Codes & Conventions

Editing

Editing

The general idea behind editing in narrative film is the coordination of one shot with another in order to create a coherent, artistically pleasing, meaningful sequence.

The system of editing in narrative film is called continuity editing – its purpose is to create and provide efficient, functional transitions.

Film editing is measured in three areas, coherence, artistry, and meaning.

For example frantic fast cuts for action to help build the tense and electric scene.

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This is here for your help

WHAT TO TALK ABOUT IN

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EDITING

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For the exam, you need to be able to talk about types of editing and the EFFECT that is has on the moving

image text in question. You’ll need to know about any or all of the following things:

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• Cuts - these are the instant switches between shots, always use the word cut
• Transitions - switches between shots that take time, like dissolves, fades or wipes
• The frequency and rhythm of cuts - how often cuts happen and whether they happen at the same time as actions or sounds
• Specific editing techniques - shot-reverse shot, cross cutting, action matches etc.

These are all elements of CONTINUITY EDITING, where editing is supposed to make sense of time and place for the viewer

NON-CONTINUITY techniques include flashbacks/forward, montages etc.

Editing: Sequences and Techniques

• Shot/reverse shot or shot counter shot - cutting back and forth between two established shots - very common for conversation

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• Eyeline match - ensuring that the eye level between characters matches between cuts (so they look like they’re looking at each other), or cutting from a character looking at something to the thing they are looking at

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• Action match - cutting to continue the action e.g. a shot of a ball being thrown cutting to a shot of the same ball being caught

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Editing: Techniques

• Jump cut - a cut that suddenly shifts position or time unnaturally, in order to communicate that something is wrong

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• Crosscutting/parallel editing - cross cutting between two sequences of action that are happening at the same time, often to link the characters to both actions

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• Cutaway - cutting to a brief shot in a sequence for a variety of technical or narrative reasons - it will be of a shot NOT covered in the master shot

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• Insert - similar to a cutaway but it will cut to a shot that IS covered by the master shot

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Editing: Transitions

• Dissolve - one shot blending into another with no fade in between

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• Fade-in - fading into a shot from a colour, most commonly black

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• Fade-out - fading out from a shot to a colour, most commonly black

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• Wipe - the new shot moves over the old shot in a direction, often motivated by an object or character

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