Jake Roberts
BTEC Media - ‘Development and Principles of Editing’ Coursework
Editing was introduced in 1903 and pioneered by three soviets during the
Russian revolution – Lev Kuleshov, Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov. Editing helps
create the main narrative, telling the story, using continuity and juxtaposition of
imagery creating different meanings and emotions.
Sergei Eisenstein (January 23, 1898 – February 11, 1948) was a Russian
film director, nicknamed the "Father of Montage." He is known for making his
silent films, Strike (1924), Battleship Potemkin (1925) and October (1927), as
well as, Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Ivan the Terrible (1944 and 1958). His
work has influenced many modern filmmakers, owing to his writing and
research about montage.
Sergei Eisenstein
Lev Kuleshov (1899 – 29 March 1970) was another Soviet filmmaker,
who taught at and helped establish the world's first film school (the Moscow
Film School). Kuleshov was the world’s first film theorist, he also helped to
develop Eisenstein’s theories on editing and montage. He created the technique
of Juxtaposition, by creating the Kuleshov experiment. He placed different
contrasting shots together, to create multiple meanings, this influenced every
modern filmmaker to use the technique. Kuleshov directed some feature-length
films till 1943.
Lev Kuleshov
David Kaufman (2 January 1896 – 12 February 1954), who chose to be
known as Dziga Vertov, was the soviet’s first newsreel director and cinema
theorist. His filming principles and theories created the genre of documentary
moviemaking.
Dziga Vertov
Eisenstein invented the technique of intellectual montage. Intellectual montage
is the juxtaposition/contrast of images to create different meanings and to
revoke different emotions in his audience. He used popular montage to shorten
footage, but to keep the initial meaning contributing to continuity editing.
The development of intellectual montage, which is very important to the main
principles of editing, as it helps to unleash different meaning’s using different
shots that clash together using juxtaposition; different meaning’s may be
unearthed by different people, unintentionally, creating varying reactions to a
scene or provoke different emotions. Intellectual montage also helps set the pace
of the film, in which the action takes place. Intellectual montage used in
Eisenstein’s film ‘Battleship Potemkin’ - 1925, helps to portray characters
emotions in the stairway scene, when the baby’s pram is falling down Odessa’s
stairs, as the soldiers make their way down the steps killing the protestors.
Juxtaposition, between different people’s faces portray the same reactions.
Juxtaposition is the technique that mostly contributes to helping create and
provoke different meanings in a scene. And Intellectual Montage is the technique
that mostly contributes to the pace of the film and also helps the narrative along.
These principles are two of the most important aspects, in holding a film
together and drawing the audience in.
The principles of editing contribute to Continuity of a film. Continuity
editing, means how recorded footage is edited, using a combined use of
techniques, to help create the narrative of the film, set the pace and tell the story.
Continuity Editing helps tell the story, because a series of different techniques
including juxtaposition and tracking help to make the action scenes blend
together well, the audience stays interested, this is called the pace of the film.
Continuity editing helps tell the story, without continuity, there would be slight
glitches, jumps and cuts that would be present on screen, the audience would see
this and this would ruin the whole feel of the movie. Keeping continuity in a film
is of huge importance, as it helps keep the audience immersed in the narrative of
the story.
There are two rules called the 180’ rule and the 30’ rule that must always
be followed during the editing process. The 180’ is the degree angle that the
camera can rotate round, while filming, mostly conversations. If you break the
rule and go past 180 degree’s vertically on either each side of a conversation,
continuity is broken and therefore the footage become’s confusing to where the
actors are looking and speaking to. The eyeline would not match up and the
people would be looking in the same direction, and not at each-other. The 180’
rule prevents these problems from arising. The 30’ rule is the rule that the
camera should move at least 30° between shots of the same subject. If this is
broken, either by making the degree, smaller of bigger, there would be glitches,
cuts and jumps in the footage that can break a film. However, these rules can be
bent in order to create different effects during editing.
I have chosen two different films to analyse the different editing techniques used
in the scene. ‘Hard-Boiled’ - Directed by John Woo - 1992 and ‘Shaun Of The
Dead’ - Directed by Edgar Wright - 2004. Firstly, a summary of the scene in ‘Hard
Boiled’, The main character is a cop, and he and his partner have gone to arrest a
gangster, however the gangster knows about this, and starts a shootout in a
Chinese teahouse, in which the partner gets killed, and he cop gets his revenge by
killing the gangster at the end of the scene. I have identified three different
editing techniques, including Popular Montage, Juxtaposition of Imaging and
Tracking.
Popular Montage is used to pass time and space, although keeping the
initial meaning and narrative. Montage is used at the beginning of the scene,
where we see the characters entering the teahouse, then making orders and
starting shooting. Time passes but we still know what the cops are going to do.
Popular Montage, is effective in this scene to pass time, and just to show the
necessary action, this keeps the audience involved and keeps the initial meaning.
Juxtaposition of Images are two images that clash together to create
another meaning. Juxtaposition was used to show emotions in the action,
happening within the scene e.g. the gangster shoots at random civilians, killing
them, the camera then cuts to a close-up of the cop’s reaction, causing the
audience to feel the same emotion, provoking a meaning. Juxtaposition is
effective in this scene to highlight the persons emotion, adding realism to the
scene, and getting the audience more immersed in the action.
Tracking is a technique, when the camera follows someone or something
around a scene, mainly during a scene of action. Tracking was used to follow the
main characters e.g. the cop, the partner, the gangster, around the scene to
keep up with the action, e.g. jumping over tables, sliding down banisters,
shooting at the people. Tracking is effective in this scene, to help follow the
characters, letting the audience know exactly where they are positioned,
throughout the scene, without tracking, we would just see the action from one
point of view and the audience would become confused as to what’s happening.
Adding tracking, we can see the reactions of the characters and adds more
people’s points of view.
Lastly, a summary of the scene in ‘Shaun of the Dead’, Shaun and Ed are
in the living room, trying to come up with a plan to save Shaun’s parents, his
girlfriend, then take them somewhere safe, away from the zombie outbreak.
Montage is used to show the plan forming within their head, with few
adjustments being included, during this time. I have identified these editing
techniques in the scene, including Popular Montage, Shot-Reverse-Shot and
Graphic Matching.
Popular Montage is used to pass time and space, although keeping the
initial meaning and narrative.
Montage is used through the whole of the scene, to portray the characters
thoughts and emotions, and to show the audience, how the plan is forming
together in their heads. Popular Montage is very effective in this scene, the
Director included this in the scene, intentionally to help set the narrative and
pace. The scene would also be of importance to the ‘comedy’ aspect of the film, as
the characters begin to argue about the choice of the safe location, bringing up
funny one-liners and infusing the comedic appeal.
Shot-Reverse-Shot is the switching between different characters in
conversation, using the technique of eyeline-matching.
Shot-Reverse-Shot is also used through the whole scene, as the characters Shaun
and Ed discuss and argue about the forming of the Plan, they plan to take the
people back to their place, but it is wreaked and not safe, they change the
location to Liz’s apartment, Shaun’s Girlfriend. However, Ed changes it to The
Pub, as its big, safe and plenty of resources. Shot-Reverse-Shot is used to switch
between the characters in funny argument, emphasising the comedy sub-genre
of the film.
Graphic Matching is the similarity of different shots together in a scene. Graphic
Matching is used to show the plan, forming around each other sitting in a
different location having a drink, waiting for help to arrive, in containing the
zombie outbreak. In each thought, the group are sitting in different locations, but
however, have the same meaning. Graphic Matching is used to show the
characters waiting for help, while sitting and relaxing, drinking a cup of tea/pint
of beer, the scene still holds the same meaning, but is set in different locations.
However, the graphic matching of relaxation, for help to arrive in a zombie
outbreak is very unlikely, Shaun and Ed and the others, fight to survive leading to
the ultimate ending, where they are overpowered. This contrasts to the thought’s
of the two characters at the beginning of the crisis.
Most of these Editing techniques are of most importance to the continuity of a
film. They support the narrative, help create pace and immerse the audience into
the film’s world. We have much to thank the three Russian pioneers for, as they
introduced the basics of editing and have influenced every, modern filmmaker
into using the techniques and principles that they have discovered, and even
bending them to gain different effects to the film and the on the audience. These
also help contribute to the enjoyment of the film, without these basic principles,
the film would be glitchy, have no narrative and make the film become boring
and uninteresting.
Pictures - (From Wikipedia.com)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Eisenstein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lev_Kuleshov
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dziga_Vertov