editing techniques

When individual shots are edited together, lmmakers have a number of editing

techniques at their disposal. The importance of these techniques is that they often

happen so quickly that we don’ notice them at all. Becoming aware of where these

techniques are used in movies is important in order to understand the constructed

nature of all moving images.

Some of the most common editing techniques include:

•

continuity of action forward in a straightforward manner, from action to action or place

to place.

•

follow the obvious rules of cause and effect. These cuts are usually used to disrupt the

audience’s attention in order to create shock. In Steven Soderbergh’s lm The Limey

(1999), jump cuts are used intentionally to suggest the main character’ unbalanced

state of mind.

•

•

and fade-downs are used to suggest the passage of time and generally work to give

the audience a chance to take a breath in preparation for the next scene.

•

introduced. Dissolves are used to indicate the end of one event and the beginning of

a new event or scene.

•

screen. One image disappears as it is replaced by a new image. This kind of edit

is not often seen in movies, largely because it looks comic-bookish. For this very

reason, wipes were used throughout Star Wars to suggest the comic-book origins of

the movie.

In the division of responsibilities on a lm set, directors supervise and steer the artistic

and technical direction of a production and are responsible for a lm’ nal tone and

distinctive visual style. Editors make sure that a lm’ pace, story, and ideas work in

the nal production.Simple cuts — which are breaks from one shot to the next. Cuts carry theJump cuts — which are confusing cuts from one shot to the next that do notFade-downs — which show the screen fade from an image to a black screen.Fade-ups — which show the screen fade from black to an image. Both fade-upsDissolves — which show one image slowly disappear as a new image isWipes — which show one part of the screen literally wipe over the rest of the