Film Editing Basics
Film Editing
Definition: Film editing is the art and technique of selecting and combining individual shots into a sequence to create a finished motion picture. Why Film Editing?
Film editing is an essential element of the filmmaking process, allowing filmmakers to craft stories, create meaning, and engage audiences through the artful arrangement of visual and auditory elements. Over the course of film history, editing has evolved from simple cuts between shots to a sophisticated language of its own, with a range of techniques and principles that have been developed and refined over time.
The earliest films were typically one-shot recordings of real-world events or staged performances, with little or no editing required. But as filmmakers began experimenting with narrative storytelling and creating fictional works, the need for more complex editing techniques became apparent.
Early pioneers of film editing, such as Georges Méliès, laid the groundwork for many of the editing techniques still in use today.
Georges Méliès (1861-1938)
Georges Méliès, a French filmmaker, is credited with inventing many of the special effects and editing techniques used in early cinema. In his groundbreaking film "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), Méliès used editing to create the illusion of fantastical space travel and otherworldly creatures. This paved the way for the use of editing as a tool for creating meaning and telling stories in film.
Hollywood Era (1920s -1960s)
In the Hollywood era, a set of principles known as classical film editing emerged. Editors during this period were guided by the idea that effective editing should be invisible to the audience. These editing principles included continuity, shot size, duration, shot/reverse shot, cross-cutting, and montage, among others. By adhering to these principles, classical Hollywood filmmakers created films that were both engaging and accessible to audiences.
Classic Film Editing & The Invisible Cut
Definition: Classical film editing refers to a style of film editing that emphasizes continuity and the seamless integration of shots to create a smooth and coherent narrative flow.Classical film editing is a style of film editing that emerged during the classical Hollywood era of the 1920s-1960s. Guided by the idea that effective editing should be invisible to the audience, classical film editing seeks to maintain continuity between shots, creating the illusion of a seamless reality on screen. This is achieved through techniques such as matching action, matching eyelines, and maintaining spatial and temporal coherence between shots.
One way to create an invisible cut is by cutting on action, also known as a match cut or match action cut. This technique involves making a cut in the middle of a character's physical movement or action, allowing the motion to appear to continue across the cut and giving the impression of a continuous action. By making the cut at a point where the action is consistent between shots, the viewer's attention is less likely to be drawn to the edit.
An editor may also create seamless transitions between shots by cutting before or after action. This technique is often used to emphasize the movement or to create a sense of anticipation or suspense. For example, if a character is shown reaching for a gun, the editor may choose to cut to a new shot just before the character's hand makes contact with the gun, in order to create tension and build anticipation for what is about to happen. This type of cutting may also create a sense of rhythm or pace in a scene.
ON ACTION: In this example, we see the cut happening mid-action during the kick.
BEFORE ACTION: In this example, the cut happens before the action has started. The movement of the kick hid the cut.
AFTER ACTION: In this edit, the cut happens after the action is completed.
Soviet Film Theory & Montage
Definition: Soviet Film Theory refers to a set of film theories developed in the Soviet Union from the 1910s to the 1930s, which emphasized the role of film as a tool for political and social transformation. Soviet editing theory emerged in the early 20th century as a revolutionary approach to cinematic storytelling. Pioneered by filmmakers such as Sergei Eisenstein and Lev Kuleshov, this approach sought to use editing not just as a technical tool but as a means of shaping the emotional and ideological impact of a film on its audience. By combining shots in innovative ways and manipulating time, space, and perspective, Soviet filmmakers created works that were both artistically daring and politically provocative.
One of the most iconic examples of Soviet film editing theory can be seen in Sergei Eisenstein's film "Battleship Potemkin" (1925). The film tells the story of a mutiny on a Russian battleship in 1905 and the subsequent massacre of civilians by the tsarist authorities. Eisenstein's use of montage, or the juxtaposition of shots to create meaning, is on full display in the famous "Odessa Steps" sequence. The massacre is depicted in a series of rapidly edited shots that build to a climactic crescendo. Through the use of editing, Eisenstein creates a powerful emotional response in the viewer, conveying the horror and tragedy of the event.
In Eisenstein's theory, the "thesis" refers to the first element in a sequence or shot which presents an idea or concept. The "antithesis" is the second element in the sequence, which presents a contrasting idea or concept. The "synthesis" is the result of bringing these two opposing forces together, creating a new and deeper level of understanding.
The Kuleshov Effect
Definition: The Kuleshov Effect is a film editing technique where the audience derives more meaning from the interaction of two back-to-back shots than from either shot alone. Another key element of Soviet film theory is the Kuleshov effect, named after filmmaker Lev Kuleshov, which explores the impact of context and editing on the emotional and intellectual impact of a film.
The Kuleshov effect involves taking the same neutral shot of an actor and editing it together with different shots to create a different emotional or intellectual effect on the audience. By juxtaposing the neutral shot with other images, filmmakers can manipulate the audience's emotions and intellectual response to the film.
For example, if the neutral shot of the actor is followed by a shot of a bowl of soup, the audience may interpret the actor to be portraying hunger or desire. Conversely, if the shot of the actor is followed by a shot of a dead body in a coffin, the audience may interpret the actor as portraying sadness or grief.
Below are images from Kuleshov's original test. The first image is the 'Thesis.' Choose one of the (Antithesis) images below (woman in coffin, soup, or woman reclining) and drag it into the blank box to see the 'Synthesis.'
L-Cuts and J-Cuts
Definition: L-cut refers to audio from the previous shot overlapping into the following shot. J-cut refers to audio from the following shot being heard before the visuals of that shot appear.One of the key techniques used in film editing is the L-cut and J-cut. By understanding these techniques, editors can create more natural and dramatic transitions between shots and control the flow of information to better tell the story. With practice, film editors can master these techniques and create compelling and seamless narratives.
L-cut is a film editing technique in which audio from one shot continues into the next shot, creating a smooth transition between shots. In an L-cut, the visual elements of the first shot are cut before the audio, creating a gap in the image but not in the audio. This results in the audio from the first shot overlapping with the video from the second shot. This creates a seamless transition between shots.
A J-cut is similar to an L-cut, but the audio from the second shot starts before the visual cuts to the second shot. This creates an overlap between the audio and visual elements of the two shots, allowing the viewer to hear the sound from the next shot before they see the image.
FIRST CUT: In the first edit of the hospital scene, the doctor enters the room and delivers a diagnosis to his patient. The edit cuts from the doctor's close-up to the patient's reaction. Here we see the video and audio cutting at the exact same point.
L-CUT: In this example, we see a cut to the patient's reaction as the audio from the doctor's clip continues. This gives the illusion that we are seeing the patient's hearing and reacting to the doctor's news as it is being given.
J-CUT: In this edit, we hear the patient's audio before cutting to her close-up. This gives more importance to the doctor's emotion in the scene than it does to the patient's reaction.
Footage provided by Cinestudy
For more information on editing, please watch the film the documentary The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing.