Conventions and Techniques: 16. Cutting to Soundtrack

Alyx Entwistle

Cutting to soundtrack is the technique where each cut is influenced by the style of music heard in the background. So if the scene is a sad one, perhaps at a funeral, a slow song will be heard. If there is a car chase scene, the music will be fast and upbeat.

An example of this takes place a lot during The Fast And Furious films. This is a scene from the first movie from the franchise.

Conventions and Techniques: 15. Cross-cutting

Alyx Entwistle

Cross-cutting is the technique of editing mostly used in films to illustrate two different bits of action from seperate locations happening at the same time. The camera cuts away from one portion of action to another - usually appearing to be simultaneouslyplayed alongside each other.

Cross-cutting regularly features an uneasy or nervous element to it. Suspense is grown by the creation of expectation leaving the viewer hoping that it will eventually be explained. Parallels are caused by the technique because of the narative action that is happening in more than one place at round about the same time.

The best example for a piece of cross-cutting though is when a phone call is on screen. Cross-cutting is almost always featured during a phone call scene - this is so the viewer has the opportunity to see both of the characters' reactions after what the have just heard on the other side of the phone.

Here is an example of cross-cutting from 1972's, The Godfather.

Conventions and Techniques: 14. Editing Rhythm

In order to maintain the flow of a storyline, a steady editing rhythm of equal length shots is vitall important. It helps with continuity, as well as creating suspense and tension. Using an irregular rhythm can cause an uncertainty from the audience's point of view within the play of the scene. Depending on the rhythm used, it contributes to the overall speed, or lack of, of a film.

Conventions and Techniques: 13. Providing and Withholding Information

Nick McCabe

Films must contain a story, either one that entertains or informs and in these stories are sub-stories. With each story there is a certain point in the film where it gives out information or withholds information to manipulate the audience's perception. For instance, in the film 'The Sixth Sense', Bruce Willis' character is perceived alive although it’s not until the end that the audience realise that he was dead, forcing the audience to watch it again to put the pieces together. Christopher Nolan is a director who often hides information for a while before revealing it towards the end, such as in 'Inception', where at the end the audience finds out who the woman is and what part she plays within the story, in the beginning perceived as a bad person but realising at the end that she is a bit psychotic but not evil. Non-linear is the style used to show scenes out of chronological order, the audience are given glimpses of different times; either from the beginning or the end.

Conventions and Techniques: 11. Point of View Shot

Nick McCabe

A point of view shot (also known as POV shot or a subjective camera) is a short film scene that shows what a character is looking at (represented through the camera). It is usually established by being positioned between a shot of a character looking at something, and a shot showing the character's reaction (see shot reverse shot). The technique of POV is one of the foundations of film editing.

Conventions and Techniques: 12. Shot-Reverse Shot

Alyx Entwistle

A shot-reverse shot is when one character is showing looking at another character that is off screen. Then the other character is shown looking back toward the first character. The viewer can tell that they are looking at each other as the characters are shown facing each other in opposite directions.

Here is an example of a shot-reverse shot.

 

Conventions and Techniques: 9. Transitions

Nick McCabe

A film transition is a technique used in the post-production process of film editing and video editing by which scenes or shots are put together. Most commonly this is through a normal cut to the next scene. Most films will also include a wide range of other transitions, usually to put across a tone or mood within the story, suggest the passage of time, or separate parts of the story. These other transitions may include dissolves, L cuts, fades, match cuts, and wipes.