Transcript The Art of Editing

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Requiem for a dream trailer
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgo3Hb5v
WLE
What makes a good editor?
An Editor is many things
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A Storyteller
A Listener
A Diplomat
A Geek
A Project Manager/Organiser
A Lateral Thinker
A Problem Solver
An Experimenter
Most Importantly: A Vision for Storytelling
The role of the editor
“The editors job goes far beyond the physical
task of assembly, and the good editor- really
someone of undoubted author caliber… is
highly aware of the material’s possibilities.
Directors are handicapped in this area through
over-familiarity with their own intentions. The
editor…. Comes on the scene with an
unobligated and unprejudiced eye and is
ideally placed to reveal to the director what
problems or possibilities lie dormant with the
source material”
Michael Rabiger (2004: p408)
The role of the editor
“The editor must be able to make selective
judgements. Editing is far more than
following instructions, just as music is far
more than playing notes in the right
order. In fact, composing is a close
analogy to the editors work, and many
editors have music among their deepest
interests”
Michael Rabiger (2004: p408)
Art conceals craft:
Creating the Illusion
“Watching a show on TV, our thoughts are
normally centred on the programme material:
the story-line, the message, the argument.
We become interested in what people are
saying, what they are doing, what they look
like, where they are and so on.
Unless we start to get bored, or the mechanics
become obtrusive, we are unlikely to concern
ourselves with how the production is actually
made.”
Gerald Millerson (2001: p185)
The role of the editor- 3 levels
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The ‘technical’ level refers to the ability to use
appropriate technology… to create a sequence that
has a particular meaning – ie learning the
software/hardware tools
The level of ‘craft’ refers to the ability to select clips
which lead to ‘second order meanings’: that is the
ability to join 2 shots to yield a meaning that isn’t
apparent from either shot (juxtaposition)
The level of ‘art’ refers to the ability to induce
emotions in the audience. When the meaning of the
shot is taken to the next level- to create excitement,
insight, shock, tension, sadness, epiphany or
discovery.
Ken Dancyger (1997: xiv)
The Cutting Edge: 2004
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJcQg
QHR78Q
Analysing the Edit:
For the Following Sequences
 What is the narrative function of the
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sequence?
What emotional response is it trying to
achieve?
How does it do this?
What role has the edit played in this?
Could it have been done differently?
Clips
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Chase the Chicken. City of God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoNA
TPsOsZk
Raging Bull Fight Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvt
OkDSZRA4
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s
Nesthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B
5NyyC-UjBM
Useful Terminology – Narrative Techniques
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Cutaways- relevent shots that are relevent (ie showing
reactions, or messages in the dialogue)
Continuity Editing (creating action that flows between shots
without jarring). Antonym- ‘Errors of Continuity’
The cross-cut (cross cutting between scenes). Parrallel Action
Jump-cut (a cut that breaks the continuity of time, or the
traditional continuity of the edit)
Montage (seemingly unrelated shots that when combined
produce meaning or a series of shots that lead the viewer to a
desired meaning)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU9Uwhjlog8
Relational Editing- editing shots together to suggest a relation
between their ideas
Sequence shot- where a whole sequence occupies a single
shot
Eyeline-match/shot-reverse-shot. Match-Cut. Match on
Action
Editing Key tools
Time
 Pace
 Your relationship with the audience.
(reveal and conceal, suspense)
 Exposition (Reveal/Conceal from
audience)
 Example: Psycho (1960)
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 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP
3K4
The process of the edit
Need to think about the edit early on!
In pre-production and production stages.
 Include terminology in storyboards
where appropriate/applicable
 Log in production- To communicate with
the editor/save time
 Get editor on board early, make sure
they have a clear vision with the director
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The process of the edit
Differs depending on project.
1. Logging Rushes and Deciding on Shots EDL
2. Capturing and Digitizing
3. The Assembly (based on storyboard/script)
4. The rough cut (reconsideration of the
narrative approach/experimentation)
5. The final cut
6. Mastering
Getting Organised
An Editor may use the following
Paperwork
 The script
 Camera Report Sheets/Production Log
Sheets
 Sound Report Sheets
And produce
 An Edit Decision List (EDL)
 Other Appropriate Paperwork (Music Cue
Sheets for Copyright)
Edit Decision List
Forces You To Make Decisions
 Communication with others
 Much of this can be achieved in advanced
editing programmes (you can tag clips with
metadata in FCP)
 Should consist of following:
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Scene/Shot/Take
Tape No./Timecode in/Timecode Out
Comments
Decisions made
Tips and Tricks
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Make it easier for yourself: Shooting Ratios/Log &
Make Decisions in Production- Professional Edit
Suites Cost Time & Money!
Lay down the story/narrative first. Details can come
later.
Use Music for emotion. Work with the beat if
approprate. Spend time choosing, listening to music
Think Carefully About Time
Audience, Audience, Audience
 Understand them. Imagine someone.
 Be Aware of their ‘Media Literacy’
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Always get others to look and listen
Rest it. Fresh eyes can do wonders.
Common Mistakes
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It doesn’t make sense
Bad film making- don’t be afraid to lose
scenes
Too slow/Too fast
Over editing- always edit for a reason
Forgetting the story. Edit for Affect/Effect,
not to prove how good you are on FCP, or
how many shots you can fit into 30
seconds!
Bad script- reshoot?
Narrative
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When thinking about narrative
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Read the script
What is the message?
What emotions do I want to convey?
How can I use my footage best to show this?
(Using time, sound, other techniques)
 Can music enhance this?
 What does the audience need to know, what do
I need to make clear (or overstate)
 Get familiar with Narrative/ Storytelling –
○ Robert Mckee (1999) Story. Methuan Publishing
Ltd
The Poetics of Editing
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Editing is like Poetry/Music
 Flows
 Rhythms
 Beats
Further Example
Kill Bill Scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHbfI
PjmZys
Donnie Darko (Hardly any
edits!)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
VWJPa0bvWnM
Further Reading
Michael Rabiger (2004) Directing the
Documentary. Focal Press
 Ken Dancyger (1997) The Technique of Film and
Video Editing: History, Theory, and Practice. Focal
Press
 Gerald Millerson (2001) Video Production
Handbook. Focal Press
 Steve Dawkins & Ian Wynd (2010) Video
Production: Putting Theory Into Practice. Palgrave
Macmillan
 Chris Jones (2003) The Guerilla Filmmakers
Movie Blueprint. Continuum
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Resources for Editors
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork
 http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/reso
urces/
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Advanced Editing Techniques
Compositing
 Titles
 Sound FX
 Special FX
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