The Development and Principles of Editing

Unit 16 [Film & Video Editing] Task 1 The Development and Principles of Editing

Development and Principles of Editing Contents Definition of Editing... 2 The History of Editing... 2 Development & Early Editing... 2 Contemporary Editing... 3 Key Individuals... 4 Pioneers... 4 Georges Méliès... 4 D.W. Griffith... 4 Notable Contemporary Editors... 5 Dede Allen... 5 Verna Fields... 5 Anne V. Coates... 5 Dorothy Spencer... 6 Michael Kahn... 6 Thelma Schoonmaker... 6 Key Editing Terms & Techniques... 7 Bibliography... 8 Definition of Editing The Oxford Dictionary describes editing as removing unnecessary or inappropriate material from a text, film, or radio or television programme (Oxford Dictionaries, n.d.). Film editing is further more described as being the activity of selecting scenes to be shown and putting them together, assembling a coherent sequence of images (The Free Dictionary, n.d.). The History of Editing Development & Early Editing Before the advent of editing within film/video production, it was reported that the very earliest filmmakers would avoid splitting images up and put them together in a different order to how they were filmed. At the time they thought that by splicing images into separate parts, this would confuse audiences to what the narrative was trying to convey (infoplease, 2001). Despite this early assumption, filmmakers 2

eventually quickly discovered the benefits that editing could bring, opening up whole load opportunities to be able to tell more complex stories as well as the contributions to the audiences sense of tale. The British 1905 silent film, Rescued by Rover is considered to be one of the earliest films to feature editing techniques. The film had a total budget of the then seven pounds, thirteen shillings and nine pence as was based on the plot of a dog that leads its master in the search for a kidnapped baby. The film was so successful; the director was forced to re-shoot the entire film twice as the first two negatives wore out due to viewing demand (Wikipedia, 2016). The first edited films were often cut in camera rather than the more modern postproduction period in which films are now edited. When cuts were made, the cameraman would simply stop cranking the camera to stop the recording of images. The camera would then be moved where the cameraman would resume cranking in order to continue the filming. Once this was played, it would give the audience in the impression of a cut between shots. Earlier forms of special effects were also developed during the advent of editing, with pioneers like Georges Méliès using the method of cutting images to suggest certain effects. One of Méliès best-known effects included the illusion of objects disappearing on the screen for which is achieved by stopping the camera, moving the objects out of the frame, and then resuming the filming. He would sometimes disguise this transition by staging an explosion in front of the camera in the middle of the effect (EARLYCINEMA.COM, n.d.). After the pioneering developments of Méliès, the early 1900 s also saw the significant cultural changes of filmmaking from the likes of D.W. Griffith who is now commonly known as the inventor of Hollywood (more can be found on Griffith below) (Wikipedia, 2016). It also saw the developments of montage filmmaking thought up by Soviet film director and theorist, Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein (Wikipedia, 2016). Created in the 1920 s, the Soviet montage theory is the technique of using a series of short shots that are edited in a sequence with the aim of reducing the space, time and information that is conveyed within the film. British and American studios for filmmaking have since adopted the technique (Wikipedia, 2016). More contemporary films have now reverted to older methods of reducing the amount of cuts in order to increase realism. Most recently, this included the multi-oscar winning Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) which was filmed with seamless transitions, with cuts being stitched together (No Film School, 2014). Contemporary Editing As with the early development of editing, the technology used to complete the editing of film and video has continued to advance exponentially. Despite this advance in technology, it is becoming more noticeable that contemporary directors want to revert to older techniques, to bring back the style and the ambience of films made in that way. There is also a significant amount of more experienced directors who have chosen to continue with older methods that have grown up with rather than to change over to the new technologies that are consistently been developed. One area of filmmaking that is continuing to divide filmmakers is the continued use of celluloid film and digital cinema. The theme and narrative of a particular film also now plays a significant role in which technology and or methods are used to produce the film, with aspects such as atmosphere, tone and feeling being considered when 3

it comes to shooting style and editing. Many modern films are now edited with digital editing software such as Avid, Final Cut Pro and many, many others. Many contemporary films also have the integration of computer generated imagery and visual effects which are used to enhance the real world footage. This has therefore sees the cooperation between various crew members including the editor, director of photography and visual effects supervisor, to formulate a product that meets continuity principles and is realistic. Key Individuals Pioneers Georges Méliès Georges Méliès was a French filmmaker and illusionist, noted for his contribution to technical developments around special effects within filmmaking. Born in Paris in 1861, Méliès developed a number of technical advanced including substitution splices, multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves and handpainted colour (Wikipedia, 2016). Maskelyne and Cook interested Méliès in illusion-based tricks after visiting London and seeing stage work. Méliès then wanted to go on to create visual effects that would no t be able to be done on a live stage (EARLYCINEMA.COM [II], n.d.). Many of Méliès effects were formulated through trial and error, with Méliès substitution splice being pioneered after making a mistake when filming street traffic. His camera jammed and stopped and when looking at the footage, a man appeared to change into women and an omnibus turned into a hearse. Although there was no evidence to support this idea, Méliès went on to use it within his filmmaking, matching up pieces within his set to create clean match cuts (Wikipedia, 2016). Méliès also pioneered the dissolve cut; the process of editing with a gradual transition between two shots is applied (Wikipedia, 2016). D.W. Griffith David Llewelyn Wark D.W. Griffith also commonly known as the Inventor of Hollywood was one of the biggest filmmaking pioneers of modern film. Griffith has around five hundred films to his name and was responsible for pioneering filmmaking elements such as advanced camera and narrative techniques. His best-known works was the 1915 epic drama, The Birth of a Nation about two families living in the American Civil War and reconstruction era over several years. Griffith started his work in amateur theatre groups before making professional small debut roles. Griffith sold some of his acting scenarios to the Edison Film Company and Biograph Company before featuring in a film made by Edison. When Biograph made an opening for a director, Griffith was hired and went on to make over 400 films for the company in the five years he was with them. During his time at Biograph, Griffith pioneered effects including the close up, scenic long shot, panoramic views and cross cut editing. Cross cutting is the technique of editing scenes from various locations together and intermixing them, giving the 4

audience the impression of separate actions occurring simultaneously. Griffith also made uses of the fade out/fade in editing technique within his work (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015) (bio. [A&E Television Networks], n.d.). Notable Contemporary Editors Dede Allen Dede Allen was an American film editor who was best known for her work on classic films such as The Breakfast Club (1985), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (IMDb, 2016). She was nominated for three Oscars in 1976, 1982 and 2001 and won the 1976 BAFTA for Best Film Editing (IMDb, 2016). Allen is best noted for her trademark uses of slow fade-out and quick cut-in transitions. Allen is also credited with the pioneering of prelaps, a techniques used where the sound of the subsequent scene can be heard before the picture appears on screen. Allen only broke through into the industry at the age of 42 and originally started by editing commercials before moving onto feature films (The Guardian, 2010). Verna Fields Verna Fields was born in St. Louis, Missouri and first began as a sound editor working in television before moving on to film editing in 1960 after being hired by director Irving (IMDb, 2016). During this time, it s also reported the Fields additionally worked on US government documentaries and taught film editing at the University of Southern California (USC) (The New York Times, 1982). While at the USC, Fields went on to teach the likes of Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and George Lucas. In 1967, her former student George Lucas then went to hire her to help edit Journey to the Pacific (1968) before going onto to edit Lucas 1972 film, American Graffiti. The commercial successes of the film lead Fields onto other largescale projects including editing Steven Spielberg s, The Sugerland Express (1974). Fields is best known for her work on another Spielberg classic, his 1975 film Jaws (Wikipedia, 2016). After the release of Jaws, Fields went on to win her first and only Oscar for editing and overnight became one of the best-known editors in film at the time (IMDb, 2016). Anne V. Coates After working extensively as a nurse a t the Sir Archibald McIndoe s plastic surgery hospital, Anne Voase Coates began her work in film, starting as a director for a company called Religious Films before winning a role as an assistant editor at Pinewood Studios (IMDb, 2016). Coates is one of the most highly decorated editors and has consistently been editing films for sixty years and still continuing to do so now. Her first editing credit was on Noel Langley s 1952 film, The Pickwick Papers. A decade later she would win an Oscar for her probably best-known work, editing David Lean s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia. Coates is reported to have edited the thirty-one miles worth of film footage captured during then filming of Laurence of Arabia, which formed the film, which 5

lasted nearly four hours. The film also contains one of the most famous match cuts in film history, a shot described as focusing on actor Peter O Toole transforming to match the desert landscape (Variety, 2015). Along with her 1962 win, Coates has been nominated for four more Oscars for her work on Becket (1964), The Elephant Man (1980), In the Line of Fire (1994) and Out of Sight (1998) (IMDb, 2016). Coates remarkably continues to edit today at the age of 90, with her last credit being for 2015 s Fifty Shades of Grey (IMDb, 2016). Dorothy Spencer Dorothy Spencer was an American film editor who was born in Kentucky in 1909. Spencer s film career spanned over fifty years and includes seventy-five feature film credits to her name. Spencer is best known for her work on American Western films including Stagecoach (1939) and My Darling Clementine (1946). She began in editing after winning a job with Fox, becoming a member of the editorial department. In the 1940 s Spencer worked on Alfred Hitchcock s Foreign Correspondent (1940) and Lifeboat (1944) before working on Cleopatra (1963) and Earthquake (1974) (Wikipedia, 2016). Spencer was nominated for four Oscars including Stagecoach (1939), Decision Before Dawn (1951), Cleopatra (1963) and Earthquake (1974) (IMDb, 2016). She was also one of the first editors to win the American Cinema Editors Career Achievement Award in 1989 (Wikipedia, 2016). Michael Kahn Michael Kahn is one of the best-known editors still working today, having been nominated for eight Oscars and winning three of them for Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Schindler s List (1993) and Saving Private Ryan (1998), making him joint most laureled editor alongside Thelma Schoonmaker (IMDb, 2016). He is best known for his forty-year collaboration with Steven Spielberg, editing all his major feature films since 1977 s Close Encounters of a Third Kind. Their most recent works was on the 2015 spy thriller, Bridge of Spies that marked the duos twenty-fifth collaboration. In an interview with Variety, Kahn is heard describing the key skill for an editor is being able to listen, a skill he often uses in collaboration with Spielberg (Variety, 2015). Previous to 2011, Kahn formally edited with a Moviola (Wikipedia, 2016) before moving onto the digital editing software, Avid for War Horse, which he has used ever since. In an interview with jonnyelwyn.co.uk, Kahn stated his key advice on editing as the following (Jonny Elwyn, 2013): Don t edit for knowledge, edit from feeling. If you never make changes to a cut you will never get to the best cut. Approach every gig like it s the first time you have ever edited anything. Don t bring baggage from previous shows. We put film together, tell the story and give it clarity. Thelma Schoonmaker Thelma Schoonmaker, like Michael Kahn is another film editor often considered as one of the best working today. Born in Algiers, French Algeria, Schoonmaker is mostly known for her continued collaboration with Martin Scorsese who she has edited every film for since his 6

1980 film, Raging Bull. Throughout her career, Schoonmaker has been nominated for seven editing Oscars and has won three for Raging Bull, The Aviator and The Departed (IMDb, 2016). In an interview with The Telegraph, Schoonmaker has cited inspirations including Michael Powell (who she would later marry until his death) and Emeric Pressburger and particularly their films that they maid in the nineteen forties and fifties. Schoonmaker also cites that the invisibility of the film editing room is one reason why women tend to be good at it and that many editors are women as they needed women to splice the film together in the lab. In this statement, she also makes direct reference to the likes of DW Griffith using women in the editing process and Cecil B DeMille s editor being a woman (The Telegraph, 2015). Schoonmaker continues to work with Scorsese on his new and upcoming films with his latest being The Wolf of Wall Street. Key Editing Terms & Techniques SOURCE: (ANNENBERG LEARNER, n.d.) Cut A cut is the transition from one shot to the other where one on screen visual is instantaneously replaced with another. Continuity Editing Editing whose visual narrative flows with each shot without gaps or inconsistencies. This type of editing builds up a sense of story and or chronological order. Cross Cutting Cutting back and forth between two different actions, giving them the impression of it happening simultaneously. Dissolve A gradual scene transition; made by the editor overlapping the end of one shot and the beginning of another. Errors of Continuity Gaps in the flow of a scene, which may lead to placement mistake in terms of actors and or props or narrative inconsistencies. Establishing Shot A shot normally of a wide and long nature, which gives the audience a sense of landscape and geography for where the scene is occurring. Eyeline Match Matching the eye lines between two people in a scene, giving a sense of continuity and flow. Fade A transition type between two shots in which the screen gets darker gradually before the next shot gradually gets brighter on screen. This is usually used to indicate the change in a time or location and or to soften the speed of the film. 7

Final Cut The finished edit of the film, which has been approved by the director, producer and editor. This is the cut in which the audience will see. Iris Visible, on screen circle that closes down towards the centre of the screen at the end of the film and or sequence. Jump Cut A cut that leaves out some of the narrative action and can effect the continuity of the story. Matched Cut A cut that switches between two shots, where the visual on screen elements match helping to establish continuity. Rough Cut The editors first complete pass of all the footage and assembling them together in a loose order. The rough cut is often quite long and requires more cutting polishing up. It is at this stage where scenes are often cut if they believe it to waste time and or not link to the flow of the story. Sequence Shot A long shot that would take up the entire sequence without cutting to another camera or position. Reverse Shot Cutting The term used to describe the cutting between over the shoulder shots during conversations, showing the face of the person speaking. Wipe A bar covers the entire screen from a particular direction and as it passes, all subsequent shots change to the next sequence. Bibliography ANNENBERG LEARNER, n.d. Film Editing Glossary. [Online] Available at: http://www.learner.org/interactives/cinema/editing2.html bio. [A&E Television Networks], n.d. D.W. Griffith Biography. [Online] Available at: http://www.biography.com/people/dw-griffith-9321016#innovativefilming-techniques EARLYCINEMA.COM [II], n.d. Pioneers - Georges Méliès. [Online] Available at: http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/melies_bio.html EARLYCINEMA.COM, n.d. Pioneers - Georges Méliès. [Online] Available at: http://www.earlycinema.com/pioneers/melies_bio.html 8

9 Encyclopedia Britannica, 2015. D.W. Griffith. [Online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/biography/d-w-griffith IMDb, 2016. Anne V. Coates. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167613/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 IMDb, 2016. Anne V. Coates Awards. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0167613/awards?ref_=nm_awd IMDb, 2016. Dede Allen. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0020441/ IMDb, 2016. Dede Allen Awards. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0020441/awards?ref_=nm_awd IMDb, 2016. Dorothy Spencer. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0817929/awards?ref_=nm_awd IMDb, 2016. Michael Kahn. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0434883/ IMDb, 2016. Thelma Schoonmaker - Awards. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774817/awards?ref_=nm_awd IMDb, 2016. Verna Fields. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0276368/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 IMDb, 2016. Verna Fields Awards. [Online] Available at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0276368/awards?ref_=nm_awd infoplease, 2001. Fade In: A Brief History of Editing. [Online] Available at: http://www.infoplease.com/cig/movies-flicks-film/fade-brief-historyediting.html Jonny Elwyn, 2013. Spielberg s Editor Michael Kahn on Editing. [Online] Available at: http://jonnyelwyn.co.uk/film-and-video-editing/spielbergs-editormichael-kahn-on-editing/ No Film School, 2014. How 'Birdman' Was Made to Look Like It Was Shot in One Take. [Online] Available at: http://nofilmschool.com/2014/11/how-birdman-was-made-to-looklike-film-shot-in-one-take Oxford Dictionaries, n.d. edit. [Online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/edit?q=editing

10 The Free Dictionary, n.d. film editing. [Online] Available at: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/film+editing The Guardian, 2010. Dede Allen obituary. [Online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/apr/28/dede-allen-obituary The New York Times, 1982. Verna Fields, 64, Film Editor Who Won an Oscar for 'Jaws'. [Online] Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/03/obituaries/verna-fields-64-filmeditor-who-won-an-oscar-for-jaws.html The Telegraph, 2015. Thelma Schoonmaker interview: 'I wanted to kill myself'. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/the-tales-of-hoffman/thelmaschoonmaker-interview/ Variety, 2015. Editor Michael Kahn on Bridge of Spies and Four Decades of Steven Spielberg Magic. [Online] Available at: http://variety.com/2015/artisans/in-contention/bridge-of-spies-editormichael-kahn-steven-spielberg-1201657009/ Variety, 2015. L.A. Film Critics to Honor Editor Anne V. Coates. [Online] Available at: http://variety.com/2015/film/news/anne-v-coates-los-angeles-filmcritics-1201615395/ Wikipedia, 2016. D. W. Griffith. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/d._w._griffith Wikipedia, 2016. Dissolve (filmmaking). [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dissolve_(filmmaking) Wikipedia, 2016. Dorothy Spencer. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/dorothy_spencer Wikipedia, 2016. Georges Méliès. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/georges_m%c3%a9li%c3%a8s Wikipedia, 2016. Montage (filmmaking). [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/montage_(filmmaking) Wikipedia, 2016. Moviola. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/moviola Wikipedia, 2016. Rescued by Rover. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rescued_by_rover

11 Wikipedia, 2016. Sergei Eisenstein. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sergei_eisenstein Wikipedia, 2016. Substitution splice. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/substitution_splice Wikipedia, 2016. Verna Fields. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/verna_fields