In our short edited sequence, we successfully used the following techniques, 180' degree rule, match on action, shot-reverse shot. We included these techniques in our short film. I think we personally did a good job of doing so. However we could of improved the graphic match as it looked a bit un-professional and seemed to be amateur.
We used the 180' degree rule effectively during our conversation in the film, as both characters stayed on the same side of the invisible line that the camera is not supposed to go over, the audience would not be disorientated as the camera was focused on each of the characters and did not move over to the other side, so i would personally say that we have done a good job of keeping the 180' degree rule intact.
The match on action in our film was good as both of our characters walk through doors and the scenes flow together as if there was no cut, this was done successfully as we edited the two scenes to flow through perfectly and do the continuity of our short film was good, i personally think we could of used different shot types for each character as we just used the same tracking shot.
The shot-reverse-shot was also done successfully in our film, as we kept switching between the characters as they were speaking. This is the technique and we have done it successfully in our short film, as the camera focuses on the characters as they speak. We used a over the shoulder shot for each time we speak to show the character that was speaking and show a bit of the character that is listening.
In our film we however did not put in parallel editing in our film, this technique shows two events happening at the same time, we did not edit or film scenes to be able to put this technique in place, this is something that we could place in the future in further projects. This could potentially effect our grade in this unit as we have not included a technique that was needed.
The graphic match in our short film, was also not done very well, as the shot was at a weird angle,a and the two objects that we needed to frame was also not fitted perfectly, so it made the graphic match seem unprofessional and to be of a low standard. I personally think we could of taken the objects in to frame perfectly, and then moved the camera backwards slowly to capture them in frame and make them dissolve into each other in a better manner.
In-camera editing is when all the scenes are shot in
sequence/order, this is make all the scenes link and make sense, if there is no
editing software available then in-camera editing is used to make sure the film
makes logical sense and that all the scenes are tied into one another.
Jean-Luc Goddard used
this technique in his film Breathless, the main reason is to save time editing,
as the editing has already been done at the end, also to save money as you
don’t have to use editors and pay them as the editing is finished when the
filming finishes.
Following the action
This is when the camera focuses on the action happening at
the time, the term is self-explanatory, the camera follows the characters as
they are in an action scene, this is to make the audience engaged as they would
want to see what the characters are doing during the action and what
expression, and feeling they have, the action does not necessarily have to be
focused on the ‘hero’ or main character, it can also show the antagonist and
what he is doing during the scene, as it would make the audience bored if they
just focused on one character all the time, as they would want to see the
surroundings and the enemy, this is usually used in chase scenes to show what
both characters are doing.
An example, of this is in the Start of the film, Quantum of
Solace. Where James Bond is being Chased by the bad guys, and he is running
away in his Aston Martin, the camera shows James driving and running away while
being shot at, and it shows the villains shooting, the whole clip is about 3
minutes of non-stop action, this engages the audience as they are near to the
action all of the time and they would always be on the edge of their seat, as
they hope James Bond will get away.
Multiple character narratives
This editing technique is when multiple characters are
witnessing the same scene, but the camera shows different people’s perspective,
this is effective because it allows the audience to see different people’s
perspective and how they are feeling about the event, and the expression and
emotion that they have, and it can contradict with other characters and allow
the audience to try and work out what each character is like.
Saving Private Ryan is an example of a film with multiple
narratives as there are multiple ‘heroes’ in the film as we follow them through
the war, and what they are doing. This allows the audience to feel sympathy for the multiple heroes and make sure that they succeed in their mission.
Shot variation:
This is when the shots are all different from one another, this is to show the surroundings of the characters, what situation they are in, and also to create tension as we move form one shot to another, as we expect something to happen. The shot variation sets the scene and places the characters on a scene that needs introducing to the audience as it may play a vital role later in the plot of the film.
An example of this is in the western film, The Good, The bad and the ugly, where during the final shootouts, there is shot variation, from long shots, to medium shots, and the shots keep changing which with each shot gets closer to the characters, this is a famous scene and it builds up tension and makes sure that the audience are on the edge of their seat to see the outcome of it.
Manipulation of time
Manipulation of time is when, the footage is sped up or slowed down, this is to create an effect on the audience depending on the scene, if it is a chase scene it would be sped up to make the audience more excited and allow them to see the chase in a more exhilarating way, so that it does not bore them as much.
An example of this is in the Film 300, The fighting scene were the King Leonidas is fighting during the battle, there is a use of slow-motion, this is to create an effect on the audience to show the fighting skill of the king and how good he is and allow the audience to see the gore and the wounds that the king inflicts on the enemy, The audience would then be more interested and intrigued into the film as it would allow them to see the battle scenes better.
Match on action = This is when there the action is done with continuity so the action does not make the audience disorientated and allows the action scenes to be realistic. The impact on the audience is that they have a sense of realism as all the scenes flow together and there no visible cuts, this makes the audience more excited as they will be watching the action throughout and they will always be watching it in one fluid motion so there is a constant action on the screen so the audience will always be watching it with full attention.
180' Degree rule= An 'invisible' line used to make sure that conversations and action are done in a way, when there is a cut the characters are still on the same side that they was before and so stops the audience from being confused. The impact on the audience is that that they will know what each side the characters are and so they will not be confused and so it will let them enjoy the movie and also allow them to understand the relation between the characters.
Cutting to the beat= This is when the scenes are cut to match with and to be synchronised to the non-diegetic soundtrack int he background. These are mostly used in Music Videos as in the video below. The impact on the audience is that it allows everything to be synchronised and so it makes it look better.
Shot-Reverse-shot= When the camera switches between two characters usually in a conversation to show both sides and their expressions/ emotions. The impact on the audience is that it allows them to see what the character is talking about and the reaction of the other character, this would usually be used in arguments, to see the both sides of the story and see the relationship between these 2 people.
Montage= Where time is condensed by showing lots of shots to show a longer passing of time. The impact of a montage is to make the audience see the progress the main character make
s but it allows them to see it over a few short scenes rather than seeing it in real time, as it would take very long for them to actually film all the r=training that the main character has to go through, also it would be boring, montages are usually quick and with as soundtrack in the background to try and tell a story.
Jump cuts= Jerky cuts that show information that is relevant to the current scene. The impact of this is to shorten the time the producers have to film, and also the audience can only see what is necessary and not have to watch a whole scene, which is more exciting and fun for the audience as they only watch the relevant shots, as the rest will just be boring and time consuming for no reason.
Cutaways= A shot that shows reactions of other characters during a scene, called a 'reaction shot'. The impact of this is to allow the audience to split from the action and see a 'secondary' part of the film to divert away form the action, this could also be used to create contrast and show the different sides of the story.
Parallel editing= Where the editing is done to show simultaneous scenes that are somehow linked with one another. The impact of this is to allow the audience to see two scenes happening at the same time, this will meant that they will understand the story better and add depth to he story, also it allows for 'two' narratives so that the audience is more engaged and interested int he film, it also build up drama and excitement.
Transitions= These make two scenes connect to each other without the need of a cut. Examples are Fade in's, Fade out, Cross dissolve.The impact of these is to allow the audience to go to the next scene in a fluid way, rather than just abruptly cutting, a transition allows the audience to go the next scene on a more 'professional' way and also they could represent that time is passing by.
Graphic match= Where two scenes on there own, does not make sense, but the two scenes have a deeper meaning to the story. The impact of this is that, if the audience understands the deeper meaning between the seamlessly unconnected shots, then it will add depth to the story and, allow the audience to boost their self - esteem by decoding the hidden message in the film, and os it will make them happier and cause a 'feel good' factor.
This is when the directors use specific techniques to tell the story, In the start of the film Godfather, is starts with the 'Godfather' talking to one of the people who has come and ask for his help, through his introduction and his choice of words and his speech, it lets the audience directly know that he is the main character and everything about the film is evolved around him.
The medium close up of the 'Godfather' when he is sitting in his chair and talking to the other person, this allows us to see his expressions and the way he is feeling. This allows the audience to see into his character and his background. The continuity as he gets up and walks around his room allows the audience to see the various props and the Mise-En-Scene, which allow us to connote certain things to his character, such as him being a serious, powerful and caring person.
The editing of this scene, is that there are no abrupt cuts. Every shots is long and it holds for a long time, to get to know the characters well and to also set the mood of the film. The slow editing allows the audience to get used to certain characters and how they act and get a glimpse of their role in the film.
Engaging viewer:
This is when the editing techniques are used to engage the audience, In the film Skyfall, where in the skyscraper fight scene, in which James bond is tracking down a target who has information, which Bond needs.
The medium shot of the assassin allows us to see him preparing his rifle to kill the target with information, this builds up tension and makes the audience hope that Bond will recognise this and respond and kill this assassin, to receive the crucial information to help aid his mission. This keeps the audience as the edge of their seat, and the slow editing of the scene allows for time to seem like time is running out and makes the audience more interested and engaged in the film.
When bond has finally found the assassin, the fighting scene is really darkened, almost blacked out, so that the audience cannot actually see the fighting. So that they can be more curious about the outcome of the fight and that they hope for James Bond to win, so that he can carry on with his mission. This engages the audience further into the film as they do not know what is going on and makes them interested in the film.
Relationship to genre:
This is when the editing is done in relation to the genre, so an action or horror film would usually have a quick style of editing, and Romance and documentaries would have a slow style of editing.
In the film HEAT, during the shoot-out-scene, after they have robbed the bank. This is quickly edited, as there are frequent cuts between the robbers and the police, it allows the audience to see the shout out scene from different angles and shots, as they shoot their way through the city. This scene has to be edited quickly as it is an action scene and it would be boring for the audience if they just focused on the robbers with one shot, it would be very boring and the audience could not of been able to see the police retaliating as well.
In the post-production period, they have put in the sound effects and also the special effects, the sound effects of the guns firing and the special effects of the muzzle flash while the assault rifles were firing. To make it more realistic for the viewers and make them more engaged into the film, as weirdly enough you actually want the robbers to win and get away.
Creating motivation:
This is when the shots are put together in a particular order to make the audience experience emotions, particularly motivation, this is done by motivating soundtracks and also combination of sequences that make the audience feel more determined.
In the film Rocky, during the montage of him training for the match that he has coming up ahead, it shows different types of training that he is doing and allows the audience to see his progress as he does increasingly difficult tasks, and it creates motivation for the audience, and makes them hope that Rocky will win his 'Big match'.
Montages are made in the post-production period by putting all the filmed sequences, in a short time next to each other, usually with an added soundtrack, this causes the audience to feel determined and motivated to do something, and also gives across the message, of having to work hard to get what you want to get.
Creating Pace:
The length of each 'cut' in a scene impacts the tone & feel of the film. In the Fast and Furious series, the cuts are done very quickly, due to it being an Action film, there are many cuts, to allow the audience to see the Action, from different angles, shots and viewpoints. The cuts also make the film feel a lot faster, so during the car chase scenes, this is effective because it gives the audience more excitement as they switch between the characters.
This suits the genre, because it is a fast paced, action filled series, that involves a lot of action and fighting scenes, long continous shots of one specific character will be boring to watch especially during intense, adrenaline fuelled action scenes, so fast editing is vital to Action films.
During the Chase scene in Fast and Furious 4, near the end. There are a lot of frequent cuts between the Protagonist and the Antagonists's henchmen, as they try to kill the heroes to get their Boss back, the frequent cuts allow for more action to be seen from many ways, and also to show the antagonist henchmen being killed, to show victory and make the Heroes look better. Which allows the audience to hope that they get away in time, and escape their pursuers.
