DIRECTIONS: EDITING

We must think about editing now, before our production, in order to think about it whilst filming as it may help to decide what shot to do/not do because of the way you may be able to edit it.

Editing
Film editing - the art of joining separate shots together to create longer sequences that make up the complete story of the film. Sometimes referred to as the 'invisible art' because when done well a viewer is so immersed in what they're watching they do not notice the editing. It's also about creating emotion, drama and action through the combination of shots, its all about storytelling.
The very first film to use film editing as a story is 'The Great Train Robbery' from 1903 by Edwin S. Porter. Up until the early 2000s all films were cited together using a machine called a Steenbeck, splicing the film together with sellotape.
With the advent of video technology, linear video editing was developed, this is editing in the most basic form, only allowing you to place one shot after another in order, you cannot move the shots around again. The creative shift found its way into films and tv programmes with cutting eventually cutting faster and faster.
Digital non-linear, combining the freedom of film editing and the speed of video editing, you could now move shots about where ever you wanted, keeping sync and making a cut in a fraction of the time before. The most common professional editing system is avid.

Continuity Editing
The predominate form of editing style in narrative film and television is referred to as Continuity Editing. The idea being the main purpose of editing is to take discontinuous shots and create a continuous whole. The rule of less = more applies all the way through the editing process, even if you have spent a while shooting something, if it doesn't add to the storytelling then there is no need for it. The biggest and easiest mistake to make is too leave too much in. The most creative layer of editing is creating the drama of a scene, through pacing, rhythm and emotion. The main thrust of pace is created through how quickly or slowly you cut from one shot to the next, and from once scene to the next. It doesn't just mean 'fast cutting; a film paced too quickly the audience will fall behind, whereas a film paced too slow can leave the audience bored or disinterested.

Pacing
Ordinarily, a scene starts wide and slow, then gets closer and quicker. A slow stilted conversation become free flowing and ends abruptly. Always cut for a reason, never to just cut, it must add to the scene.

Emotion
As a general rule, an emotional scene you will hold shots that are longer and slower.

POV
Where you position your characters in a scene is crucial in editing - whose story sis it? where is the focus of the story? Someone could be doing all the talking but if you focus on someone else in the scene that isn't talking, who is the focus on?

Match on Action
Match-on action is a very useful creative tool in editing, allowing for dramatic shots, where the editor cuts from one shot to another view that matches the first shots action.

Cross Cutting
Cross Cutting is an editing tool that can create great suspenseful action sequences, essentially it is cutting between two or more scenes that are occurring at the same time in the story, allowing the editor to open up the story to many different levels.