Editing Process & Techniques

Module by:

Prashanth G Malur

Asst. Proffessor, Division of Media & Entertainment, Manipal University Bengaluru Campus

******************************************************************* Designed for MBA Media & Entertainment Manipal University

******************************************************************* Year of Design: 2010 October

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Basic of cuts J Cut When the video starts on an audio which is actually not originated to that of the

visual shots. The audio which supports the cut away video shots to

establish the sequence. These shots starts with the forward movement while later comes to reverse forming the edit point in the form of J.

L Cut This is the forst form of the cut, which is generally a cut from one to another, with the

forward movement of the shots forming the edit points like the alphabet L.

The need to cut/edit Motivation The cut should be of specific, sharp & precise to form a flow of motivating the viewer.

Cuts with transition corresponding to the sound effects when there is a

dialogue which motivates the feelings of the viewer makes him to fix to the seats. If this is the context of the entertainment on the other side, there must be a need to

motivate the viewers to make a resolution of an serious issue.

Information Information is one basic criteria of the visual media. When information is been given about a place, person or any activity or event, a voice over complimented with the

texts shall have the impact with not a brisk & fast cuts. The visual stay is important to establish for the information given out corresponding to the audio & the text

generation.

Camera Angles Any visual footages can hardly be found with that of single blocks, movements. Camera angles too play a vital role in conveying the subject. It does create the

motivation flow. Angles & movements can be in various ways. Straight/eye angle,

cross/dutch angle, low angle, top angle (45 degree & 90 degree), profiles are few of the common angles while camera forward, camera backward, zoom in, zoom out,

pans, tilts, straight- against - circular trollies, crane & jimmy jib pans & tilts are few of the camera movements.

Shots are even taken by the combination of angles & movements, which make the

visual convey the matter with the essence & quality of movement required.

Action & Dialogue Continuity Continuity is one such basic quality which requies in evey cut as such. It is more to be

precise while making a cut in action & dialogue sequences with continuity

movements of artists- objects -camera, properties, expressions, emotions. Correction: Corrections of taking out the NG, trimming, adding inserts, boosting

audio, are the basic correction of visuals. It is also to correct the colour of one visual to the other. Maintaining continuity is offlate been an advantage in the non linear

editing. Colour correction with the visuals are the need of the hour in the present

days.

Build ups Build ups are some extra shots of the relating sequence. A build up shots are edited to make the viewer feel curious & in anxiety watch forward for the action happening.

An entry of a character showing the leg clutched with the chains & iron rings, keeping his foot a high establishes of bringing a notorious criminal to prison as well as gets in

to the anxiety of the viewer, to know who the character is.

Compilation: Compilation is the final process of editing. It is more often compiled as the process of

editing is on. Compiling is one such process where all the scenes are placed one after the other with the final insertions & action & music. This is where the story flow is

put on to make all as in one.

Principles of Editing Classical editing Classical editing is normally related to the edit only with a cut to a cut with no transitions or filter effects given to the clip. At the most to give an effect there could

be a transition dissolve or a fade in fade out. This is one simple way which has more

impact on editing a documentary, features of serious issues with that of inforamtion with them.

Continuity editing The 180° rule is an essential element of a style of film editing called continuity

editing. The rule is not always obeyed. Sometimes a filmmaker will purposely break the line of action in order to create disorientation. Some filmmakers state that the

fictional axis created by this rule can be used to plan the emotional strength of a scene. The closer you place the camera to the axis, the more emotionally involved the

audience will be.

4 W's & 1 H of the Cut Cutting on action/ Action edit The action edit, sometimes called a movement edit or a continuity edit, is nearly always a cut. It can be made on the simplest gesture or movement for example picking up a book.

Jump cuts An image that jumps slightly from one screen position to another during a cut. Originally considered to be a bad technique, it still is considered incorrect when used inappropriately. Jump cuts occur when taping is momentarily stopped and the subject moves slightly before taping starts again. Jump cut can also be referred to as a break in the sequence, continuity and placement of shots

Cut in/Cut away A cutaway is a shot that's usually of something other than the current action. It could be a different subject (e.g. this cat), a CU of a different part of the subject (e.g. a CU of the subject's hands), or just about anything else. The CA is used as a "buffer" between shots (to help the editing process), or to add interest/information

Cross cutting Cross cutting is one way of a cut away. This could be any bit of visuals related to the main visuals only to distract the viewer for a few frames or shorter than a couples of seconds.

Matching the action Matching the action is very much similar to that of the action edit. One shot of the action has to precisely be matched to that of the other angle. This includes the continuity in action & placements of action.

Counter cut A counter cut is generally in the talk sow or a scene where two people are arguementing. Each cut from one person to other is a counter cut. This cut is generally not with ant transitions but instead bears with a cut to cut basis.

Flash back cut & Flash forward cut This cut is generally with a flash transitions with a sound effects following with an audio of the flash back or flash forward. There are few instances where the flash back are with a fade in-fade out effect than the flash, to make the emotional start of backward/ past scenes . A flash forward shall be for those to complement the scenes fore seen, which is to happen in future.

Montage A montage sequence is a technique in which a series of short shots is edited into a sequence to condense narrative. It is normally used to advance the story as a whole (often to suggest the passage of time), rather than to create symbolic meaning as it does in Soviet montage theory.

Methods of montage

Metric Where the editing follows a specific number of frames (based purely on the physical nature of time), cutting to the next shot no matter what is happening within the image. This montage is used to elicit the most basic and emotional reactions in the audience.

Rhythmic Includes cutting based on time, but using the visual composition of the shots, along with a change in the speed of the metric cuts, to induce more complex meanings than is possible with metric montage. Once sound was introduced, rhythmic montage also included audial elements (music, dialogue, sounds). Rhythmic montage example: from Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo where the protagonist and the two antagonists face off in a three-way duel

Tonal A tonal montage uses the emotional meaning of the shots (not just manipulating the

temporal length of the cuts or its rhythmical characteristics) to elicit a reaction from the audience even more complex than the metric or rhythmic montage can elicit. For

example, a sleeping baby would convey calmness and relaxation.

Overtonal/Associational The overtonal montage is the accumulation of metric, rhythmic, and tonal montage

and the synthesis of its effect on the audience for an even more abstract and

complicated effect.

Overtonal example: from Pudovkin's Mother. In this clip, the men are workers walking towards a confrontation at their factory, and later in the movie, the

protagonist uses ice as a means of escape.

Intellectual Uuses shots which, combined, elicit an intellectual meaning. Intellectual montage examples: from Eisenstein's October and Strike. In Strike, a

shot of striking workers being attacked cut with a shot of a bull being slaughtered creates a film metaphor suggesting that the workers are being treated like cattle.

This meaning does not exist in the individual shots; it only arises when they are

juxtaposed.

Elements of Editing Controlling Time Any visual is generally shot in the ratio of thirds. It may also increase more than the thirds. Actual footages are generally calculated as 60 mins of actual footages with out NG shots which can be condensed to 20 mins of edited output, in the ratio of 1:3. It has off late been in both the ways of accurately taking the shot with no extra shots and also with more shots than to that of the shots required actually, as the selection of shots to be used are decided on the editing table. Film or television production always have specific time to convey the story & any thing exceeding that shall be edited. Controlling the time when the time is exceeding or otherwise when it is falling short. Expanding or condensing the timing & duration of the shot shall always be controlled in editing as what to be kept, for how long & where exactly the cut has to be made & the position of the shot in the sequence.

Relation Editing any footages in any instances should have the relation to cut from one scene to another. A scene with relation to another scene shall always maintain the pace of

the flow to give the continuity to that of the previous scenes & the present one. The

scene is always linked to the scene of the other, where the previous scene gets the importance to the next scene with the idea of haiving relation to the previous scene.

This can some time also be related & refered to parallel editing

Theme Theme editing is basiccaly with the theme of the subject/ concept for which the film/ video production is made. A theme can be of any background of emotions, action,

romance & feel. Theme editing should have more attention as all shots are edited with a cut which makes sensible to that of the theme. The shots picturised should

have equal importance at the time of video/film production so that enhances the

quality of the output as per the theme visualised.

Parallel Parallel editing are with two scenes which happens simultaneously at the same time,

either at same place or different places. Every film or fiction video shall commonly

have this kind of edit where to show the relation between two scene as that are of corresponding to each other. A hero comes on to the road cut to the shot of heroin

who is waiting for the bus in the bus stand where the hero passes cut to the shot of

the hero coming on his bike to see the heroin & cut to the heroin looking out for the bus. The next shot continuing to hero coming on to the busstand road where he finds

the heroin & at the same time the bus arrives & heroin boards the bus. Here in this scene one can understand that the both scene are happening simultaneously at the

same time linked with the characters which gives the feel & anxiety to the story flow.

Types of Editing The Action Edit The action edit, sometimes called a movement edit or a continuity edit, is nearly always a cut. It can be made on the simplest gesture or movement for example picking up a book

The Screen Position Edit This type of edit is sometimes called a directional edit or a placement edit. It can

either be a cut or a mix, but is usually a cut if there is no passage of time. One example could be two men walking in the mid-shot and one of them looks at his feet.

The next cut could be the close up of the feet. Care should be taken to maintain the continuity of action like the close up should be of moving feet not standing.

The Form Edit The form edit can be described as a transition from a shot which has a pronounced

shape, colour dimension or sound, to another shot which has a matching shape, colour, dimension or sound. One example could be the shot of a moving fan

cut/dissolve to rotating blades of a helicopter.

The Concept Edit The concept edit is a purely mental suggestion. Because of the two shots chosen and

the point at which the edit is made, the concept edit plants a story in viewer’s mind. One example could be shot of a man on his death bed with a priest standing nearby

and an old wall clock ticking. The next shot could be the close up of the clock stopping. This is done to depict that the time is over.

The Combined Edit The combined edit, the most complex of all types of edits, is also the most powerful.

It combines two or more of the four other types of edits. Combined edits are carefully planned in both the pre-production and production stages

Continuity Editing establishes the structure and content of the production along with the

production's overall mood, intensity, and tempo. Continuity editing refers to arranging the sequence of shots to suggest a progression of events.

Types of Transitions Introduction The most common transition is the cut, in which one shot changes instantly to the

next. The next most common transition is the cross fade (mix or dissolve), where one

shot gradually fades into the next. Making a cut or transition from one shot to another has to be carefully thought out

because there is a risk of breaking audience concentration and pulling attention away from the story or subject matter. Cuts are also designed to be rhythmic and follow a

pattern.

Cut A quick change from one shot to another; or the absence of a transition effect. Put

simply, a cut is the shift from one scene to the next and is the most commonly used transition technique. The goal of editing is to convey a story smoothly without

making the cuts obvious. Of course, fast-paced editing or cartoon-inspired wipes are designed to stand out for a specific reason. But when you just want a story to flow,

you generally want your cuts to be seamless. The best way to achieve this is by ensuring that the content (what happens in the video) motivates the cut. For

instance, if you hear a door open and a character turns his head, you expect to see a

cut to the door. That’s seamless editing. Cutting may

• change the scene; • compress time;

• vary the point of view; or

• build up an image or idea. • A camera cut changes the perspective from which a scene is portrayed. It's as

if the viewer suddenly and instantly moved to a different place, and could see the scene from another angle. Often this is done without missing any action (a

seamless cut).

Fade A fade is a gradual, progressive transformation from a black screen to the start of a video clip, or from the end of a video clip to a black screen. Fades may also be used

between clips (often called a cross-fade).

There are three basic types of fades: Fade in from black to picture. Grammatically, a fade in signals the start of a program

or a major section within it. Fade out from picture to black. A fade to black says, "the end" of the program or a

major section. Cross fade (commonly called a dissolve). In a cross fade the outgoing shot is fading

out at precisely the same time (frame for-frame) that the incoming shot is fading in,

resulting in a smooth blend between the two. In movie grammar this indicates a change in time or place or both, but not a major new program section.

In classic movies, a fade was like an act break in a play. The curtain rose or

descended to signal the beginning and end of a major part of the drama. A slow fade-

in is a quiet introduction to a scene; a slow fade-out is a peaceful ending. Time lapses are often suggested by a slow fade-out and fade-in.

Dissolve A dissolve is a gradual change between two video clips. Dissolves are typically used

to avoid an abrupt cut. A long dissolve is used to indicate the passage of time.

Visually, you get the impression of an image merging into and then becoming

another. A slow mix usually suggests differences in time and place. Defocus or ripple dissolves are sometimes used to indicate flashbacks in time.

Even though a dissolve is "softer" than a cut, it draws more attention to the change in the image than a "hard" cut. The reason is that the "mixed" images during the

transition are unnatural and unfamiliar from normal vision. So, dissolves are mostly

used on the borders of sequences, when a break in the continuity is desired. Usually, the purpose is constructive, and it's done slowly enough to portray the passage of

time. As such, it replaces the old silent film method of showing a slide with a caption, like "Later that evening". On the other hand, obvious hard cuts startle the viewer

even more than a dissolve; so dissolves are often used in continuity editing to "soften up" jump cuts or similar problematic cuts.

Wipes A wipe appears as if the incoming video clip is wiping over the current video. The

direction of the wipe (e.g. top to bottom, left to right) can often be selected from the editing software. Wipes attract a lot of attention, and need to be used with caution.

Slides A slide appears as if one video clip is sliding over the previous clip. As with wipes,

slides can come in numerous styles and are an obvious transition. It would be wiser

not to overuse slides.

Pushes A push appears as if a new video clip is pushing the current clip off the screen. Again,

an obvious effect.

Cutaway A cutaway shot is a break in the action. It involves inserting a clip that is often not directly related to the action currently being shown. For example, a video of a parade

might include a cutaway shot of a child sleeping in a stroller.In film terms, a cutaway

is the interruption of a continuously-filmed action by inserting a view of something else. It is usually followed by a cutback to the first shot, but not always.

Jump Cut A jump cut is an image that jumps slightly from one screen position to another during

a cut. Or it is a cut in film editing where the middle section of a continuous shot is removed, and the beginning and end of the shot are then joined together. Originally

considered to be a bad technique, it still is considered incorrect when used inappropriately. Jump cuts occur when taping is momentarily stopped and the

subject moves slightly before taping starts again. Jump cut can also be referred to as

a break in the sequence, continuity and placement of shots and produces a startling effect. Any moving objects in the shot will appear to jump to a new position.

Split edit : This is a method that softens the effect of a cut by having audio and visual cut at different locations. For example, consider a scene that involves one actor

making a speech with another listening. Several different versions of the scene are

taped - one in which the speaker is taped until the speech finishes; other shots showing others listening to the speech. Before the speech is finished, the editor may

switch from a shot of the speech-giver to a shot of the others who are listening. The edit is a J-cut if the audio clip begins before the video and an L-cut if the audio begins

after.

Match cuts In a 'matched cut' a familiar relationship between the shots may make the change seem smooth:

• continuity of direction; • completed action;*

• a similar centre of attention in the frame;

• a one-step change of shot size (e.g. long to medium); • a change of angle (conventionally at least 30 degrees).

• The cut is usually made on an action (for example, a person begins to turn towards a door in one shot; the next shot, taken from the doorway, catches

him completing the turn). Because the viewer's eye is absorbed by the action

he is unlikely to notice the movement of the cut itself.