Unit 16: Development and Purposes of Editing Techniques

Editing Techniques

Jump Cut: a quick cut that skips or displaces time (it is mainly used to make viewers seem confused, to engage the audience and create an emotional response.)  

Example: Royal Tenenbaums

Cutting On Action: the use of hiding cuts on physical action (making cuts on physical action.) it is used to draw a viewer's attention away from the obvious cutting or continuity issues, it makes it feel more natural and gives the impression of continuity.  

Example: Friends 

J and L Cuts: Cutting half way through dialogue or sound effects. 

Montage: a passage of time for narrative development (full of quick cuts to show different times)  

Example: Hot Fuzz 

Matched Cut: 2 similar shots cut together (usually with similar sound effects.) It's used as an artistic tool or to show a certain aspect of a narrative. 

Example: Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl 

Cross Cutting: Cutting between two things that are happening at the same time, to show the action as quick paced, used to make things seem more intense.  

Example: The Dark Knight 

          Cutting To Beat: making cuts on the beat of a soundtrack. 

Continuity Edit: a seamless edit that is used to maintain a continuous and clear narrative which allows the audience to follow the action smoothly.

Example: V for Vendetta 

Editing Development

'The silent film era'

1903- First Film 
The Great Train Robbery -Lumiere Brothers
Had basic shots and cuts 
NO FILM CONVENTIONS
Follows Theatre Conventions

1920's- 
More complex narratives/stories
Shot variation
Follows the 180 Degree Rule (the rule helps audiences understand time and space)




'Hollywood Studio System'

1940's-1960's-
Narratives develop
Conventions developed - use of invisible editing 
More shot variation and camera movements
Techniques such as montage started to be used 
e.g. Citizen Kane (1941) film

'American New Wave'

1960's-1980's-
Alternative filmmaking
Unconventional editing techniques such as jump cuts
Unusual shot choice 
Editing can influence audiences 
e.g. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

1980's-1990's-
Big Budget -back to studios
Action films
Editing was used to create pace and excitement
Use of cross-cutting and match cutting
Lots of transitions used
e.g. Top Gun (1986) 




'Digital Editing'

1990's-2000's-
Digital Editing
Rise of Final Cut Pro and Avid
Lots of CGI and Visual Effects
e.g. Avatar


Today:
Techniques relate to genre
Editing techniques are used in different ways and aren't alternative as they are used on a daily basis.

Editing and The Audience

'Top Gun Scene'

Rhythm 
Quick Cuts
Cutting to the beat
Cutting on action
180 Degree Rule 
Conventional

'Raging Bull Scene'

Experimental camera movements 
Quick Cuts
Edited in black and white
Suspense, anticipation and intensity created through fewer cuts. 
Unconventional -to feel more involved.


'Monsters' -by Gareth Edwards

Montage technique
Use of CGI and Visual Effects
Strongly based on performance of the actors

Why?

Why did the developments happen?

The developments changed as the times changed, they were used to show off the editing but it became a tool to hook audiences in, to create an impact depending on how it was used and what style it was. It developed as technology did and people's views on films changed. They realised that editing was a key on influencing an audience and creating an impact. 

Nowadays we have more current and enhanced technology and different styles of editing because filmmakers and editors wanted to create complex stories and unique films using different types of editing and shot styles, they wanted to create emotional responses and this progressed as technology itself did. 

The 180 degree rule is used even now because it's arguably the most important editing development as it gives an audience the sense of time and space, it makes sure that the shots don't face the same way so it looks realistic.

How are these developments used today?

Today these developments are used in several different ways. The use of CGI and visual effects occurs in most films, the techniques and developments are used in relation to genre, the narrative or the audience. The techniques and developments vary depending on these factors and how a filmmaker wants the audience to feel, the impact that they want on the film. The CGI helps a film by creating a unique alternative universe, a unique story told through editing. It lets you believe in dragons and magic, it gives you an emotional response to the style of film, the impact that CGI can create. In this behind the scenes of the film: The Avengers we can see the use of CGI to create the Hulk, this shows how CGI can make things look different but still make it look realistic and makes people question whether it is actually CGI because it looks so real which makes it feel realistic.

The shot types have changed allowing an audience to gain a new perspective, to feel more involved and interested by a scene or a character. The audience can empathise  with a situation, they can form emotional responses to them and feel relation to a narrative. The cutting helps you know when to focus, how a scene is going it gives a person prior warning or the element of surprise, they are used to help a scenes fit together so that the narrative flows. For example in this scene of Grey's Anatomy we see the use of close ups and different shots to flick through and create a better performance, it lets the audience feel an emotional response to the emotion that the camera picks up.

From gathering these examples I found that the reason why editing developed was because filmmakers wanted to engage with their audience more. They wanted to make the audience feel involved, not just for entertainment but allow them to form an emotional response or an emotional attachment to what they're seeing onscreen. The change from the use of a single camera shot and theatre techniques to the use of CGI and a variety of different camera shots shows how technology advanced and that as the technology did as did the style of editing, to remain relevant and current. 

Clip Analysis

In Top Gun we see:

• Jump cuts
• Cutting to the beat this quickens the pace and creates excitement, as the beat picks up so does the action. It allows us to follow the action as it's happening.
• Quick cuts are used to create suspense and drama, it makes the scene feel intense and dramatic.

In Raging Bull we see:

• A mixture of fast and slow cuts to create suspense and intensity through fewer cuts.
• Edited in black and white this is to create a different feel to the film, it makes it feel old and creates a darker tone to the film. It helps to set the tone as darker and more reflective, it makes the viewer feel tense whilst watching.
• J and L cuts -we see this at 0:53 when it is shown on a tv report and then it cuts to the actual live boxing rink whilst still hearing the tv reporting. This is used to show us that the events are happening at the same time.
• Quick cutting/montage -we see this when his opponent hits him at 2:14 the shots are very quick to show us the action, it allows us to see the pace quicken and see all of the different reactions and actions in little snapshots.