EDITING INTRODUCTION

Editing - Introduction 

Editing is the process of looking at all the footage shot during the making of a film/ TV programme and placing it in the desired order. 

There are two key areas to concentrate on when editing:

1. The Speed of Editing, so this means how long will each shot last. 
2. The Style of Editing, so how each shot is joined together to the next. 

Speed of Editing

The Speed of Editing will help to determine the mood of whats taking place on screen. So for example if the audience is feeling anxiety and suspense, this means that the editing will be quick, the scenes and shots would be changing very quickly in order to keep up the suspense the audience will be feeling. As the film progresses the scenes may become shorter as the editing cuts between telling two or more story-lines at the same time.   

When it comes to the Speed of Editing there are two things you will need to consider:

1. How quickly or slow the shot appears or a sequence. 
2. How long they will appear on the screen if used. 

Style of Editing 

The style of Editing is how each shot are linked together to form the scene. Its also the movement form one shot to the next, in other words this can be called a Transition. 

There are five ways in which you can link to shots together, these consists of:

Straight Cut

• This is the most common and "invisible" way of forming a transition 
• it works when one shot moves instantaneously to the next without attracting the audiences attention. 
• The Straight Cuts help to retain reality, they do not break the viewers suspension of disbelief.

Hers's an example of a Straight Cut:

Dissolves

• This happens when you fade one shot off the screen whilst another shot is fading in.
• The audience will then be able to see both shots on the screen at the mid-point of the dissolve.
• Its used if the film maker wants to show a connection between two characters, places or objects. 

Here's an example of the Dissolve Shot by Citizen Kane:

Fades

• This is where there is a gradual darkening or lightening image until it becomes black or white.
• One shot will fade until only a black or white screen will be seen. 
• Its used to indicate the end of a particular section of time within the narrative. 
• And it shows the passing of time. 

Here's an example of a Fade Edit:

Wipe Cuts

• This is when one image is pushed off the screen by another image
• This style of cut is normally used in science- fiction films such as Star Wars. 

Here's an example of a Wipe Cut:

Jump Cut

• This is used when the audience's attention it brought to focus on something which has just all of a sudden happened. This occurs when the continuity editing is broken, also known as discontinuity. It makes it come across as the scene has been removed. So for example in the movie Breathless it gets used quite often. 

Here's an example of a Jump Cut: