Intro to Digital Editing Prof Oakes

Overview Definition and Purpose Key Components (Picture/Sound/Transitions) Narrative Continuity (Classical Cutting) Transitions Other Editing Methods Samples

Editing Determines… What we see When we see it How we see it

Definition and Purpose Editing is the process of combining shots in sequential order A shot is one or more exposed frame Frames>Shots>Scenes>Sequence>Movie

Making a Movie Pre-production (script, rehearsals, storyboard) Production (Shooting: Principal Photography) Post-production – Editing – Titles and Effects – Sound (adr, effects, score) Release

Key Components of Editing Editing Picture Editing Sound (Covered Later) Creating Optical Transitions/Effects

Non-Linear Editing Uses Digital Video Technology Access to any one frame as easily as another The equivalent to “cut and paste” in word processing Changes are easy to make and undo Non-Destructive - Uses original material as source but creates a new copy with edits Originally film and video editing was linear and destructive (source material was modified)

Reasons for a cut Narrative Visual Interest Dramatic Emphasis Variety of shot types Correction of continuity problems created during shooting

Actualities Earliest films had no cuts One long shot without camera movement Producers originally thought cuts would confuse the audience

Fred Ott’s Sneeze ( Edison)

Continuity There are several methods of editing but this lecture focuses on Classical (Hollywood) Editing Editing is sometimes called cutting because the film used to be physically cut with scissors and glued together Editing is generally motivated by narrative continuity

Classical Continuity Editing Started in the early 1900’s: The Great Train Robbery (Porter) and Way Down East (Griffith) Inserts (Cutaway) Parallel Editing Storytelling methods were established that are still used today in film and television

Narrative Continuity Maintains the cause-effect order of the story Gives the viewer a clear sense of time and space within the story Creates a smooth flow between shots Keeps the audience “in the picture” Avoids “jump-cuts”

A Classical Hollywood Sequence… Camera moves closer and shots grow shorter as emotional intensity builds – Establishing Long Shot – Medium shot of characters – Shot/Reverse-Shot during dialogue – Occasional Insert (Cutaway) Dramatic climax is filmed in a close-up on the actor’s face

Match Editing Match on Action (Match Cut) Eyeline Match Matching (Consistent) Movement

Point of View Edit

Visual Cut (Graphic Match)

Evolution of Editing 1920’s Soviet Directors – Films as editing constructions (Montage Editing) Eisenstein-Odessa Steps sequence – Kuleshov Experiment (Man with blank Expression) Two different shots create a third meaning

Eisenstein “The Battleship Potempkin” Odessa Steps Sequence

French New Wave ( ) Francois Truffaut Jean-Luc Godard Eric Rohmer Claude Chabrol Jacques Rivette

Transitions and Optical Effects Cut (Straight Cut) Fade In or Fade Out Dissolve (Cross Dissolve) Wipe Optical (Video) effect