxtaposing different shots, new meanings and ideas are created.

Dialectical montage from October (Eisenstein, 1927)

Abstract Cutting »Most expressionistic editing style. »Cuts are made completely divorced from any recognizable subject matter. »Most expressionistic editing style. »Cuts are made completely divorced from any recognizable subject matter.

Editing Transitions » Cut —most commonly used; visible change from one image or shot to another; used to join shots where there is no change in narrative time or space. » Dissolve —one shot fades out to black, while another shot fades in to show change in time/space. » Fade —one shot fades completely to black for a few moments before the next shot fades in; shows a substantial change in time/space. » Iris and wipes —optical transitions used in early films. » Cut —most commonly used; visible change from one image or shot to another; used to join shots where there is no change in narrative time or space. » Dissolve —one shot fades out to black, while another shot fades in to show change in time/space. » Fade —one shot fades completely to black for a few moments before the next shot fades in; shows a substantial change in time/space. » Iris and wipes —optical transitions used in early films.

»A dissolve from The Stendhal Syndrome (Dario Argento, 1996)

Dissolve from Frida (Hayek 2002)

»An iris from Neighbors (Buster Keaton, 1920)

» Examples of Wipe cuts from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (Wright 2010)

Other Editing Terms » Establishing shot —a shot used in classical cutting at the beginning of a scene to establish the location, then closer shots of the action are used. » Jump cut —an editing transition that’s confusing in terms of space and time. » Fast cut —consecutive shots of brief duration » Slow cut —consecutive shots of long duration » Establishing shot —a shot used in classical cutting at the beginning of a scene to establish the location, then closer shots of the action are used. » Jump cut —an editing transition that’s confusing in terms of space and time. » Fast cut —consecutive shots of brief duration » Slow cut —consecutive shots of long duration

Example of Jump Cuts from The Fall (Tarsem 2008)

Multiple types of cuts from Hot Fuzz (Wright 2007)