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.

Conventions and Techniques: 10. Cutaways

Alyx Entwistle

A cutaway is a shot that interrupts any continuously filmed action by showing a view of something else. Most of the time, although not all the time, it is followed by a cut back to the original shot. A cutaway does not really create any dramatic changes of its own; it is just used so the editor can make a sequence longer. They are always related to the main action, such as another object or person in the same location. An example is if the main shot is of a man walking through an alley, possible cutaways could be a shot of a cat on a nearby wheelie bin followed by a person watching from a window from above, before returning to the man walking. 

Conventions and Techniques: 7. 180 Degree Rule

Nick McCabe

In filmmaking, the 180-degree rule is a basic guideline regarding the on-screen spatial relationship between an actor and another actor or object within a scene. An imaginary line called the axis is based between the characters  and by keeping the camera on one side of this axis for every shot in the scene, the first character will always be frame right of the second character, who is then always frame left of the first. If the camera was to pass over the axis, it is referred to as “crossing the line or jumping the line”.

Conventions and Techniques: 8. Splicing

Alyx Entwistle

A film splicer is a device which can be used to physically join together lengths of film.

There are many different types of film splicing, like…

CEMENT SPLICERS

Cement splicers joins films together by using a chemical known as ‘film cement’. It is made of film base dissolved in a solvent. Film editors use a version with tiny overlaps to edit any film negatives, although long overlaps are preferred.

TAPE SPLICERS

Here a piece of thin transparent adhesive tape is used to join the two ends. The tape may be pre-perforated, or the splicer may make perforations as the splice is made (this type of splicer is sometimes referred to as guillotine splicer).

Tape splicers can be used on all types of film. This is the most popular way to join polyester prints in theaters.

ULTRASOUND SPLICERS

These splicers use an ultrasonic signal to melt the film together. They are generally used with polyester film, and are used in splicing microfilm as the splice will not break down over time as a tape splice might.

THERMAL PAPER SPLICERS

Used in film processing labs to join film into large rolls before processing. These use a plastic coated tab to make the splice. The tab is heated and the plastic melts slightly, bonding to the film. The tabs are often printed with a number or bar code to identify the film after processing.

Conventions and Techniques: 6. Parallel Editing

Alyx Entwistle

Parallel editing is when two scenes are edited together which create a seamless scene which make out that the two separate scenes are happening at the same time. It is very similar to cross cutting.

Parallel editing is when the editor shows two different scenes of action but makes them relate in some way. It can be simple but easy for the viewer to pick up on. It is a good technique to use in film as it puts emphasis on other characters which make the story much more interesting. DW Griffith was known for the first ever parallel action.

An example of parallel editing in film occurs during the 1991 film ‘Silence of the Lambs’. We see the police gather round a house; throughout the scene we believe it to be the home of the serial killer, Buffalo Bill. The parallel editing takes place when we see inside the house; Buffalo Bill is keeping a young woman hostage. Outside the police are planning their raid. After a minute and half or so, the doorbell rings. We see the police knock on the door. It is an undercover cop pretending to be a delivery man.  The audience is surprised however as when Buffalo Bill answers the door, Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) appears. It becomes apparent that the police have gone to the wrong house, and the rookie cop Starling has walked into the house of a serial killer all by herself.



Conventions and Techniques: 5. Jump-Cutting

Nick McCabe

A jump cut is a cut in film editing in which two sequential shots of the same subject are taken from camera positions that vary only slightly .The way this technique is used , it appears as though the shot is jumping hence “jump cut”. Jump cuts, in contrast, draw attention to the constructed nature of the film.

Conventions and Techniques: 4. Montage

Alyx Entwistle

A montage is a technique used in film/TV where a series of small scenes are edited together to make one sequence that progresses the action along very quickly, in order to shorten the length of the movie. By using a montage it means that scenes aren’t unnecessarily long. They are usually used to suggest the passage of time, with a heavy soundtrack in the background.

Montages are heavily used in sport films. It will begin with someone struggling at first before gradually getting better. I have used this montage from Rocky IV, this is seen as one of the most famous montages of all time.

Conventions and Techniques: 3. Motivated

Nick McCabe

In its most basic form, a motivated edit is one that alludes to something not in the frame and then cuts to that item or event. You see it all the time in horror films: a woman is standing in a spooky place all alone and then hears a startling sound. She spins her head around and sees nothing. The sound then comes from another area, and the soon-to-be victim jerks her head in that direction. Eventually, the viewing audience gets to see the object of terror, usually along with a loud, startling sound. The scene in which the second person is killed in the recent vampire film, 30 Days of Night, is a perfect example.

Conventions and Techniques: 2. Continuity

Alyx Entwistle

Continuity is a term in film/TV that means that a series of shots from one scene should fit together with no changes. For example, if someone is wearing sunglasses over their eyes in one shot, they shouldn’t be resting on the characters head the next time they are in shot.

Many people believe that inconsistencies in a film’s continuity should be seen as mistakes and place the blame on the films editor. However, in the directors eyes, continuity is pretty much bottom of the pile in terms of their list of priorities.

Here is a video from the Film Riot YouTube account where they explain why continuity errors can ruin films and also gives some examples of continuity errors.

Conventions and Techniques: 1. Seamless

Nick McCabe

Seamless editing is a form of editing that is used so that you don’t notice that a piece of editing has taken place. A good way of explaining the technique is by saying that you know that a pair of jeans have been sewed but you cannot see the seam.

Purposes: 6. Creating Pace

Alyx Entwistle

Creating pace is basically the creation of an emotion through the camera shots and movements, as well as the music. It is pointless having a mellow soundtrack and slow camera movements in a car chase scene. You expect lots of quick camera shots and movements as well as a piece of fast, up beat music to accompany it.

The music has to be appropriate when playing it with a scene. It's unlikely that you are going to hear a song by Calvin Harris in a romantic scene, the same way you probably won't hear an Elton John song in a fight scene.

Purposes: 5. Combining Shots Into Sequences

Combining shots into sequences is the most basic and most used method in film and video editing. It is just placing several shots after one another, creating a seamless flow between the preceding and succeeding shots in order to become a full sequence. They describe the edit as 'invisible' - because it's almost as though you can't tell that editing has taken place. Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro are good programmes in order to hone this skill.

I could have chosen many examples but the one I ended up going with is the tipping scene from 1992's, Reservior Dogs. I have chosen this specfic scene because it features a lot of characters, who all have at least one line of dialogue. This causes the editing team to constantly cut to the different characters who are speaking, or to the one's making a reaction to another character speaking - such as laughing.

Purposes: 4. Creating Motivation

Alyx Entwistle

 

The main way of holding the interest of the audience in a film is by creating motivation. In order to determine how the audience feel and affect them in a positive way, the editing team must look for motivation in their cuts.

- It is vital to cut at the appropriate and right time to make sure the narrative develops and progresses further.

- Choosing the correct pace, depending on the genre of the film, of the cuts is also important.

- In order to help persuade the audience how they feel about a scene or a character, the editing team needs to get it right when cutting from one scene to another or from one character to another.

- Sound plays a bit part in creating motivation, too. For example, if a character hears a very loud noise, causing them to turn their head, cutting to the thing they are looking at keeps the audience interested. 

Purposes: 3. Relationship to Genre

Alyx Entwistle

When it comes to editing, different genre's of film have different conventions, techniques and styles.

I'll take a quick look at comedy and horror films.

There are so many to list but here are just a few.

Comedy;

- Bright scenes
- Cities/well populated areas
- Natural moving camera. High shots capture the whole environment
- Props with comedic uses (food, sports equipment, etc.)
- Usually set in the day time
- Characters - Accident prone/idiotic, the 'straight man', the love interest, etc.

Horror;

- Dark scenes - low-key lighting, colours featured are black and red (for blood)
- Isolated/small towns, usually set in a place that has been abandoned
- Unnatural camera movement - creates a fear within the audience if there are many 'jerky' and 'jump-out' moments
- POV shots - either from the protagonist hiding from the antagonist, or the antagonist trying to find the protagonist
- Disturbing sounds
- Never seems to tie up the premise completely in the hope that it will spawn a sequel or a franchise
- Characters - lonely/psychotic antagonist, unremarkable lead who takes a journey to become the strongest of their group, the hopeless, the couple who have sex, strong/brave who dies early, etc.