Film and video editing techniques: March 2017

Wednesday, 22 March 2017

Cutting to soundtrack

Cutting to the soundtrack is when a scene relies on the soundtrack to carry the viewer's interest. The cut's made by the editor will be influenced by this music to get the maximum effect from the audience.
It can be used with other sounds not just music, for example, if in a classroom the focus is on two people chatting and then we hear nails being scraped on a chalkboard, the next cut will be on the chalkboard.
Another example of cutting to soundtrack is matching the cuts with the sounds.Music videos and trailers are good for this because the editor can cut them to fit in with the sounds.

Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MGUNV8MxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3IWwnNe5mc&t=1s

Choosing the right soundtrack for a movie is vital to get the correct look. Soundtracks could be everything for a movie like Guardians of the Galaxy which relies on their popular soundtrack to carry the movie.

When adding a soundtrack to a shot or scene, the editor will be given a list of songs to place at certain periods. Getting this wrong however can result in hilarious or disastrous consequences.

Star wars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PpuXXpajuE

Crosscutting

Crosscutting or parallel editing is when the editor mixes two events that are happening at the same time in different locations. It is used to establish suspense or to show events unfolding. It can also help build the scene up and make it more dramatic.

Example:
A little girl is skipping down the street.
A car is driving along the road, the driver is applying lipstick.
The girl crosses the street.
The driver gets close to the girl.
The little girl screams.
The driver sees the girl last second and swerves out of her way.
The car mounts the curb and smashes through the bridge.
It falls off the bridge and crashes into the water.
The little girl carries on skipping.

Inception:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmptU7vEkNU

American Sniper:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQgtu2rEGvM

Providing and withholding information

An editor has the power to take information from the video files and add them later to create a surprise or twist in the story. This is to make a storyline seem like it is going one way and then turns it around.

This withheld information may not be viewed at the same time by the audience and the characters, meaning the characters might see something the audience won't. But when this hidden information is bought back in at the end then the story will make sense again.

Murder mysteries are good at withholding information until the killer is revealed. Although in some mystery tv shows, the audience is allowed to view the killer from the beginning. This gives the audience the upper hand to the detective.

M.Night Shyamalan's movies are typically like this, revealing twists at the end.

An example of providing information-

Alfred Hitchcock: "There's two people having breakfast and there's a bomb under the table. It it explodes, that's a surprise. But if it doesn't..."

Reverse shot

The reverse shot or shot reverse shot is a technique usually used when there is dialogue between two characters and we see a shot of each of them. These shots will mostly be mid shot to close up.
During production, filmmakers will need to stick to the 180o rule and keep the cameras to one side or it will distort the viewers image on who is where.

In this scene we can see that the cameras stand just behind the second actor's shoulder and their line of sight crosses over each other.

It doesn't have to be just between two people, it can be between a person and a view, place, object or animal. As long as the cameras stay within the 180 degree line then the scene will make sense.

When placing the cameras over the 180 degree line the actor's eyeline will seem like they are looking in the same direction.

Point of view shot

This type of shot shows the audience the perspective of the character or object. This shot will rarely be stabilised to seem more realistic.

Hardcore Henry is a movie that is shot all in first person so throughout the film the audience feel that they are the lead character.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTdvngWQwHU

Quentin Tarantino uses this shot in a few of his films, usually from in the trunk of a car.

Examples:
http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/10-movies-with-the-best-uses-of-point-of-view-shots/

POV shots can be from a person's or an object's point of view.

These shots will show what the person or object is looking at or pointing towards.

Cutaways

A cutaway is when two shots are edited together to show two different events happening simultaneously. There are several ways a cutaway can be used.

A character could be shown chatting to another and then look away or towards something such as an object, scenery or another person. This will be the cutaway.

In the first shot we see the male character.
The second shot we see the female character.
We then cut away to another shot away from the action.
And then back to the male character.

It can be used to show actions happening to a different person or location but it will be at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtKWxOgpQPs

Two storylines may be merged together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvUbv4iwbDs

A cutaway will be used to give the audience a small break from the main action and show a shot of something that will be happening at the same time.

Transitions

There are many transitions an editor will use through her or his time as an editor. They will use these transitions to combine two or more shots and add to their project. The transition will show how one shot ends and another begins and how they merge together.

Cut-

The cut is one of the most common used transitions. It is when one shot has finished and is immediately replaced with another. All full length movies involve using cuts, even movies such as 'Rope' or 'Birdman' have well hidden cuts in them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCU6eNU6cck

The cut is the most important transition used in film, it can make one simple shot look completely different depending on what other shot it has been mixed with. Lev Kuleshov, a soviet filmmaker, experimented with shots and made what is now called 'The Kuleshov Effect'. In his experiment Kuleshov found that if he put certain shots together he could achieve different reactions from the audience. He put together a shot of a man with three different shots of subjects, a coffin, a bowl of soup and a pretty woman. When shown to an audience, they remarked on how the man looked sad in the first shot, hungry in the second and lustful in the third.

Alfred Hitchcock-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCAE0t6KwJY

Dissolve-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTPctDhOCzE

Fade-

A fade happen most often at the beginning and/or the end of a scene. It will fade from black or white and at the end fade back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k7DWeR1hfY

Wipe-

The wipe, most commonly found in the 'Star Wars' films, is when one shot is replaces with a second as it swipes across the screen. Wipes are used for a change of scene or location. There are various types of wipe from, left to right and vice versa, centre wipe, clockwise wipe and many more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGqAu9gj_F0

Splicing

Splicing footage can only be done on film (analogue) editing. It is the technique of adjoining two lots of film together using splicing tape.
This involves cutting two pieces of film, placing them in the correct order and taping them together.
A splicing machine allows the footage to be lined up and taped together easier.

Splicing machine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkEfo4IVpjk

http://filmschoolonline.com/info/film_splicing.htm

Parallel editing

Parallel editng

Parallel editing is taking two scenes that happen at the same time and placing them together in one timeline. This shows two acts happening simultaneously.
These shots will be placed side by side and will be switching back and forth.

Inception is a good example of parallel editing as it has multiple layers of dreams but all of the action is happening at the same time.

Silence of the lambs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts1x6uADFtM

Jump-cutting

A jump-cut is known as a time saving technique. It is most commonly used in Youtube videos. The shots will be taken from almost the same point, shooting the same subject. When edited together these shots will give the effect of jumping forward in time.

Georges Melies was one of the first known filmmakers to use this technique. Milies discovered the 'jump' by accident while creating on-screen magic tricks. Many filmmakers from then on used jump-cutting in their films to ensure continuity.

Georges Milies jump-cut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FrdVdKlxUk

A jump-cut must not be confused with a match-cut. The differences are very similar with different results.
The jump-cut shows shots from not quite the same angle but of the same subject.

The match-cut is a continuing shot from the exact same position.

Montage

Montage - French 'Putting together'.

Montages were first used to gain audience reactions, Sergei Einstein used several shots put together to evoke emotions.
There are several methods to montage:

Metric
Rhythmic
Tonal
Overtonal
Intellectual

Metric:

Montage editing is taking shots of an event or a time period and placing them together to make what would seem like a long time, pass quite quickly. These shots may or may not be related, but by then end of the edit they will all merge together.

The Muppets montage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLkz3ibYVxY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rWsAPnrhtc

Rhythmic:

Rhythmic montages usually change shots in time with the music that is played along with it. This could speed up or slow down to go with the beat.

Flight of the conchords:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tr6CXpxFDk

Tonal:

Tonal montage consists of the images and the music matching in tone. If the shot is a comedy then it should be accompanied with light and whimsical tones.

Various:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sTjuNK-3cY

Overtonal:

Overtonal montage is a mix between the previous montage methods, using abstract. By doing this it will have audience emotions running high along with the scene.

Hitchcock:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbLog1ge8dM

Intellectual:

Intellectual montage is a process of short shots to show an idea or action.

Apocalypse now:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TZnlmwwo2I

Continuity

Taking shots from the same object/subject to maintain continuity. This will show us following the character or subject while switching between different cameras.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yR-i82mb_o

Eyeline match:

By using the eyeline match this will show a shot of the actor, followed by a shot of what they're looking at then back to them. this shows the audience's ability to assume things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtQDncQHOXs

Seamless

Seamless editing is when an editor takes two separate shots and combines them to make one scene that seems like they could be one. It can also be called cutting on action, this means that the cut happens when the action is happening but the viewers do not notice as they are watching the action.

Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZF56-EljFQ

See also:
Continuity

Creating motivaton

Creating motivation

Creating motivation will help keep the audience's interest in a film. An editor can do this in several ways:

Cuts:

By cutting at specific frames the story will progress at the right time and help it develop.

Pace:

Setting the correct pace for the film will help the audience feel the right emotions at the right time. A faster pace will make the audience's heart rate go up as it is more exciting.

Sound:

The audio will help with creating motivation in a film. This can be in the form of music or a chilling voice or even a loud bang to keep the viewer's interest locked to the film.

Creating pace

This involves speeding up or slowing down the film to assist the audience to feel what they're supposed to feel at that particular moment. Speeding up and/or having short cut shots during an action scene will have the audience's heartbeats up, while in a romantic movie the shot will be slow and long to help the viewer feel relaxed.

Fast pace:

Fast paced scenes will start slow and will get faster by adding more short, quick shots and dramatic music. By doing this, the viewer will be caught up in the action.
Die Hard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9GrYaCOu1M

Slow pace:

Slower paced movies will have longer shots allowing the viewers to understand the scene and the actors better. Comedies, dramas and romantic films tend to use this technique so the audience can relate to the characters.
Four weddings and a funeral:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-HeV8Z6iXc

Combining shots into sequences

When receiving footage from the director, an editor must edit and combine these files and make a sequence, making them flow easily. The edits must seem invisible as to keep the audience intrigued in the scene.
This may seem easy enough but sometimes make take days or weeks to place the shots, recordings and soundtracks in the correct positions.

Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTWYQhTT388
In this scene the cuts as quick and from different angles but the viewer is drawn to the action so they won't notice the cuts.

Relationship to genre

Different styles and techniques are used to portray different genres in film. Using certain shots for a scene can determine how the audience sees the movie.

Horror films will be short fast paced shots to build tension and will have eerie music paired with it to complete the look.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK-MtPRPbcU

Action films also have the fast paced editing to show the quick pace of the film.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMbeLYlcLYQ

Comedies have longer length shots that are usually upbeat and happy.
Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As1zja2shsA

The good, the bad and the ugly:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LcVQJ4IBtM
This scene starts as a long shot then gradually gets closer to each of the three characters. By doing this they build up the tension.

Development of drama

Depending on how shots are put together determine on how a scene will play out. By choosing certain clips at specific times, deciding on how to edit them carefully and adding music to them will intensify a scene, developing the drama.

Dramas will include plenty of reaction shots, these are short close up shots of the characters to show their reactions or any emotions they go through when a scene is played out in front of them.

In this clip, the editor has managed to put together the right shots to have the audience feel sympathy at the right time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgBCnwI_Hq0

Engaging the viewer

Keeping the viewer's interest is extremely important when it comes t film making. If the viewer isn't interested then there will be no profits to be made. Whilst working alongside the director, it is the editor's role to edit the footage to assure there is a beginning, a middle and an end so the audience can understand the plot of the story.
The editor can edit the received footage in anyway the director requires. If the director wants an action movie then the shots will be cut shot and fast to exaggerate the tension in the scene, this along with fast paced music will heighten the interest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXB6slJSbL4

A comedy will be a various range of shots coupled with a upbeat soundtrack.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NT4C1F_HZE

Horror movies may have longer shots, getting shorter as it goes along to bring goosebumps to the audiences and raise anxiety. They will have eerie music paired with the scene.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok-5lWGBQr8

Storytelling

Editing is extremely important when it comes to telling a story. The director may have an idea, the actor's will act, the lighting department will light the scene but it is down to the editor to have the final task to edit it all together to achieve the story.

The editor can make a story look completely opposite to what the director wants all by mixing around the shots or changing the length of the shots. This is why it is important that the director is with the editor to explain what they do or do not want.

Be movie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MZZhIZ29XA&t=186s
This video shows that by editing footage slightly differently can result in a completely different genre of movie. It could make a love story look like a horror movie or vice versa.

Manipulation of diegetic time and space

Manipulating diegetic time and space is a technique used in editing to show various stories in a movie. It can be used:

Flashbacks-

Flashbacks are used to show what happened in the timeline before the moment we are currently viewing. It is during production that they will need to focus on what the flashbacks require ie. makeup/wardrobe/sets, then it is the editor's job to place the shot in the right part of the timeline.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gbgep7wF9w

Time travel-

Time travelling in films requires plenty of planning of the shots. This can be confusing for the editor to place in order in the timeline without either the storyboards or the director with them during the editing process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kDoTntFn_k

Something over a period of time.

Showing something ageing, deteriorating or changing over a period of time requires for all the shots taken to be in the correct order for it to look right or the story would not make sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkZrrgP7PDs

The Time Traveller's wife:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_8WZxHScMk

Shot variation

Shot variation requires using a variety of shots in a film. This can be in the forms of:

Extreme long shot

(ELS) A view from a greater distance, showing people as small dots in the landscape. Used to show a location or time passing (day to night).

Used in:
Ratatouille

The walking dead

Wall-e

Long shot

(LS) A shot that is taken from a distance. Usually shows people in a smaller scale compared to the scenery.

Used in:

The good, the bad and the ugly

28 Weeks later

The Avengers

Medium long shot

(MLS) Also known as the three quarters shot. The subject will be seen from the knees upwards. Can be used to show movements or actions.

Used in:
The Matrix
Badboys
The Martian

Medium (mid) shot

(MS) The subject is shot from the waist upwards.

Used in:
The Hobbit
Pulp Fiction
Scott Pilgrim

Medium close up

(MCU) Cuts off from the subjects chest. Focuses on their face.

Used in:
O' brother where art thou
The Shawshank Redemption
Batman

Close up

(CU) The subject will take up most of the shot.

Used in:
Harry Potter
12 years a slave
Indiana Jones

Big close up

(BCU) Subject will again take up most of the shot but will not include all of their face, it may cut off their chin etc.

Used in:

X-men

From dusk til dawn

The shining

Extreme close up

(ECU) Usually shows an intense shot, will show the subjects eyes and top of their nose for their reactions or emotions.

Used in:
Blair witch project
Titanic
Silence of the lambs

Two-shot

(TS) Shows two subjects in the same shot. Used to show a relationship between two characters.

Used in:

Se7en

Star trek

The hunger games

Over the shoulder shot

(OTS) The camera will be behind a subject's shoulder with the shot focusing on a second subject, usually facing towards the camera.

Used in:
Meet the parents
Inception
The hangover

High angle

(HA) The camera will be raised higher than it's focus. It will look down towards the subject usually to portray that the subject is powerless or vulnerable.

Used in:
Lord of the rings
The Grand Budapest Hotel
James Bond

Low angle

(LA) From a low angle the shot will be looking up towards the subject, portraying that the subject might be a hero, or can be used to show the character's perspective to show that they are looking at.

Used in:
Reservoir dogs

Charlie and the chocolate factory

Spiderman

Dutch tilt

(DT) This angle has the camera on it's roll axis at a 45 degree angle to portray disorientation or madness.
The Dutch tilt was used a lot in German films of the 1930s and 1940s. This is where the name German angle came from. The Dutch term is said to have been a mistranslation of the German Deutsch.

Used in:
12 Monkeys
Thor
Mission impossible

Focus pull

(FP) The focus pull is when the focus is moved from one object in the foreground and moved to the object in the background, or vice versa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJTXpItCqFU
Used in:
Wanted

POV

(POV) A first person shot, showing what the subject is seeing. Sometimes can be used inanimate objects.

Used in:
Kingsman
Hardcore Henry
Kill Bill

Tilt shot (up/down)

(TS) The camera will movie up or down whilst in a stationary position.

Tilt shot example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29D-IgQDIHU

Panning (left/right)

(Pan) Panning is similar to tilting but it moves either left or right. The camera can be stationary or in motion.

Wes Anderson panning shots:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFG9NkOnXFI

An example of each shot type are shown in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4316BUEVYkE

Multiple points of view

Multiple points are view shots are when the film shows the many points of views of various characters in the film. With one main storyline in a film, film makers can portray what some of the characters, feel or see in during the story by showing their points of view.

Example:
Magnolia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_rQX2wwHcs

The first use of multiple points of view was the 1903
Life of an American fireman. This movie has multiple stories surrounding one subject.

In these types of movies there is usually no one lead character as the story revolves around several people and what they see or hear or experience.

Following the action

Following the action is where the cameras stay on the action at all times, whether it be a single actor, multiple actors or car chases. There will be several cameras pointing towards the action to show different angles of the same shot. When edited, these shots will usually be short and sharp to portray a more thrilling and intense shot.

Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xewS5I4Eho

The cameras can be at any angle from over the shoulder to a low shot as long as it is following the action.

The good point of having plenty of cameras on the action is that even if several of them don't get the required look, there will be at least one that will.

The first film to use a tracking shot is the 1899 comedy 'The kiss in the tunnel'. There is a shot with a camera attached to the train as it passes through the tunnel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO5ityoDk0A

In-camera editng

In-camera editing

In-camera editing requires shots to be planned out in order, this means that if a shot calls for more than one location, ie;
Shot 1: Inside house
Shot 2: Cafe
Shit 3: Back inside the house
The the film maker will have to collect all the shots from inside the house,then go out to the cafe and film there and then return back to the house to finish filming there. This can be time consuming and make the budget exceed its limit from travelling costs.
In camera editing would need all shots to planned before the camera begins rolling, from how long the shot will be to what happens in the shot as there is no editing it later on. All shots need to be perfect before finishing so it would be wise to practise the shot and any camera movements before the director shouts 'Action'.

Example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPJ2t2ypTHg

Analogue into Digital

Analogue into digital

Analogue

Analogue editing was used to edit film clips before digitally editing on a computer. Analogue editing consisted of cutting the negative film cells, putting them into the correct order and then splicing them together.
There are fewer films today being made on film as it requires time (as it takes longer), space (files aren't compact) and old fashioned machinery.
Although it may require more patience and a skilled editor to edit an analogue movie, this does not stop some directors. Quentin Tarrentino recently filmed one of his movies on 65mm on the Ultra Panavision 70.

http://www.indiewire.com/2015/12/how-quentin-tarantino-resurrected-ultra-panavision-70-for-the-hateful-eight-175612/

http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/the-10-best-filmmakers-who-still-shoot-in-film/

Digital

Digital editing is performed on a computer with special editing software. This type of editing is easier than analogue as it is faster and simpler. It is all done with compact files that are easily transferable from one software programme or computer to another. Footage is imported to the timeline and then is cut and moved around. On these programmes it is possible to colour grade the footage and add extra effects.
Some of the different types of editing software are Final cut, Premier pro or Adobe.

Mixed Reviews

There are many film makers that love the retro qualities of analogue, from the finished look of the film to being able to splice the cells manually but at the same time there are film makers out there that, although they love analogue film too, may not be able to put in the time that manually editing films requires.
There are pros and cons to both types of editing in film making but I feel that there is a place for them both when making a movie.

https://newrepublic.com/article/119431/how-digital-cinema-took-over-35mm-film

http://www.vox.com/2016/1/5/10714588/film-digital-35mm-70mm-explainer

https://indiefilmhustle.com/film-vs-digital/

History of editing

The Cinematograph

The cinematograph was the first film camera which not only acted as a camera but also as a film projector and printer. It was created by french inventor Leon Bouly in 1892. Unfortunately Bouly had insufficient funds to develop his ideas properly so sold the rights and patents to the Lumiere brothers and in 1895 they released the creation as their own.

The Lumiere brothers worked to create the camera better than Thomas Edison's Kintograph. They added a projector and made it lighter so it was easier to transport. Unlike the Kintograph, which was only viewable by one person at a time, the cinematograph could project the images onto a larger area allowing for a larger audience.

Alice Guy

Alice Guy was the first female filmmaker/director from the early 20th century. Guy Experimented with colour-tinting, sound syncing and special effects in her films.
She also experimented with hand-colouring, a process which involved adding colour to a black and white film reel by dipping it in a dye. This would stain the cells and therefore create a coloured film cell.
https://vimeo.com/207343765

Edwin S. Porter

Edwin Porter worked at Vitascope in the late 1800's. Whilst there he re-edited some of George Melies one act reels and created a 15 minute programme. Porter then went on to attempt to create his own camera and projector but failed and then became a film director and producer. He edited footage from a documentary and combined it with his own footage to make 'The Execution of Czoyosz'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFbUVYWkbOA
Porter then created 'Life of an American fireman'. In this he used stock footage of fires and firemen and made them more dramatic with his own shots. Audiences were amazed with what they were seeing, showing that Porter had discovered an original way of how to tell his stories.

D.W Griffiths

David Llewelyn Wark Griffiths was responsible for many of the editing techniques we use today, from parallel editing to tonal editing. With his films film, 'The sealed room', Griffiths used montages to explain his story and cross-cutting to show two events happening.
His most popular film was 'The birth of a nation' released in 1915. In this film there are various techniques and shots such as; long shots, still shots iris effects and many more shots that we use today.

https://seanmaguireblog.wordpress.com/2012/05/14/early-history-of-editing-techniques/

https://www.fandor.com/keyframe/the-inception-of-movie-editing-the-art-of-d-w-griffith

Kuleshov effect

Between the 1910 and 1920 Les Kuleshov invented the effect that is widely used today. The effect consists of separate shots that can be, depending on how they are edited, can tell a different story.

Introduction

In this blog I will be explaining the purposes of editing.
I will delve into the history of editing, from where it started and where we are at today.

What is editing?
Editing is a process used to tell a story in film. Directors have a vision that they aim to show their audiences and editing helps them get their required look.

There are many types of editing from in-camera editing to shooting to edit. The different types of editing, will be explained along with various techniques.

It is the editor's role to cut and place together the shots in a timeline to create the director's vision, they will work closely with the director to achieve this. They will also add the sounds, dialogue, music and/or narrations after editing the shots.