Creative Skillset Unit 05
USING EDITING TO
TELL THE STORY
IN FILM
“Building a Whole Other World”
Michael Kahn, editor – Saving Private Ryan
What makes a film a film?
Not until that raw material is edited do you have a film.
The first filmmakers – Edison in the US and the Lumiere brothers in France
filmed what interested them and held the shot. August Lumiere went as far
as to say that “cinema is an invention without a future”.
But in 1903 Edwin Porter, an employee of Edison, discovered that
CUTTING SEPARATE SHOTS TOGETHER COULD CREATE A STORY
The invention of editing gave birth to a new art and a new language
Suggested viewing - ‘The Cutting Edge’ Documentary (2mins 30 to 6mins 10)
"
Classical or Continuity Editing
CLASSICAL FILM EDITING relies on the INVISIBLE CUT
Seamless editing, developed by DW Griffiths in the 1920s, through cutting on
movement for example, is the main editing method used.
Continuity Editing –
A typical sequence includes establishing shots, closer shots, followed by long shots
which re-establish the place or setting.
The change in camera position from a master shot to a closer shot, to a cutaway or a
reaction is read as a continuous action by the audience.
The Cutting Edge 10 mins 30 – 12 mins 55
Montage
Lev Kuleshov demonstrated that editing meant more than forming a coherent story could evoke
emotions based on order and juxtaposition.
This reaction to editing is called the Kuleshov Effect
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gGl3LJ7vHc
The Cutting Edge – 20mins 26 – 26 mins 26
Eisenstein used the montage
method. The meaning was
not in the shots but in their
collision, where “collision
sparks a new meaning of
higher order”.
Where Griffiths tried to hide
the cuts Eisenstein reveled in
them.
E.g. Battleship Potemkin
1925.
Taking one shot and another
shot to create a third
meaning became “The basis
of all editing”
Analysing Genre in the Edit
What do we mean by Genre?
Horror / Thriller / Comedy / Action-adventure / Sci-fi
What emotions and conventions are associated with
these Genres?
What editing techniques are used to bring out the
emotions associated with these genres?
Close reading of the edit – how suspense is created
in the edit of the opening scene of Inglorious
Basterds – Action adventure film by Quentin
Tarantino
DISCUSS:
Choice of shots – why have they used CU or wides
where they have?
Length of shots
Pace and rhythm
Use of sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUZv6bn7Hwg
CREATIVE SKILLSET - UNIT 05 : 1, 2
Explain how editing is used to tell the story in film.
Identify the ways different film genres are affected by use of
editing.
Written Report or Filmed: (300-500 words if written)
Choose 3 sequences from a range of genres and analyse in
terms of how editing techniques are applied in order to:
•Tell the story
•Show key messages
•Reflect the genre
•Show tone, mood and emotional impact
•Effect the flow of the story and audience perception
Illustrate your answer with visual evidence where possible.
Useful Resources
Websites:
Elements of Cinema
http://www.elementsofcinema.com/category/editing/
No Film School
http://nofilmschool.com/2013/12/a-masterclass-in-storytelling-through-editing
http://raisedonhd.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/editing-for-beginners-walter-murchs-rule-of-six/
http://classes.yale.edu/film-analysis/htmfiles/editing.htm
Film:
The Cutting Edge – The Magic of Movie Editing
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428441/
Masterclass with Walter Murch at Sheffield Doc Fest 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP0NdUt8j1Q
Book:
In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing by Walter Murch