Invisible editing
Invisible editing's used to make an edit look seamless and to make the scene/sequence flow. It's used in the majority of TV and film and is a favourite in Hollywood cinema. This type of editing looks cleaner than a jump cut and it's a more immersive method of editing and can make the audience feel like they're watching this first hand in front of them.
Cutting on action
Cutting on action is a technique which is used to show the viewer the same scene from different angles. The editor cuts from shot to shot at the same time an action happens, for example a gun shot, the next view has to match the first action. It can be a way to create tension for the audience as it's as if the cut happens on demand or to leave a scene on a cliffhanger.
Jump cut
This type of editing is a simple way to show a scene between a few people, for example a conversation or argument/fight. It cuts back and forth from each character using camera angles that are slightly different. This is a very basic way of editing just cutting between whoever is in the scene and it just gives the audience two point of views whilst watching the scene.
Cross cut
Cross cutting is used commonly to show two things that are happening simultaneously but in different locations. Most often used in action sequences, they can be used to create dramatic tension for the audience as two different things can be happening at ones and the cuts can get quicker and more frequent as the action heats up.
Match cut
A match cut is when either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which objects in the two shots graphically match, it helps to link two scenes together in a seamless way. They can be used as a trick, making the audience think they're watching the same scene when it's actually cut to another.
Montage
A montage is method of editing where you edit a series of short shorts into a sequence, they can condense space, time and information so no one scene seems to drag for too long. They can also show more that one thing that's happening at the same time; similar to a cross cut. Montages are in interesting way to show the audience more than one thing that's happening, it can create more meaning to one scene if something that's relevant is being cut with it.
The way that we edit television and film has change quite significantly. We've gone from just cutting up a scene to delete the bad bits to editing a sequence in order to make it have an affect on the audience or to make them feel a certain way.
Early Film
1903 - Basic Cuts in Film
This video explains the process of jump cuts, they used to be seen as something to avoid, however they can be used to tell a story. For example at 1:03 where he goes from talking to his head in his hands to "uhm" multiple times tell us he's confused/frustrated just from the way that his actions have been cut up. They're normally used in a conversation scene to show two people talking from the other persons point of view, however in this it's just used on one person to show jumps in time/the conversation.
1920s - Silent Film
This silent Alice in Wonderland film allows the audience to view a film in a different way, almost from another perspective. The loss of sound allowed the audience to understand the concept of time and space as it's in black and white it's hard to distinguish the difference between hours/days and locations look similar but the audience need to know they're different.
Jump cuts are used, for example at 2:37 to 2:41 it goes from the girls talking to a shot of the tree and them walking on from the side. The audience now know they've changed location and we've moved further on in the day.
1940s - Hollywood Studio System
The 1940s introduced films that included sound, it was a way that allowed an audience to immerse themselves in a new world to escape reality. This era was when cinema was at the height of its popularity and with sound being a major contributing factor, it made more and more people want to catch on.
The use of a pretty girl and good looking man made it pleasurable to watch and made them want to escape into this other world. Because it's in black and white, the music at 5:15 is upbeat and different to show another location/start of a new scene. A lot of this film is shot from slightly off angles, none that you'd find in a top budget Hollywood film - because this is relatively early in cinema no one will have noticed so to them it would have been like actually being there in the scene experiencing it first hand; this is another example of how it would have allowed them to escape into the film.
1960s - American New Wave
The Godfather
The American New Wave was a period in film making history when there was a ride of young, new film makers in America.
The American New Wave was a period in film making history when there was a ride of young, new film makers in America.
Cross cutting; from the baptism scene to the shooting ones. This is used to assist the multi strand narrative and adds more to the meaning of the scene.
Gives contrast between the two scenes.
Cutting on action; it's evident in the scene where the character is getting a massage. Goes from a wide shot to mid shot to close up as the assassin walks in and shoots him in the eye.
Montage; has a musical score underneath and the film uses a vary of other scenes. It speeds up the Christening scene and gives the audience the illusion that whilst he's there all his men are killing people - speeding up all the scenes so it flows in one.
1980s - High Concept cinema
The Shining
When he's approaching the bathroom, the movement is slow and a tense tune has been scored underneath, we know that something is about happen and it's going to be bad/dramatic. We're also able to see his wife frantically trying to escape through the window, these cross cuts make us want to close our eyes because we can see she can't get out and the music gets faster as the action climaxes.
By using this kind of music it makes us aware that it's a horror/action because it's a signature asset most films of those genres have. Also the use of cross cuts are used in action films so we can see two things that are happening at once for two different characters.
By using this kind of music it makes us aware that it's a horror/action because it's a signature asset most films of those genres have. Also the use of cross cuts are used in action films so we can see two things that are happening at once for two different characters.
1990s - Digital editing software introduced
Living To Die
From the 1990s to now there's been a rise of filmmakers producing independent films and with multiple film festivals, more and more indie filmmakers are trying to get their work recognised.
Independent filmmaking isn't easy, but it's certainly cheaper with the majority being low-medium budget aimed at a home market.
In this independent film made in 1990 by PM Entertainment, they use stationary shots at first, then moving the camera with a voice over so that from the get go the audience are aware of what's happening, even when the screen is black. In the conversation scene from 1:23, they use a lot of jump cuts to show the other person talking, even in the scene at 10:03 jump cuts are used to show the other person in the bedroom and their reactions. Apart from sudden cuts to other characters, the editing is quite seamless and they cut on action in the poker scene where a heated conversation starts.
00s - Today
The Maze Runner
In modern cinema, all techniques are used but we might not recognise them. The film market is competitive and obviously everyone wants to make the number 1 spot.
CGI is a very common aspect to use, and the majority of the time we don't notice. For example in The Maze Runner, the concrete walls we see in the film aren't actually that high, realistically they're half the size and CGI is used to make their situation seem worse. Also when we see Thomas in the maze, the "grievers" aren't real and will have been filmed using a prop of some kind but created and edited in during post production.
Dependant on the genre of film, different techniques will be use din different ways. For example;
Horror - Cutting on action, match cuts, invisible editing.
Fantasy - CGI, cross cuts, montages, invisible editing.
Action - Cross cuts, very short and snappy to get adrenaline pumping, montages and invisible editing.
CGI - Computer Generated Imagery is a way to create something that's not real to add affect or meaning to a story. It's used in film, tv, video games, art and more to create the illusion of something that isn't real. I think it's a good thing because it adds more to a scene. E.g. if in the maze runner the walls weren't as high and they were shot at their actual height, you wouldn't feel as panicked or scared for the characters, also because a lot of things we want to add would be impossible to find and it's good that we have the ability to create something that isn't real, make it look life like and pass it odd as if it is real.
CGI is a very common aspect to use, and the majority of the time we don't notice. For example in The Maze Runner, the concrete walls we see in the film aren't actually that high, realistically they're half the size and CGI is used to make their situation seem worse. Also when we see Thomas in the maze, the "grievers" aren't real and will have been filmed using a prop of some kind but created and edited in during post production.
Dependant on the genre of film, different techniques will be use din different ways. For example;
Horror - Cutting on action, match cuts, invisible editing.
Fantasy - CGI, cross cuts, montages, invisible editing.
Action - Cross cuts, very short and snappy to get adrenaline pumping, montages and invisible editing.
CGI - Computer Generated Imagery is a way to create something that's not real to add affect or meaning to a story. It's used in film, tv, video games, art and more to create the illusion of something that isn't real. I think it's a good thing because it adds more to a scene. E.g. if in the maze runner the walls weren't as high and they were shot at their actual height, you wouldn't feel as panicked or scared for the characters, also because a lot of things we want to add would be impossible to find and it's good that we have the ability to create something that isn't real, make it look life like and pass it odd as if it is real.
