Editing
essay
In this essay, I will be writing about a brief history of editing, starting from the early 1900s to modern day. Going through well known editors that changed the filming industry and how they have become inspirations for modern day editors. I will also be analysing two clips from a well known editor and will be explaining what editing techniques they have used and how it intensifies the scene.
Edwin
S Porter
Edwin S Porter, was a pioneer American film
director whose innovative use of dramatic editing in films such as “the life of
an American fireman” and “the great train robbery” revolutionized filmmaking.
In 1900, porter was hired by the Edison company to make improvements to and
redesign their motion-picture equipment and was soon placed in charge pf
Edison’s skylight studio on 21st street in New York. For the next
few years he served as a director-cameraman, starting with simple one-shot
films such as “Kankas saloon smashers” and then progressing rapidly to films
with special effects.
Before starting out in filmmaking, Porter had
experience as a projectionist at the Eden Musee that led him to practice
continuity editing, the process of collecting one shot films and arranging them
into a 15 minute programme. Porter was influenced by other filmmakers such as
Georges Melies, whose “Le voyage dans la lune” (a trip to the moon) became very
well known in filmmaking history. Porter claimed that Melies film had given him
the notion of “telling a story in continuity form” which then resulted in “the
life on of an American fireman”. Another film that influenced Porter was James
Williamson’s “fire”, which combined archival footage with stages scenes to
create a nine-shot narrative of a dramatic rescue from a burning building.
Paralle editing, also known as cross cutting
gained prominence from porter in his movie “the great train robbery”. In this
early picture, cross cutting is used to show what occurs in two different
places. Though porter didn’t use the technique to its full potential, he was
resonisble for introducing the concept to the American cinema.
In 1895, the Lumiere brothers invented
Cinematographe. Cinematographe was a three in one device that recorded,
captured and projected motion picture however although the Lumiere brothers had
a great invention, porter showed that film didn’t have to be one long still in
1901. He also used footage to tell a different story unrelated to what the
footage originally was meant to portray.
D.W
Griffiths
In 1908, D.W Griffiths film “for love of god”
featured the first ever continuity cut when a scene cut. Griffiths then realised
that emotions could also be portrayed through different camera angles and pace
of editing and it wasn’t all down to the actors. “the birth of a nation” is
based on the novel “the clansman” the film included camera techniques such as
panoramic long shots, iris effects, still shots, cross cutting and panning shots.
These techniques are widely used today to create films. The use of sound
allowed the film to be more interesting and to make the audience feel more
involved. In “thelondale operator”, Griffith further develops cross cutting by
using parallel editing to create suspence.
Griffith’s next film, intolerance, was again
innovative in its narrative structure by juxtaposing four different locales and
eras. In 1919, Griffith co-founded United Artist with Charlie Chaplin, Douglas
Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. Griffith would spend the next ten years
making films with United Artists and Paramount but would never again reach the
fame of the birth of a nation” or “intolerance”. D.W. Griffith has taken his
place in American cultural history as one of the greatest filmmakers of all
time.
Walter
Murch
Walter Scott Murch is an American film editor
and sound design, who had edited big motion films such as the trilogy of the
Godfather, American Graffiti, The conversation and The English patient. Murch
has been referred to as “the most respected film editor and sound designer in
modern cinema”.
Murch edits in a standing position, comparing
the process of film editing to “conducting brain surgery and short order
cooking” Murch has written a book on film editing, “in the blink of an eye”
which has been translated in several languages. The book suggests editors
prioritize emotion over the pure technicalities of editing. The book is based
on a transcription of a lecture Murch gave about editing in 1988. In 2001, it
was revised to reflect changes in digital editing. Within the book, Murch
discusses something he calls “the rule of six”. The six elements to building
the story within the edit
“What I’m suggesting is a list
of priorities. If you have to give up something, don’t ever give up emotion
before story. Don’t give up story before rhythm, don’t give up rhythm before
eye-trace, don’t give up eye-trace before planarity, and don’t give up planarity
before spatial continuity.”
These
priorities can be used as a formative plan for editing to ensure that the
audience are focused on the film. It focuses around
Emotion
- It is important to consider if the cut is
distracting the audience from the emotion of the story, Murch believes that
emotion “is the thing that you should
try to preserve at all costs”,
·
Story
- Each cut the editor makes needs to advance the
story. They shouldn’t’ let the edit become bogged in subplot (if it isn’t
essential) if the scene isn’t advancing the story, cut it.
·
Rhythm
- If the rhythm is off, the edit will look sloppy, a
bad cut can be ‘jarring’ to an audience. Try to keep the cut tight and
interesting for the viewers.
·
eye
trace – the editor should always be
aware of where in the frame they want the audience to look, and cut
accordingly. Match the movement from one side of the screen to the other, or
for a transition, matching the frame, shape or symbol
·
2D
place of screen - Making sure the cuts follow
the axis (180º line). This will keep the action along it’s correct path of
motion and maintain the continuity.
·
3d
space - This rule should always be
adhered to, unless the editor purposely breaks it. Breaking the 180º line works
really well if the editor wants the audience audience feeling confused, or to
disorientate them.
The Godfather clip analysis.
Throughout the scene, the shits if Michael
are slow and steady, going back and fourth to his victims (Sollozzo and
McCluskey) in the café. When Michael is in the toilet, the use of a non
diegetic sound shows the emotion that Michael is going through. In the bathroom,
the use of a non diegetic sound and then a mid shot of the back of Michael
head, this is to make the audience aware that he is about the kill someone
aster taking the gun from behind the toilet. The louder the non diegetic sound
is, the more the audience can see the number of emotions from Michael, such as
fear, adrenaline, revenge and anger.
The use of cross cutting to see Michael in
the bathroom and his victims in the café, creates fear amongst the audience as
they are seeing two different locations, Michael trying to retrieve the gun and
his victims, in the café growing suspension as to where Michael is and looking
back towards the toilet. As Michael comes out of the toilet, the use of an over
the shoulder shot of his two victims, show that they are his targets, as
Michael sits down, diagetic sound in the background gets louder and louder,
creating tension to both Michael and the audience.
Tha Baptism Murders https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CDlBLvc3YE&list=PL4DD9B97A46400466&index=8
Murch uses these editing techniques in another clip from the same movie, the scene is called he baptism murders and it follows Michael's nephew being baptised, organ church music is played in the background. It is a recurring pattern through out the scene. whilst the priest says a prayer, we get a lot or cut away scenes of people getting guns ready, and the victims waiting for their death. Whilst the priest talks, a much more suspenseful organ tune is playing through out and causing suspicion, throughout the murders, the priest's voice gets louder as each man is murdered. The use of parallel editing in the clip, shows the different situations happening at the same time, from different locations and perspectives. When you re watch the clip you can notice that the scenes cut in and out of the church and the murders going on. the use of parallel editing show the peaceful religious ceremony to the violent murders that are going on.
The voice of the priest adds suspension and excitement, the point where the priest's voice is the loudest is when he asks Michael if he rejects Satan. after Michael says yes, a close up of him saying he does and hows his facial expression when doing so. the scene then cuts off to the murders happening at the same time, victims being killed by Michaels assassins' this scene really shows the two different sides that Micael has as being head of the family. The use of juxtaposition shows Michael is leading two different families as the Godfather. by carrying out violent acts during his nephew's baptism, as he is declaring his belief in got and denouncing satan, Michael ruins the service and brings violence and death into the family.
It took me a couple of tries to achieve this and honestly it is so useful and just amazing for making old footage. This is my last tutorial I'm afraid, I'm moving on to my next piece of work which I will tell you about once I come back from the half term. Thank you for reading my blog, I hope it has helped you with your editing skills.-Rania
