Film and Editing Techniques

7 Rules of Editing

Rule 1: Never make a cut without a positive reason.
Every scene should be cut at a perfect point and to be cut under a certain length. However if filming another scene and it doesn’t show as much emotion and it doesn’t capture action movements than the take before, its best not to make a cut as the scene doesn’t intend to communicate to the audience.
‘’The only reason for using another cut is to improve the scene’’

Rule 2: When undecided about the exact frame to cut on, cut long rather than short.
This rule is one of the basic and easiest, as you just have to use your common sense. By trimming a bit of excess duration on the filmstrip, it is easiest rather than to join more on to increase duration.

Rule 3: Whenever possible cut ‘in movement’.
The time you choose to cut the scene will change the whole emotion as the timing comes from an understanding of human perception and eye movement. If you cut too early or too late the scene will seem inappropriate, great timing to cut the scene is the purpose of editing.

Rule 4: The ‘fresh’ is preferable to the ’stale’.
Filming the scene that doesn’t shoot the action of the film is a fail as it kills the comfort of the story. By shooting the scene from different angles then cutting the scene and overlapping it to another action is a success.

Rule 5: All scenes should begin and end with continuing action.
The beginning of the film should be an actor performing some action as it will look more realistic, for example he’s waking up from bed, or driving etc. Then the scene should end with the actor ending with what he began, for example going to bed, parking the car etc.

Rule 6: Cut for proper values rather than proper ‘matches’. 
Not every action between takes and different angles match with another. It’s up the editor to use the strongest emotional performance than not to notice it.

Rule 7: Substance first—then form.
one of the rules people miss point, the editor should try to
improve the emotion of the scene as it shows the power of the film.

3 Continuity Errors

In this scene from Scary Movie 4 the President is talking to the bodyguard the camera cuts and the items on the table have changed position.

This scene from Commando, the car is dented but as it drives off the car seems repaired.

This scene from P.S I Love You, Gerry is on stage holding a glass with his right hand when the shot moves to Gerry facing the audience, he is not holding anything.

3 Pioneering Film Techniques

Thomas Edison (1847-1931) was an American
inventor; he invented the Phonograph in 1887.
A phonograph is a record player that records
and reproduces sounds. He also invented the
Motion Picture Camera, on strips of film the
Motion Picture Camera takes sequences of
photographs.

David Llewelyn Wark Griffith (1875-1948) was
an American pioneering film director. His two
hit films were The Birth of a Nation (1951) and
Intolerance (1916). The 5 years of directing he
had mastered the film form, he had introduced
film techniques such as focusing and having long
shots with the camera to heighten the drama.
In one of his first films Adventures of Dollie(1908)
he had already added his own skills and talents
to it, the film had instinctive narrative fluidity
And symmetry. Griffith started to develop even
more on his film directing as he added ‘eyeline-
matches’, camera distances and flash backs to his
films.

Edwin Stanton Porter (1870-1941) was another
American pioneering film director. He’s famous
for his most important films such as Life of an
American Fireman (1903) and The Great Train
Robbery (1903), he was also known famous as
a director with Thomas Edison’s company. He
used techniques in his films such as overlapping
shots to increase tension, the use of documentary
footage for fictional purposes, different camera
shot angles to catch the movement of the characters
across the screen.

The Matrix

The Matrix is a science-fiction film directed by Larry Wachowski and Larry Wachowski in 1999, which was a big box office hit.
I used Final Cut Pro to edit my trailer; I was given a 10-minute scene from The Matrix. I watched the scene over and over to analyze the clips I wanted to add. I found it easy to cut clips to add to my trailer but it was hard to put them together as it looked unprofessional. I added a few effects such as ‘Dissolve’; this is when the two clips I collect blend in together. I was told that my trailer had to be 1 minute long, so I added as many clips as possible for the trailer to slowly build excitement. I have done this by collecting the most action clips including guns, explosions and fights. I also had to add a soundtrack behind the trailer; it took me a long while to find my particular song. I finally picked Grown Simba- J.Cole as I felt the song had a good beat that would be perfect for the trailer. As I transferred the song to final cut pro I edited the song to match with the action clips. Then finally I added the title towards the end of the trailer, I made it bold with white writing to stand out from the pitch-black background.
Overall I felt the trailer I made was a success, I had good experience with Final Cut Pro as I learnt new skills. In the future I will also be able to use this software and hopefully develop on my skills. If I could improve on my trailer I would have added more effects to build more suspense to the film and also added effects to the title, as it looked too plain.

Early Film Technology

In the United States the first ever film technology was invented, it wasn’t as modern and easy as it is now. The ‘Zoopraxiscope’ or other known as ‘The Wheel Of Life’ was a device that showed moving pictures. Although there were similar inventions The Frenchman Louis Lumiere invented modern motion picture camera in 1985 named the Cinematographe, this was a portable camera that filmed modern motion picture with a projector. Motion picture became very popular since the Cinematographe was invented, also the first ever moving, photographic pictures was presented by The Frenchman Louis Lumiere and his brother. Although the Lumiere brothers invented a successful camera, the Edison Company other known as Charles Francis Jenkins and Thomas Armat also invented an early film projector named the Vitascope. This was the first ever commercial invention also most successfully in the U.S, Charles Francis Jenkins copy writ Phantoscope. Phantoscope projected images via film with big shining light onto the wall or screen.

Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a modern software which was developed by Apple Inc., This is a video editing programme that allows you to add clips of film you have filmed, also you’re able to add music and effects. It includes DV, HDV, P2 MXF, XDCAM and 2K film formats. DV is for recording that you can play back, HDV is a format of high-definition video, P2 MXF is a memory storage. With all these film formats you can create adverts, films to music videos.
Comparing Final Cut Pro and early film technology, Final Cut Pro is defiantly easier to go through if wanting to edit professionally. Also it’s a one person job, with early film technology it seems as if you need a lot of help to just project one moving picture. However without any early film technology Final Cut Pro would not exist to now as it’s the original mind blowing invention. Having to appreciate Final Cut Pro, early film technology  will always be remembered.

Scene Analysis in ‘How To Make It In America‘

How To Make It In America is an American drama with hidden comedy. In particular scenes there are several different shots. For example in this scene when Ben is trying to apologise to his friend Cameron, the camera films from behind Cameron to see Ben’s face expressions, this is called over shoulder shot. Also when seeing Cameron’s reaction the camera films from Ben’s shoulder making it another over shoulder shot. From this the audience are able to see both characters facial expressions and the conversation.

In another scene Ben is walking out to the balcony the camera zooms into his face but from a lower angle, this is called a mid shot with the camera under eye line. From this the audience are able to see Ben’s first expression on his face when he see’s the balcony and his friends.

In another scene when Ben and Cameron are on the balcony, the scenery is shown with the characters in a 1/3 rule. From this the audience are able to see that the party’s carrying on up till early morning, the sky have variety of colours of pink shades. Also they are able to see the characters facial expressions when they see their friends at the party.

In this scene their own brand jeans are zoomed into the camera to show the audience, what it is, this is called a close up shoot.

In the last ever scene of How To Make It In America season 2, it shows whole of Ben’s friends celebrating on the roof with the camera filming the whole lot from a middle shot. Making it seem as if you’re with them as the camera’s on the same level with the characters arms right in the camera.

Film Setup

(Daybreakers)
The Setup: The film starts off with a young girl writing a suicide letter to her family, to the audience it seems as if she is writing a diary. The camera doesn’t film the whole of what she is writing but tiny shots to gradually slowly show the audience it’s a suicide note. As she walks outside to the sunrise she burns with horror, from this the audience can get a sense that there is a twist in the vampire life. Also it shows that there is a similarity with humans and vampires, that they have feelings too.

Then the main character is introduced, Ethan Hawke starts off his night at work with him looking around seeing children smoking which for them is normal as in vampire life they are old. He looks as if he is unhappy as being a vampire, as he walks into work where he works as a doctor who tries to find other solution to blood it shows that blood is running out.
Even though vampires are fiction the film makes it seem realistic, with human blood running out.

The Conflict: The Conflict is unique and unexpected as the vampires are in need of a different solution from blood. Whilst the main character who is a doctor is starting to feel uneasy and unsure for being a vampire coincidently his car crashes into human beings. As the doctor tries to save the human beings from vampire police’ his brother who’s in the force is betrayed.

 The Resolution: As the doctor was researching to find other solutions to blood, the human beings found much better solutions. They have found out how to turn a vampire back into a human, this was from exposing to sunlight, or biting an ex vampire’s neck.

(Silent House)
The Setup-  The film starts off with a teenager walking around her old family’s lake house , Sarah, her uncle and father are all there cleaning the house to sell in the future. With the whole house being pitch black with boarded windows it’s expected for some trouble to happen, the lighting is dark through out the whole film which brings tension.

The Conflict– As Sarah hears a knock on the door an old childhood friend is there, she is confused as she doesn’t remember her. Whilst in the house alone with just her father she hears noises coming from upstairs, as she starts to panic she finds her father deliberately knocked out unconscious. From this point Sarah is freaked out and decides to look for another exit to get help, as she goes to the attic she hears noises and see’s a male figure walking around. As she runs out of the lake house she see’s her uncle driving towards the lake house, she panics and tells him to get help but he refuses and goes back to the house to save his brother.  Whilst Sarah and her uncle are in the lake house it seems they weren’t safe as her uncle out of no where disappears getting hit in the head. Sarah is all alone in the lake house and starts to see all different types of illusions such a man masked up holding little girls hands.

The Resolution- Sarah see’s her old childhood friend in the house explaining to her that she has bad memory of the past, she finds herself having split personalities and wakes up from all her delusions. She also remembers her past, that her father and uncle were pedophiles.

(Men In Black 3)
The Setup
The film begins with one of the most dangerous prisoners in the world escapes , from this the audience can tell there is going to be a mission for Agent J and Agent K. The location changes from space to suddenly back into earth where Agent J and Agent K are seen investigating one of the crime scenes. From this scene seeing Agent J and Agent K together it brings excitement to the audience to see that they are re-united.

The Conflict
Since Boris The Animal is out in the world free he plans to find a time machine to go back in time and kill Agent K. With his plan being successful, out of no where Agent K has suddenly been dead for over 20 years, Agent J confused and finds a way to go back in time to save Agent K. However whilst Agent K is seem to be dead the world becomes in danger with Boris The Animal planning to destroy it. Boris The Animal also goes back in time to the 60’s, meaning there are two Boris The Animals in the time for Agent J to save Agent K.

The Resolution
When Agent J goes back into the 60’s he finds Agent K , Agent K is confused not knowing who he is but after Agent J explains and shows him evidence Agent K is suddenly on board. Agent K also tries to find out why Agent J is who he is in the present. The reason for that is because Agent K’s father who was a Colonel saved Agent J’s life when Boris The Animal was shooting for Agent K. A young boy named James exits the military car looking for his father when Agent K realises the colonel had a son he passes over a watch that was from his father and tells the young boy James that his father was a hero. From Agent J seeing what had happened he is touched and understands why Agent K is how he is in the present.