CIN105Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Continuity Editing, Creative Geography, Classical Hollywood Cinema
May 26, 2016
CIN LECTURE 6: EDITING
Editing:
• Most unique element to film as an art form
• Is both additive (strings diverse shots together) and subtractive (allows each shot to
replace its predecessor) influences the STRUCTURE of the material
• Meaning in a film can be derived from editing post-production
• Creative process that doesn’t affect the constructive process of the image and soundtrack,
but about manipulating those elements
• Editing forges links between individual images to form the larger context
• Kuleshov Effect
Soviets first wrote on the art of film, but primarily on the importance of editing—
what they saw as the element of film that best produces meaning
Sought to legitimize film as an art form, move away from it being seen as lower
brow
Kuleshov shot on expressionless actors and random objects/dramatic moments
Audiences thought that the actors’ expressions changed
Despite it being one monotone shot
The expressions were inferred upon by the audience
Audience assumes connections that aren’t there
The revelation two independent shots can create a new, third meaning,
like a math equation
1. (Basic) Types of Transitions:
a) Straight Cut a hard, jolting transition
b) Fade-in/Fade-out connotes longer periods of time
c) Dissolve idea of temporality, defining time as fluid, connects one scene to another
most seamlessly and calmly
d) Wipe used self-consciously, very visible to audience (used very often in “Star Wars”)
e) Iris in/Iris out least common; focuses attention on a particular aspect of screen space
(image steadily increases from a very small point to a very large point/very large point to
very small point)
2. Dimensions of Film Editing: Editing creates relationships between successive shots…
a) Graphically shots working together visually/through images (Ex. if a character is
moving to the left, the wipe will follow them to the left; continuity between the
images and the direction of the eye)
might emphasize similarity or difference
Graphic Match/Match Cut used often by filmmakers, often invisibly,
deliberately emphasizes a graphic relation constructed solely through editing
Ex. “Raiders of the Lost Ark” the Paramount logo fades into the shape of the
mountain, the shape is directly underneath it and matches it almost perfectly
Two different sequences are then connected by similar shapes/movements
from one shot to another
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Editing: most unique element to film as an art form. Soviets first wrote on the art of film, but primarily on the importance of editing what they saw as the element of film that best produces meaning. Sought to legitimize film as an art form, move away from it being seen as lower brow. Kuleshov shot on expressionless actors and random objects/dramatic moments. Audiences thought that the actors" expressions changed. The expressions were inferred upon by the audience. Graphic match/match cut used often by filmmakers, often invisibly, deliberately emphasizes a graphic relation constructed solely through editing. Raiders of the lost ark the paramount logo fades into the shape of the mountain, the shape is directly underneath it and matches it almost perfectly. Two different sequences are then connected by similar shapes/movements from one shot to another. May 26, 2016: rhythmically affected by duration and determines tempo, spatially , temporally .
