Assignment 5: Editing In Trailers

Courtney Buabeng

What are some immediate editing techniques they use and why?

Crosscuts:

-Crosscuts or jumpcuts are usually used to startle the viewers with a horrific scene and a loud non - diegetic sound effect.

Flashbacks:

-Flashbacks are commonly shown in a black and white special effect to illustrate past events which affect the current situation of a certain scene.

Ellipsis:

-This is used for audience to identify what happens during the scenes missed and anticipate violence or gory details

‘You’re Next – 2012’

Cont.Fast Pace:

-Fast pace editing is created in general to show short parts of the film in a montage form -In Supernatural Thrillers especially, fast pace editing is used to create tension through a

implicit, restricted narrative.

CGI:

-This is used to create gory details or creatures which are hard to film in general

‘Drag Me To Hell – 2009’

How does the pace change and why?

• The pace at usually begins with a slow or moderate pace in order for the audience to establish the plot and characters.

• However, the pace increase in speed from a climatic, tense area of the trailer.

• Therefore, this creates suspense and enigmas for the audience.

• Most commonly, the pace increases in the middle or toward the ending of a trailer after something is revealed.

What editing techniques are used in different genres and why? (What editing techniques are conventional to specific genres?)

• Comedy:

The comedy genre usually has upbeat score music which seem to set a uplifting mood throughout the trailer and are also used to indicate punch lines. There is usually a pause of the score music as someone does a funny action or says something funny. Secondly, the trailers tend to use long shots in order to show more dialogue within a scene. The dialogue is critical in comedy and is the main focus in this genre.

• Romance: The pace of the romance genre is usually quite slow or moderate and less action filled. Through this, romance trailers have more dialogue-filled and longer scenes.

• Horror:

Horror trailers use eerie music or shrill sounds to build suspense. Similarly to the comedy genre, this genre silences the score music or sound effects for a brief second which is then followed by shrill screams of the victims and flashes of scenes which are horrifying. The shots in horror trailers are much shorter and faster and tend to edit the dialogue and screams so they overlap. Lastly, the trailers font colours are usually gray, dark and red.

How does the editing connect/compliment the plot and narrative structure?

• Fast pace montage editing creates thrill for the audience and to restrict the narrative of the actual film, so that viewers are teased into watching the film.

• In addition, if the editing does not compliment the plot of the film, the genre of the film will be misunderstood.

What editing techniques do you find inspirational? (What editing techniques would you like to use in your

coursework and why?)

• I find the use of foley sounds inspirational in making my own trailer as it can give the trailer the dramatic edge it needs but also sounding realistic.

• I also find the use of jumpcuts inspirational as it as they effortlessly startle the audience and reflect the supernatural thriller genre well.

• It is evident that fast pace editing is essential in creating a trailer as creates suspense and illustrates key parts of the film but also restricts because of its pace.