Editing

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The editor is concerned with the following elements: -Time -Rhythm and pace -Visual and aural relationships Time Time is the major factor in the art of editing. The editor can control time. He can extend and compress action to make the event feel longer or shorter. A famous early example of this ability to manipulate time is in the famous Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin, which stretches the events which in reality take just a couple of minutes. The editor controls time in two ways: -by expanding or contracting the normal time of an action through the use of intercuts, -by using optical effects to link scenes and sequences. The use of intercuts By using a single intercut, the editor can eliminate large segments of time from the action. If the editor wishes to slow the pace of the action, he can insert several intercuts and extend the amount of time the event seems to take. This type of artistic manipulation is like a cinematic conjuror’s trick. We only see what the editor wishes us to see, and since we cannot judge off screen action in terms of elapsed time, the editor is in complete control of the time of a scene or sequence. When his selection of intercuts is skilful and well handled, the audience is completely in his hands. There are few general rules concerning the way time can be manipulated. Editing is largely an intuitive process. The editor simply cuts a scene until it “feels” right. He is bound by no rules other than “Does it work?” The film editor should also recognise that every image has its own “feeling” as to time, and he should select his intercuts with careful attention to the desired effect. The editor’s control of time has an important effect on the entire film. The audience must “feel” that long, difficult events are long, even if they are not directly told so. The use of optical effects Optical effects can be used to link scenes and sequences. These effects, although little used now, include: -flip frames, the flipping of frames to reveal a new scene -wipes, the horizontal or vertical crossing on screen of an outgoing and incoming scene -supers, the imposition of one scene over another. These effects create changes from scene to scene within seconds and propel the audience into another point in time. Long, slow dissolves usually slow time. Flips and wipes usually speed up time, linking scenes that occur weeks or even months apart by means of an abrupt optical trick. Rhythm Every film contains unique internal and external rhythms. These rhythms impart to the film much of its quality and character. The control of these rhythms lies largely in the hands of the editor. Internal rhythm In addition to mood and impact of performance, every scene has an inherent quality of movement, an internal rhythm. In viewing a film we are often aware of individual scenes that seem especially slow or fast. For example, a scene photographed from a speeding car feels fast, while a scene from a rowing boat gives a sense of languor and slow movement. The editor must recognise the particular rhythm of each scene. This rhythm is determined by everything that is happening in the scene – the movement of the camera, the pace of the action, the speed of the dialogue, the number of events happening at the same time. Once the editor understands the rhythmic quality of a scene (for example “dreary”, “frenetic”), he can determine where to place the scene, how long it should run, and which scenes should follow or precede it. The editor must select scenes that both in themselves and in relation to surrounding scenes will achieve the desired effect. The mood of each sequence – so essential to the film – is created largely by the editing, by the use of the material. The editor determines the length of each scene, the transitions from scene to scene, the order of the scenes, and all the supporting elements (sound, music, voices) that will be used. These creative decisions make the sequence work. External rhythm The external rhythm of a scene depends largely on the length of time that each scene runs. The easiest and most obvious way to heighten the pace of a sequence is to successively shorten a series of scenes. In traditional editing practice, the editor does not interrupt camera movement until it has been completed, but in modern cutting techniques, the editor often deliberately interrupts movement when the audience is least prepared for it. The external rhythm of a film is also strongly affected by the editorial choice of how to interrupt movement. In other words, “What do we cut to?” Again, in traditional practice, the editor cuts to elements that are contained within the scene or cued by the soundtrack. In recent years, however, filmmakers have frequently utilized the totally unrelated cut to heighten impact and greatly increase pace. Careful attention should be given to the rhythm or “pulse” of the film. We remember a film as being “fast moving” or “poetic”, or as having “tremendous punch”; these phrases are the articulated descriptions of the rhythm created by the editor. Visual and Aural relationships In the editing of a film there are three important relationships to be considered: -Image to image -Sound to sound -Image to sound As with most components involved in putting a film together, the relationship between the separate elements can be used to influence and control the audience response. The way the elements fit together always needs to be in the back of the editors mind. Image to image Every image is affected by the scenes that precede or follow it. A handful of scenes can create several different effects just by shuffling their order round. With traditional continuity editing, we are never aware of the cuts themselves; we sense only the continuity of the film as a whole. Thus we are often unaware that our emotional response to a scene is carefully conditioned by a preceding scene. As each shot leads inevitably to the next, it imparts emotional and intellectual “memories” that often change the values in the following scene. The film editor has the power to change the character and purpose of a scene. The relationship of image to image is a prime factor in the editing of a film. It is through this relationship that communication is achieved and that the mood of each sequence is established. Sound to sound The relationship between soundtracks can be vertical or horizontal. In a vertical relationship, each sound track prepares us for what is to follow and affects the sounds that come before and after it. In a horizontal relationship, several sound tracks are mixed in a single scene. It is possible to accommodate a great variety of sounds in a single scene; background noises (environment sounds), dialogue, music, narration. Throughout the process, the editor must carefully and creatively control the relationships among the tracks. Image to sound Every sound affects the audience’s reaction to what is seen, and every image conditions the audience’s response to what is heard. The audience reaction to a given scene is determined by the type of sound used to support that scene. The effect of a scene can be completely altered by the addition of particular sounds. An imaginative editor does not rely solely on sounds that are already part of the sync track; rather, he adds sounds that have no direct visual cues but that serve to enrich the scene. In traditional editing practice, each picture cut is generally accompanied by a sound cut. However, there are various ways in which you can combine sound and image. Running the sound from one scene over the start of the next, bringing the sound form the new scene over the end of the last scene, cutting and combining dialogue from different scenes, or simply continuing the sound track from one scene over the visuals of several others. The sound affects the new scene by sustaining the intellectual and emotional overtones of the scene to which it belongs. The deliberate mismatching of sound unifies, in impact and idea, a sequence that would otherwise consist of disparate elements. Montage One major creative device at the editors’ disposal is the montage, a series of images and sounds joined only by internal relationships. Practically speaking, a cinematic montage is “the use of a succession of visual images and/or sounds to create emotional impact”. Generally, the montage combines the techniques for distorting time and combining images and visuals in order to create special moods. There are several basic types of montage. Time-transition montage The audience watches a series of fragmented scenes of, for example, a game of pool. The screen shows only bits and pieces of scenes linked by long, lingering dissolves. Each scene is superimposed on the next. From this succession of images we feel that we have been through the entire game. Mood montage A series of images can create a mood of time and place. It is often used at the beginning of a film or sequence. Impact montage Short shots of physical contact between objects, accompanied by appropriate sounds, used to show, for example, an important game of rugby. There are an endless variety of uses for the montage and there are no restrictions in the art of cinematic montage. The film editor edits viscerally – instinctively – and makes decisions based on what he feels will do the job. Effective editing In effective film editing, control of the audience’s attention must be absolute. The editor must carefully manipulate each element – time, rhythm, and visual and aural relationships – and must structure these elements to convey the meaning and emotional content of the film. In playing his cinematic conjuring trick, the film editor must be in complete control, carefully manipulating the focus of the audience’s attention. He uses a variety of elements – all relating to visual and aural impressions – to reinforce this control. The editor is an artist capable of intuitively recognising visual impact. At the same time, he is a highly skilled technician with the knowledge and experience of how the sounds and images he controls can be used.

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