Editing

180 degree rule

Shot reverse shot Shot reverse shot is a where

one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Two or more shots edited together that alternate characters, generally used in a conversation situation.

Over-the-shoulder framings are common in shot/reverse-shot editing.

Shot / reverse shots are one of the most firmly established conventions in cinema, and they are usually linked through

the eyeline matches.

EYELINE MATCH (MATCHES) The first shot shows a

person off in one direction and the second shot what they are looking at.

GRAPHIC MATCH (MATCHES) Two successive shots

joined so as to create a strong similarity of compositional elements (e.g., colour, shape).

Used in continuity styles to smooth the transition between two shots

MATCH ON ACTION (MATCHES) A cut which splices two

different views of the same action together at the same moment in the movement, making it seem to continue uninterrupted.

Quite logically, these characteristics make it one of the most common transitions in the continuity style.

JUMP CUT An elliptical cut that

appears to be an interruption of a single shot.

Either the figures seem to change instantly against a constant background, or the background changes instantly while the figures remain constant

CROSSCUTTING, aka PARALLEL EDITING

Editing that alternates shots of two or more lines of action occurring in different places, usually simultaneously. You would see this when you are showing parallel events.

The two actions are therefore linked, associating the characters and creating a connotation or a juxtaposition.

Cutaway A cutaway shot is usually

something that is away from the main action, it could be someone’s hand often seen in interviews. Cutaway shots can often be used to show someone’s reaction to an event in the previous shot.

MONTAGE An approach to editing

developed by the Soviet filmmakers of the 1920s such as Pudovkin, Vertov and Eisenstein.

It emphasizes dynamic, often discontinuous, relationships and shows the passing of time.

Wedding Crashers

The opposite of continuity or Hollywood style editing.

Transitions

DISSOLVE A transition between two

shots during which the first image gradually disappears while the second image gradually appears; for a moment the two images blend in.

Can be used as a fairly straightforward editing device to link any two scenes, or in more creative ways, for instance to suggest hallucinatory states. Cross dissolves used in emotional films.

Fade in Fade out A video fade is when a shot gradually fades to (or from) a

single colour, usually black or white. A fade is different to a crossfade, which is a transition

directly between two shots rather than one shot to a colour. The "fade from black" and "fade to black" are ubiquitous in

film and television. They usually signal the beginning and end of a scene.

The timing of the fades indicates the importance of the change in time and/or location between scenes — a slower fade with more time spent on black indicates a more significant end/beginning.

A fairly quick fade to and from black could indicate a time lapse of a few minutes or hours, whereas a long drawn-out fade indicates a much bigger change.

Sometimes, two quick fades together can form a single transition similar to a crossfade. For example, a shot fades very quickly to white before fading back into the next shot. Such transitions usually last less than a second and are called a dip, e.g. dip to white or dip to black.

EDITING - WIPE A transition between shots in

which a line passes across the screen, eliminating the first shot as it goes and replacing it with the next one.

A very dynamic and noticeable transition, it is usually employed in action or adventure films.

An old fashioned transition between scenes where the new scene seems to push the old one of the screen. Now used to create a nostalgic or ‘comic book’ feel.

See: ‘Star Wars’

Superimposition

SUPERIMPOSITION The exposure of more than one image on the same film strip. Unlike a

dissolve a superimposition does not signify a transition from one scene to another. The technique was often used to allow the same performer to appear simultaneously as two characters on the screen or simply to introduce a narrative element from another part of the

OVERLAPPING EDITING (DURATION) Cuts that repeat part or all

of an action, thus expanding its viewing time and plot duration.

it is also featured in films in which action and movement take precedence over plot and dialogue.

LONG TAKE, aka PLAN-SEQUENCE (DURATION) A shot that continues for

an unusually lengthy time before the transition to the next shot.

The average length per shot differs greatly for different times and places, but most contemporary films tend to have faster editing rates.

In general lines, any shot above one minute can be considered a long take.

slow motion Slow motion can also be used for artistic

effect, to create a romantic or suspenseful aura or to stress a moment in time. Often action films use slow motion, for instance in the film the Matrix they used multiple cameras, as well as mixing slow-motion with live action in other scenes.

ELLIPTICAL EDITING Shot transitions that omit

parts of an event, causing an ellipses in plot and story duration.

In this clip from Romeo and Juliet shows how when Romeo’s state of mind through drug party is rendered through elliptical editing (achieved with a plentiful use of dissolves and jump cuts) in order to both shorten the time and suggest the character's rambling mental states.

CONTINUITY EDITING A system of cutting to

maintain continuous and clear narrative action. Continuity editing relies upon matching screen direction, position, and temporal relations from shot to shot.

The film supports the viewer's assumption that space and time are contiguous between successive shots.

RHYTHM (DURATION) The perceived rate and

regularity of sounds, series of shots, and movements within the shots.

Rhythmic factors include beat (or pulse), accent (or stress), and tempo (or pace).

Rhythm is one of the essential features of a film, for it decisively contributes to its mood and overall impression on the spectator.