Rica Angelica Adarlo: The Art of Editing

The Art of Editing

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To show our knowledge and understanding of how editing can enhance the meaning of our film, we had to create a short video using 5 different examples of cuts and transitions.

Before I proceeded with creating my short video, I had to learn and understand the basic terminology:

GLOSSARY OF CUTS
Cutting on action	Cutting while there is movement on screen
Cutaway	Cutting away to an insert shot and then back
Cross-cutting	Back and forth between locations e.g. a phone call
Jump cuts	Disjointed edits in the same shot or action
Match cut	Cut from one shot to a similar shot by either matching the action or composition

GLOSSARY OF TRANSITIONS
Fade in/out	To/from black
Dissolve	Blend shots
Smash cut	Abrupt transition
Iris	Old-fashioned; circle the opens and close in camera
Wipes	Screen wipes from one side to the other
Invisible cuts	Impression of a single take
L-cut	Audio transition
J-cut	Audio from the next scene starts before you get to it

Video from YouTube. Alternative link, in case the video does not work.

CONCLUSION

Editing is perhaps one of the most important parts in film-making, because it contributes to the story and, initially, is what engages the audience. This task has made me realise the importance of editing and has allowed me to carefully consider the sequence and pace of shots in my film opening, so it will not exceed the 2-minute limit we are given. During the post-production process, I will able to remove any unwanted footage and choose the best ones from the several shots (takes) for the final edit. For my film opening, I have decided that most of the transitions between each shot will be a cut, because it conveys I feeling of unease for the audience. The character in the film does not see this, but the audience will, so they may feel anxious or tense in anticipation of something terrible - the element of something being built up for the audience. The quick cuts will also be accompanied by eerie and mysterious sounds, which I am still looking for, and the this will be help uncover the genre of my film opening. Additionally, one of the shots will be a tracking shot and I plan to use an invisible cut so that it will transition from a long medium shot to a point-of-view shot, showing the female character writing in her journal. I wanted to include this because the genre I have chosen is a psychological thriller, and by switching to a POV shot, it creates realism and helps the viewer empathise, making them feel as if they are a part of the film. Here is the video I created: