Notes on editing

Some Notes on Editing - by Dawn Peacock

I was inspired by Mike Hammersley’s presentation at a recent club meeting. He expressed the importance of composition. You can understand why the director of photography is so important within films. I will try to explain some tips that I have come across.

The essence of shooting and editing can be examined by watching almost any television advert. The advert must tell a story and sell a product in usually about 30 seconds. This is how Ridley Scott started. In his early days he directed the famous Hovis advert then went on to do famous films like Blade Runner and Alien. In an advert only the most necessary shots and audio are included because of the limited time used.

The editing process is basically one of elimination. In all cases an edit must be motivated there must be a narrative and a concept. The audience, it is to be shown to, needs to be taken into consideration so that their expectations are satisfied through the pacing and presentation of information, it is no good having a highly scientific and detailed programme on meteorology presented for those scientists when the intended audience is the general public just wanting to know something about the weather.

I have studied and identified four main types of edit. I hope that you can visualise these as I explain them.

An 'idea edit' is an edit using an idea to smooth the visual transition for example dissolving from a crying woman to a rain streaked window.

Editing using form is exactly that moving from shape and form to similar shapes and forms e.g. dissolving from a burning match to a roaring fire, also a frisbee to the sun and a porthole to a full moon.

With screen position there is a smoother flow in film if the eye is led to one side of the screen and the action or character in the next shot is located on that side also (again the purpose of the cut is to allow the eye to follow the movement of the shot).

In action, cutting during action is one of the best ways of changing the camera angle within a scene. For example raising a hand. An editor can cut at numerous points during that action.

The most powerful edits are those that combine two or more of these concepts for example an ‘idea edit’ and 'action edit' could be a diver jumping off a high board into a swimming pool cutting to someone dropping an ice cube into a glass of water.

Action is heightened by cutting often. E.g. in films like The Terminator most shots last no more that a few seconds. In television sitcoms, for example Neighbours where settings are limited, camera angles and shots are constantly changing to give the appearance of quick pacing occupying the eye with new and different images consistent with the intent of the show and will make the audience pay attention.

Editing determines the pacing of a film. The expansion or compression of time. The concept of a film must always be decided before editing begins.

I hope these notes are of some help. These are general rules and not set in concrete!