2. 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
3. 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!
4. 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
5. Clips
• Did you notice the editing?
• NO!
• Because good editing is INVISIBLE!
6. 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?
7. 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
8. 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
10. 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!
• .
What kind of pace is created in these clips? How? Why?
How does sound connect to the editing/pace? How? Why?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0Y01LlptV0
AS example (2016)
11. 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
didn’t see character B’s face at all?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JauH_EKpaY
12. 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 person’s 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
• This is eye-line match because of the cards she is looking at………..but it is also……..?
Continuity editing:
eye-line match
Her looking at cards her looking at cards
13. 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 it’s intention upon the audience?)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmptU7vEkNU
A B A B A
14. Cross cutting example
Busted! Climax
(2 scene collide)
A (5pm)
B (5pm)
A (515pm)
B (515pm)
A (530pm)B (530pm)A (5:33pm)B (5:33pm)
15. Continuity editing:
insert shot
• In film, an insert is a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length
from the master 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 a cutaway as cutaways cover action not covered 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.
• Inserts and cutaways can both be tricky for directors, as care must be taken to
preserve continuity by keeping the objects in the same relative position as in the main take, and
having the lighting the same.
Insert Insert
16. Continuity Editing video
This video is a good summary of continuity
with examples from a film
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xauSCz1mEk
17. 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
19. 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 )
20. 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
(using slow motion)
Scene in race where it is in slow motion to
show a runner winning and to capture the
emotion
Flashback -character has a flash back (which is a thought or
memory in the past)
-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
Flash-forward -when audience are shown the future scenes or
events (often to give clues)
-causes non linear narrative as you are changing
order of time
21. 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 the Furious chase scene = who has the most/little time? Why?
22. 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
• Wipe – often used to show new day or new scene/location (sideways wipe)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NAhAEQUk8M
• Fade in/out (fade to black or appear from black – often used to
communicate ending or beginning) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umINbAf846Q
• Flash – to show flashbacks or flash-forwards (to show thoughts or
memories) (flashes to white) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUwjGTlACrI
23. 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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIK4Uf9NhJA
(fast) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrlPmK4B94 (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 (hallucination when stung by bee at 2:06)
• Blur – to show un-clarity, or fuzzy memory/flashback (bee sting scene – some is blurry when Peeta coming)
24. 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
25. Other Videos
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1japIhKU9I filming techniques
• Any technique/rule = search in youtube, you can learn about so
many!
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDclQowcE9I
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f78muH3MG7M
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVtL1
edhT8qqY-j2JIndMzg
26. Key Terms
• Continuity
• Continuity Editing
– 180 degree rule
– Match on action
– Shot reverse shot
– Eyeline match
– Cross cutting
• Insert shot
• Cutaway
• Pace
• Time
• Transitions
– Straight cutting
– Overlap/dissolve
– Wipe
– Fade in/fade out
• Special Effects
– CGI
– B&W
– Blur
– Fast
forward/slow
motion
• Montage Editing
GREEN
Terms I am
confident with
AMBER
Terms I am ok
with
RED
Terms I am
confused about
27. Homework
• Set: Fri 24th Feb, 2017
• Due: Wed 1st March
• 1. Revise the terms ONCE TWICE THREE TIMES 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9… however many times you need for it to
sink in!
• 2. Create a textual analysis blog to explore the key micro
elements. Find videos for as many as the terms as you can
and put on blog (2 hours)
– Cinematography
– Editing
– Mise-en-Scene
– Sound