Editing essay

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 21^st 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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppjyB2MpxBU

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.