Digital

Digital editing is the modern method of editing film + video. It is now all done on computers using software such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier and iMovie. The footage is imported and all the clips can be accessed, they can they but on a timeline and placed in a specfic, you can add audio and add all sorts of effects to make the film as good as possible.

Analogue

Analogue editing was the method of editing before computers were around. The editor would get a copy of the film called the workprint and it was all done by hand. It involved actually cutting and pasting different pieces of the film into order using a splicerv and creating a film that way. It would then be put through a maching like the Moviola or K.E.M.

Video

Video editing is similar to film editing obviously but video editing can mean a video of any length and is often used more as practice for full film editing. It includes the same things such as telling a story with camera angles, techniques and shots and can give you experience in how to make a good edit.

Film

Film editing is an essential part of the film industry and has developed greatly over the years. Film editing is used to help a film convey a story with the use of the many techniques and camera angles which help portray elements of the film in a certain way. It is also used to shorten the process of filming the actual film because you can film all the shots in one location at once, even if they are not in order, and then piece them together afterwards so it is all in the correct order. Film editing is a much longer process than just video editing because it is always going to be atleast 90 minutes of footage to edit and will usually take more than one person because it takes so long.

Manipulation of Diegetic Time and Space

Manipulation of Diegetic Time and Space is when editing is used to make an object, person or place look like it is changing over time. It should make the audience easily recognise that something is changing.



A good example of this is this scene from Harry Potter.

The history of editing

The history of film editing goes back to the 1890's where the Lumiere brothers made the first film in history. They held their first private screening of projected motion pictures in 1895. Their first public screening of films at which admission was charged was held on December 28, 1895, at Salon Indien du Grand Café in Paris. Their presentation featured 10 short films which all ran approximately 50 seconds. The brothers had invented their own device combining camera with printer and projector and called it the Cinématographe which was the start of all their films.

After the Lumiere brothers first films, Edwin Porter made The Great Train Robbery which was released in 1903 and was very popular at the time, with a total running time 12 minutes. It used a total of ten different indoor and outdoor locations and was groundbreaking for the use of "cross-cutting" in editing to show simultaneous action in different places. It was the first film to do this and editing techniques went from there.

Years later, film director DW Griffith made the film The Birth of Nation, which ran 190 minutes and was the first film to use narrative and really use editing techniques to tell a story. It was the first proper use of the close up angle which is one of the most powerful elements of a film even now. He was also the first person to use the "flashback" in film editing, one of the earliest examples is a single shot of a mother rocking a cradle, repeated many times representing the passing of generations, in his film Intolerance, released in 1916. From then on flashbacks have been used many times in films to show a past event and develop a story.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most well known film makers and one of the most successful in terms of his style and the techniques he used. He is best known for his use of editing in films to create suspense particularly in horror and thriller films. An example of this is one of the most famous scenes in horror films, the shower scene in the movie Psycho which was highly influential for future films and really made people realise how creative Hitchcock was.

Sergei Eisenstein was another one of the most famous/successful film directors, famous for films such as Strike, October: Ten Days that Shook the World and the Ivan the Terrible trilogy. He was most well known for his use of the montage technique in his film, he used a new form of editing in which clips would not be presented in chronological order but in the order that would have the most impact on the audience.
Another one of the most influential film makers is Jean-Luc Godard who has made a lot of French films over a very long career. He is largely regarded as the greatest French film maker of all time. Several of his films express his political views and he often expresses his knowledge of film using references to earlier films.
George Lucas is another one of the best film makers, best known for the Star Wars films, a six film science fiction saga. He also worked on the Indiana Jones trilogy. He  is one of the American film industry's most financially successful directors/producers, with an estimated net worth of $3.2 billion as of 2011.
Quentin Tarantino is another film maker who has been massively successful and influential in his style. His most successful is Pulp Fiction which is well known for it's non linear storyline, different stories happening simultaneously which we eventually see from the point of view of the characters involved in each story over the course the film. He has also made other films such as Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Inglorious Basterds and more.

Cutaways

A cutaway is when there is an action scene happening within a film and the camera cuts away to something else, usually another plot point happening elsewhere. For example, there could be a car chase scene which is a major part of a film but it may cut away for a few seconds and show some children crossing a busy road elsewhere. The camera would then cut back to the action scene, this warns the audience that there is potential danger and it gives the audience a sense of anticipation.



This is a good example of a cutaway, it shows that the track is not complete and the train will fly off if it is not stopped.

Transitions

Transitions are techniques that are used to cut from one scene to another and look easy on the eye in the process. A few examples of transitions include:

Fade Out:
This is when the screen fades out to black at the end of scene, it is usually used if a day has just finished or could maybe be used at the end of a film. It is used to indicate an amount of time passing and can be used to give the audience a short break.

Fade in:
This is when the screen fades into an image from black. It could be used alone maybe at the start of a film or if something completely new starts within a film or it can be used to continue from fade out, for example if fade out is used to indicate the end of a day, fade in could be used for the start of the next day.

Dissolve:
This is when one image slowly disappears as a new one appears. It usually indicates the end of a scene and the beginning of a new one.

Wipe:
This is when one part of the screen literally wipes over the rest of the screen. Wipes are not really used in films because they look comic-bookish and don't fit in with most movies. They could possibly be used in a superhero, comic book style film.

 

180 degree rule

The 180 degree rule is very important in video editing because it shows all characters should have the same "left-right relationship" or the final outcome of a film could be affected. Basically if a conversation occurs between two characters, the camera will cut one from one side of the characters to the other and the characters will appear to swap positions but it helps keep the realism because from another angle it would appear differently.



This is an example of the 180 degree rule.

Parallel editing

Parallel editing (also known as cross cutting) is when editing is used to establish a relationship between two important things/people. An important part of cross cutting is that making sure the two subjects are happening at the same time. We will see one of the subjects and then we will see the other, it will cut between the two quickly as they slowly come together and meet.



This clip is a good example of parallel editing/cross cutting.

Jump cut

A jump cut is when a scene cuts from one shot to the next shot in a way the audience does not expect, it does it very suddenly and very noticeable. It is generally used to disrupt the audience's attention and take them by surprise, it is used to create shock.



This clip is a good example of jump cuts, it shows very dramatic jump cuts which disrupt your attention and create shock.

Montage

Montage editing usually involves filming a lot of clips which are all related but are different and compiling them together to tell a story that happens over a period of time. It compresses time and conveys alot of information in a short space of time. For example if there was a film where at first we would see the main character as a child, we may see clips of them as they grow up and it could show us 10 years of their life in a few minutes.



In this clip, there is a small period where there is a montage showing the main character as a child travelling across the country and we see him grow up into the character he is in the film.

Motivated

Motivated editing is used to make the audience more engrossed in a film and make them feel what the actor feels. Basically scenes are carefully chosen in order to make the viewer believe what they are seeing, for example if there is a scene of a man walking into a room, then it should cut to a shot from the actors point of view so the viewer sees what the actor is seeing and makes them feel more immersed in the film.



This video shows 180 degree editing but also includes motivated editing, it shows us the conversation from the point of view of both characters, making us feel part of it.

Continuity

Continuity editing basically means making the film continuous in order to make it appear more realistic to the audience and to make it look better in general and more professional. It means putting the clips together in the correct order to make a scene run smoothly but keeping everything the same throughout these clips. For example if one of the characters in a clip is wearing a hat, when the camera changes shot, he needs to still be wearing the hat unless we see him remove it because it looks like the hat has just disappeared which comes across as sloppy. Also things in the background must be kept the same throughout.



This is a basic example of continuity editing, it shows a scene from a film that runs smoothly in order and everything is kept the same to make it look realistic.

Seamless

Seamless editing basically means that when you've edited a film and used lots of techniques, transitions etc, that they are not noticeable by the audience. If the editing stands out too much it will look quite silly, if it is unnoticeable then it runs more smoothly and will look better for the viewers. The better film editors will use lots of editing techniques but will make them look almost invisible.

Shot variation

Shot variation basically means using a variety of different shots when filming, this includes:
Long shot (LS): gives a full picture of the subject, showing fully what it is, for example if it is a person in the shot then we will be able to see all of the person.
Medium shot (MS): a medium shot doesn't show as much as the long shot but it isolates the subject from the background, it is often used to focus on one part of something such as instead of focusing on a whole building like an LS, it would focus on an entrance. With people it would show them from about the waist up.
Close-up: a close up is just a shot that zooms right in on the subject, it is a powerful shot because the subject fills the screen bringing the audience closer to it. With people it would zoom in right on their face.
Extreme long shot: just a variation of the long shot which films the subject from even further away, it is often used as an establishing shot to set the scene.



This is an example of shot variation, this video shows most of the different shots in one video.

Multiple points of view

Multiple points of view is where something is happening in a scene involving multiple characters. We will see what is happening with one character and then the camera will cut to another character followed by another character if there is another and so on. It shows a scene from the point of view of all the characters involved.



This is an example of multiple points of view.

Following the action

Following the action is used in editing when there is a scene with a lot of movement or a big action scene. Basically the camera follows the action, it stays on that scene and moves around the main characters in the scene and shows different parts of the scene so we can see more action.



This is an example of following the action, the camera rotates around the main characters so we can see more action and more of the battle scene.

In-camera editing

In-camera editing is used if a deadline for a film is quickly approaching and there may not be enough time to edit afterwards. Basically it means you film the scenes you would film but film them in the exact order of the story to save you piecing them together afterwards, instead you can just upload them directly from the camera and they will already be in the correct order.



This is an example of in-camera editing.

Introduction

For this assignment we will be working in pairs and describing development, purposes and techniques used in video + film editing.