What are the definition of key

editing techniques and what

impact do they have?
Editing

Key Terms
Continuity
Continuity Editing
180 degree rule
Match on action (match cuts)
Shot reverse shot
Eye-line match
Cross cutting

Insert shot
Cutaway
Pace
Time
Transitions
Special Effects
Montage Editing

RAG rate the

key terms on
your sheet

EDITING - DEFINITION
PART OF POST PRODUCTION PROCESS
The stage in the film-making process in which sound and images are organised to
construct an overall narrative.
It is how a film maker puts together and considers cuts/cutting and applies transitions,
special effects etc. to communicate a narrative to an audience.
Remember that an audience is a non-active participant who must understand a narrative
through the editing, they can only see what you show them.
Imagine a film or even a scene from a film without any editing, it would be very
interesting!

Continuity
The key word in continuity is CONTINUE
It is to make sure things are continuous

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggFKLxAQBbc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8liieRepk&feature=related

Clips
Did you notice the editing?

NO!
Because good editing is INVISIBLE!

Continuity Errors
Many things can cause continuity errors
-shots/angles
-costume/props
-lighting etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSnCu43QzeY

What is wrong with the continuity in this clip? How many

errors can you spot?

Continuity EDITING
Continuity Editing
The most common type of editing which aims to create a sense of reality and time
moving forward.
Also known as invisible editing referring to how the technique does not draw attention to
the editing process but allows the audience to concentrate on the narrative.
Various filming rules and techniques are applied to ensure this smooth continuity.
Basically, continuity editing is so that scenes look continuous. (the flow)
Techniques/rules of continuity editing:
-180 degree rule
-match on action (match cuts)
-shot reverse shot
-eye-line match
-crosscutting or parallel editing

Continuity editing: 180

degree rule
Purpose: Is to orientate the viewer, to establish the
placement of characters.
Breaking the 180 rule, it will place the characters in a
different place

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyyuqmCW14

180 degree rule cont.

Continuity editing: match on action

1 ACTION = MULTIPLE SHOTS

Is multiple cuts to show one continuous action.

Match on action is part of invisible editing which creates flow when watching a scene.
The cuts MATCH together so that the audience know it is one action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMx-Az5Da4M

Think of how many match cuts there are!

.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Nx1o7fkVM
AS example

What kind of pace is created in these clips? How?

Why?
How does sound connect to the editing/pace? How?

Continuity editing: shot reverse shot

Shot reverse shot is when a shot goes from shot A, shot B, shot A,
shot B etc.
It goes continuously back and forth between the 2 shots to show
there is a connection between them
It is often used in conversations so you see what both characters
are saying
It is a form of eye-line matching if the character is looking at
someone and the next shot is what they look at
Imagine if a conversation was just 1 shot of character A and you
didnt see character Bs face at all?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JauH_EKpaY

Continuity editing: eye-line

match
Shot A: character is looking off screen
Shot B: what character is looking at
Is a following shot that follows what character is looking at, makes cuts smoother the
audience expects the cut to happen and is eager to see what happens next/what
character sees.
Example,
a) A persons phone rings, she turns and looks in direction of phone
b) Close up shot of phone ringing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KtVKu9CfDA&feature=relmfu
Her looking
at cards
her looking at cards
) This is eye-line match because of the cards she is looking at..but it is also..?

Continuity editing: cross cutting

Technique of continuously alternating 2 or more scenes that often happen
simultaneously (at same time) but in different locations.
As they cross, pace gradually gets faster and fast and tension builds
Often the parallel scenes will intersect to create a climax.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD0h7WcgJ5w
2 scenes: a) interrogation b) car approaching

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM&feature=related
-2 scenes: a) FBI director (outside house) b) criminal (inside house)
What is unique/different about this scene? How has cross cutting been used different? (What is its intention upon the
audience?)

A (3pm)

B (315pm)
Cross cuttingA example
(315pm)
B (3pm)

B (3:33pm)

Busted!
Climax

A (3:33pm)

B (330pm)

A (330pm)

Continuity editing: insert shot

Infilm, aninsertis a shot of part of asceneas filmed from a different angle and/or focal length
from themaster shot (original/establishing shot). Inserts cover action already covered in the master
shot, but emphasize a different aspect of that action due to the different framing.
An insert differs from acutawayas cutaways cover actionnotcovered in the master shot.
Example
CLOSE-UP of the gunfighter,
INSERT of his hand quivering above the holster,
TWO SHOT of his friends watching anxiously,
INSERT of the clock ticking.

Insert

Insert

Inserts andcutawayscan both be tricky for directors, as care must be taken to

preservecontinuityby keeping the objects in the same relative position as in the main take,
and having the lighting the same.

Continuity Editing video

This video is a good summary of
continuity with examples from a film

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xauSCz1mEk

Cutaway

A cutaway is video scene that CUTS away to relevant

images or footage

Often used in documentaries or in film when a vital piece of

information is needed to show the audience. Usually the
dialogue or voice will CONTINUE during the cutaway (to
keep it continuous)

It is used to have variety in the visuals

Pace
TYPE OF
PACE

Effects

SLOW

-to make slow/calm/still

-little number of shots/cuts which are long
-to make audience calm or bored (perhaps to pay attention to detail or to
emphasize emotion)

MEDIUM

-to make normal and comfortable

-average number shots/cuts which are medium time which could show
realism

FAST

-to make intense, exciting and thrilling

-lots of shots/cuts which are short
-to make audience tense/excited

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hxOoM0-NJI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZZ60jrw6cg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1JsC1ur2X8

Which pace for each clip?

How is this pace created?
Why is this pace created?

Time
How is time edited? How is time shown and/or manipulated to
communicate a narrative?

How is time shown/represented?

Is there a manipulation of time? How? Why?

TYPES OF TIME

STORY TIME: time of the events (ex a film over 50 years .)

DISCOURSE TIME: time taken to narrate the event (how long to

tell the story?
Ex 2 hours )

More types of time

MORE
TYPES OF
TIME

Example

Summary

-discourse shorter than story

A film takes place over 50

years but shown in 2 hours

Ellipsis

-establishing discourse time

rather than story

-shot 1: man out of bed.

-shot 2: man in shower..
-shot 3: man getting dressed.
-shot 4: man driving to work.
The audience can fill in the
gaps ()

Scene

-story and discourse time are

equal (to show realism (real time)

Soap opera which shows a

scene in 5 minutes which is
actually 5 mins

Stretch

-discourse is longer than story

Scene in race where it is in

slow motion to show a runner
winning and to capture the
emotion

Flashbac
k

-character has a flash back (which

is a thought or memory in the
past)

(using slow motion)

-flashbacks are often in dull colours,

black and white and altered light (to
make it different than real time)

-causes non linear narrative as

you are changing order of time

In hunger games, Kat is

thinking about Peeta at dinner
table, she has a flashback and
audience see her thoughts of
her sitting outside the bakery
and Peeta throwing her bread

Time allocation
Remember the audience will not see
everything, things are edited in order they
get to see what is important.
Who/what has most time on screen? Why?
Who/what has little time on screen and why?
*link to representation/stereotype
*link to placement (shots/angles) where are characters placed
in the scene? Are they in the middle of the screen or hidden in
a corner or behind other people?
Think of the fast and furious chase scene = who has the most/little time? Why?

Transitions
Straight cutting to show realism, in conversations etc.

http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLkUHZ1qips

Graphic match when 2 shots match graphically, often with an overlap

transition (ex shot of eyeball, then shot of the sun (same size/shape = to
show their relationship) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ HG5kPlxzeU
Overlap/dissolve makes a softer transition, to show ellipsis or time passing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvGc6D85fwE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6zGWox6S0

Wipe often used to show new day or new scene/location (sideways wipe)
Fade in/out (fade to black or appear from black often used to communicate
ending or beginning) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0_2ZFdB6Hk
Flash to show flashbacks or flash-forwards (to show thoughts or memories)
(flashes to white) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SY_qeOIjIg

Special Effects
B&w often used to show memory or time period
Contrast to altar the lighting (or contrast = very light lights and dark darks
sometimes with memories
Colour - to add a colour filter to show a specific mood
Example The ring many scenes are very blue-ish, which show sterile/coldness etc.
Animation titles of shows or cartoons
CGI computer generated images (example = avatar, planet of apes, polar express)
Fast forward/slow motion speeding up or slowing down footage
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIK4Uf9NhJA (fast) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrlPmK4B94

http://

(slow)

Ghost trail see multiple actions (overlapped) to show someone drunk or on drugs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5xkFN-pOJc (ghost trail) .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI3bnkWD0Fg

Blur to show un-clarity, or fuzzy memory/flashback

(hallucination when stung by bee at 2:06)

Montage editing

Montage editing is a serious of montage which is a series of

shots that are not in sequential order, continuous or relate to
each other.
It is just like pieces of the puzzle, often used in trailers, TV
openings (the show credits/opening)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HAUmII_hcg

Other good videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1japIhKU9I filming
techniques

Any technique/rule = search in youtube, you can learn

about so many!