Task 3: Be Able to Edit Moving Image Material. 

By Callum Taylor. 

There are process of editing is often slow and complicated. Using all of the different kinds of software can make it difficult to actually edit. This along with all of the orginisational tasks which need to be carried out to ensure that all of the footage is accounted for to make sure the finished product is able to draw from any of the orignal footage in order to make a good moving image product.

Editing Technology: There are many different kinds of technology which are used in editing moving images and many different terms which are used in editing.

Software: There are many different kinds of software applications which are used in editing. These programs are editing programs which are installed onto computers which allow people to edit their footage.

Hardware: There are many different kinds of hardware which can be used in editing. It might be a computer piece which is designed to be used in a editing computer of it could be a piece of equipment used to aid in the editing of footage. These pieces of equipment could include consoles and tools to help the editor.

Non-Linear: Non Linear editing is a kind of editing which is the most popular kind of editing in use today. The footage isn't all in sequence and edits don't have to happen in sequence. Hence why it is called non-linear not linear editing. Non Linear editing suits usually contain a computer with more than one screen in order to take advantage of the common editing softwares like AVID, Song Vegas and FinalCut with consoles to give the editor greater control over the picture and sound and speakers.

Linear Editing: Linear editing is different to non-linear editing in one major way. When editing in a linear fashion the order of all the shots has already been decided and all the editor has to do is put them together. This is different to non-linear where the editior has much more power. A linear editing setup is similar to a non-linear setup. The most common current usage is in live television. This is mostly done because you can't afford any mess ups.

High Definition & Standard Definition: High definition is a term which is used to describe the quality of images. the resolution of the image is higher, meaning that there are more pixels per square inch than in a standard definition picture. The higher number of pixels per square inch means that image is clearer as seen in this image here.

Tapes: Tape (Magnetic Tape) is used to record audio and video. This format is one that is becoming less and less popular for many reasons. The first of these is that each reel of tape can take up a lot of space. Even small tape takes up more scace than a memory card. It is also easy to damage if mis-handled. This can lead to it becoming expensive, a problem which is being made worse by the fact that it is becoming increasingly more expensive to use tape because of the rise of digital technology. You can digitise the footage or audio which take away the storage problem and means that you have a backup of the tape but it would be easier, cheaper and quicker to just record digitally.

Hard Disk: Hard disks are the most common way to store information today. This is because of the amount of footage you can get on a hard disk and the small amount of space that they take up. There are a number of reasons why using hard disks is becoming a ever increasingly more popular method of storing information and one of them is that hard disks are becoming cheaper and the amount of space on hard disks is becoming even larger. They can be damaged relativly easily though which is one of the few draw backs of using hard disks which is why most people will back up everything in case the worst happens.

Data Transfer Rates: The data transfer rate is how fast data can travel from one thing to another, like a external hardrive to the computer. In the editing world the higher the data transfer rate is the better simply because of the size of the files that can be needed and you don't want to be waiting for days for your footage to import into the editing software. Transfer rates are measured in units or measurement per second so for example 1kbps or 1tbps so kilobite per second or terrabite per second.

Exporting Productions: Is an important part of the editing process because this is how you get your production from the editing software out of the editing software. The process of exporting can take a long time and there a number of things which are important when exporting the production. One of them is to render the production to make sure that all edits and effects are as seamless and well done as possible because an un rendered image isn't going to look as good as a rendered one. Another is the file type that you export the file in.

File Types: There are a number of different reasons why the type of file used in editing is important. One of them is that some file types aren't compatible with all programs. This could lead to potential problems when it comes to viewing your product because if you can't open it you can't watch it. Another is that some files are better quality. This is due to the compression of the file which I will talk about in a minute.

.MOV: .MOV is a file extension which is one of the most common. One of the reasons for this is because it is compatible with both winndows and mac operating systems. It can store all of the information needed when making videos because it stores video audio and timecodes. This is why it is popular. It can also be converted easily.

.AVI: Avi is a very common file for the editing industry because it compresses the file less than other file types meaning that the quality of the footage is better. It can be played by a lot of different programs which is another reason why it is kind of the most popular file extension for the media industry and it can be played over all of the main operating systems.

.FLV: One of the reasons why FLV is a popular file extension is that it contains all of the information you might need. This includes metadata. It less common then AVI but it is still used occasionally and is supported across some programs and all the main operating systems.

Compression:  Compression is the process of crompressing a file to make it take up less space. The file is squeezed into a smaller file which can be incredibly helpful when downloading or importing large files which will take a long time or storing large files if you don't have that much space. The problem with compressing files is that every time the file is compressed and decompressed the quality of the file goes down. This can be a problem if you need to compress and decompress files a lot.

Editing Process:  The process of editing is a slow and arduous one at times, it requires a great level of attention to detail and a lot of patience. However it is a very rewarding process which requires a knowledge of editing tchniques and terminology in order to get the best from it.

Seamless: Seamless editing is the process of editing which is designed not to be noticed. IT is important that the edits aren't seen because if they are seen it will distract the audience from the video. This process first came into the world in Russia with films like Battleship Potemkin being early users of this techniques of editing.

Continuity Editing:  Continuity Editing is a similar process of editing in that you don't want to notice it but it encompasses all of the most common editing techniques in order to acheive the sequence of shots full of techniques to keep the focus on the story rather than on the edits.

Motivated Edit:  A motivated edit is a edit which is noticable. It is almost impossible not to have to use motivated edits in a production because they are important at times. One example of a motivated edit is when a character reacts to something. The editor will usually cut to the thing that is being reacted to. This is a noticeable cut. One that will make the audience aware of the edit.

In my advert at 25 seconds there is a motivated edit. It goes from a shot of the bottle being pulled from the pocket to a point of view shot of the bottle. This is a noticeable cut and it is a good example of motivated edits. 

Montage: A montage is a sequence of shots placed in a generally fast pace in order to tell a story in a shorter amount of time. Or it is just a sequence of shots to give a specific feeling.

In my music video at 2:22 there is an example of a montage. The guy is thinking about his lost love and as the song hits its climax there is a montage of the flashbacks that he had had during the video and it kind of feels like a highlight reel of the music video.

Jump-Cutting: A Jump cut is a very noticable cut which doesn't really fit in with coninuity editing because it is jarring but is often used to show a passing of time or to show movement. An example of why this might be used is if someone has to walk across a field. The editor will cut when the person walks to show them further a long then again to show they have moved more until the person has walked across the field. This is used to save time mostly although it can be used for other reasons.

Parallel Editing: Parallel Editing is the techniqu of cutting between two scenes which are happening at the same time. This is most often done with phone calls however it can be used to heighten tension on a chase scene or in a horror movie.

The "Baptism of Blood" scene in The Godfather is one of the most famous examples of parallel editing.

Transistions: Transitions are the way to transistion between different shots and there are many different kinds of transitions.

Cut: A cut is the actual process of cutting between two shots. The term comes from the early days of editing when pieces of film would bneed to be physically cut in order to splice them together.

Dissolve: A dissolve is when one shot dissolves into another shot. This can be done for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons is to show a passing of time although this isn't the only reason. For example in my music video at 16 seconds in there is a dissolves from one shot to another.

This was done to show that he was thinking of the girl. At the end of the video at 2:41 I used the shots in the other order to make the girl dissapear. showing that she is gone and there isn't a lot that he can do about it.

Fade: A fade is when one shot fades into another. One of the most common techniques in using fades is to fade to black. However in my music video at 25 seconds (and multiple other points) I used a fade to fade to white. This was done to show the transistion from the guy playing guitar to his flashbacks. It is faily common practice to fade to white when showing flashbacks or flashforwards because it makes it clear that there is a transition. It also adds to the "flash" in flash back because a white screen is flashed on the screen.

Wipe: A wipe is used to show a transition where a wipe is physically seen going across the screen.

Conventions: Conventions are the process and ideas which are commonly used in editing.

Cutaways: There are a number of different ways to use a cutaway. One might be to cut away to show a rection of a person and another might be to cut away to a seemingly random thing. One example of the latter is Family Guy where they constantly cut away to jokes which seem random sometimes.

Cutting on Action: Cutting on Action is the process of cutting to action to show action during action. It doesn't have to be a huge chase seen it could be something as simple as showing someone who is playing guitar in a mid shot and then cutting to a close up of the persons hand forming the chords on the strings of the guitar like in my advert at 1:36.

Creating Juxtapositions: One way to create meaning or feeling in a video is to juxtapose one image with another. This could be used as a way to make people feel something they wouldn't uually feel about something by juxtaposing it with something else.

Intercutting: You can use intercutting in many different ways when editing. It is simply cutting between different things which are usually happening in different places but are happening at the same time. People might use intercutting for different reasons however it is mostly to heighten the drama of the scene. As in this clip;

Pace Effectively: Creating andd controlling the pace is an important part of the editing process. If the pace of the product is too fast for the story then it will feel wrong as it would if the pace was too slow. In my music video i had to make sure the pacing was right for the song because in a music video it would be even more distracting this is why I tried to cut to the beat as often as possible and make sure it doesn't feel too fast. Towards the end when the song hits the climax I sped up a little because the song called for it.

Convey Information Effectively: It is important that when conveying information through editing that It is clear and effectivley done. There are examples of this in both my music video and my advert. In the music video I used dissolves to make the girl appear and disappear from the video. I did this to show that she isn't realsly there and that he is thinking about her and that the song is about her so at the begining of the video she appears and at the end of the video she goes away throughout the video you see more evidence that the girl in the video is from a relationship that has ended through the use of flashbacks. In the advert I simply used idents and well timed cuts to portray that the drink gives you energy and warmth to carry on running.

Use Sound to Create Impact: Using sound is one way to create immpact. One of the most common usages of this technique is in horror films and the use of jump scares. In a scene there will be tension createdd by a lack of music or tense music. The editing will slow down and right when you are not expecting it something will pop up on the screen and thee will be a loud noise. This is a easy way to scare people and is a very effective use of sound to create impact.

Synchronise Sound & Vision: One of the thoughest parts of creating a music video in which a person is seen singing and playing an instrument is syncing the sound to the video. This is a process which can take a long time to do and requires a lot of  patience. When syncing most other sound and video it can be easier because of the use of clapper boards. The clapper board is held in frame for a few seconds with information about the shot on it and then the clapper is smacked down creating a loud sharp noise which is picked up by microphones. This is done so the editor can use the visual of the clapperboard and the sound of the clapper board to sync the video and audio.

Mix Soundtracks: Soundtrack are never one piece of audio and because of this all of the individual pieces of audio have to be mixed to make sure that the soudntrack is good. If anything is too loud or quiet or two many things are happening at the same time it can ruin a product which is why it is important to mix the soundtrack effectively.

Overlap Sound: Overlapping sound is an important part of mixing audio becasue in order to create a lifelike and dramatic sound tracck it is important to overlap sound because it adds texture to the soundtrack and this is oone of the most important things to do. Using programs like avid allows you to have many different time lines for both audio and visual and this is how you overlap sound by building soundtrack of multiple levels.

Offline Editing: Offline editing is the process of editing footage without changing the original footage. This is done by coping the orignal footage and editing it. This is one of the first stages of post production and is done before the footage is put into an editing system to be made into the final product.

Online Editing:  Online editing is what is done in the latter part of post production where the footage is edited using programs and orginized into the final cut of the edit. It is now done through specially designed programs which are used. Like AVID.

Post-Production Tools: There are many different tools which are used in post production which make a simple production into a finished production. All of these things can be done in order to add something extra to a production.

On Screen Text: On screen text (or idents) are things which are often used to help get more information to the audience then would be possible any other way. On of the most common uses of this is to set a scene. Often you will have an establishing shot and then the date and location will appear on the screen to tell the audience the loaction and date the scene is taking place in. This is done so that there doesn't have to be to much expositional dialogue in the scene. I used on screen text in my advert to show tell what the drink does because it wasn't as clear as I would have like it to be in the footage. They appear on screen at 34 seconds.

Image editing: One of the best things about mordern editing software is the ability to use the software to edit the footage. This might be because there is something at the edge of the shot which shouldn't be there. You can crop the image to make the thing that is distracting go away. Another way in which the image can be edited is colour correction. It might be that you want a slightly blue hue to the footage to add a sense of coldness or sadness to a scene so you can use software to change the hue or edit the colours in a scene to add a different feeling to it.

Audio Editing:  Much in the same way that images can be edited sometime it is important to edit audio. The audio might be too long, too loud or there might be some slight reverb and using different kinds of software you can fix little problems. You can also isolate certain bits of audio and change them or remove them. This is an imprtant part of crafting a soundtrack and can be done in many different ways.

Task 2 - Be Able to Prepare Moving Image Material for Editing. 

By Callum Taylor. 

It is always important to prepare for editing. If you don't prepare for the editing then there will inevitably be problems. From lost footage to simply getting confused there are a number of different ways to prepare.

One of the things which will be created in order to prepare not only for the shoot but for the editing as well is a shooting script. The shooting script is a document which contains a list of the shots, where they are taking place and what happens in the shot. This is helpful for an editor because it numbers the shots helping the editor orginize them.

 Here is a part of the shooting script which I made for the shoot of the advert. It contains information which was used during the shoot of the advert. However the final advert is different to the shooting script. However this was how the advert was first planned by me.

One of the ways in which you can prepare to edit is to create story boards. Story boards are something which is made in pre-production and is a simple planning of shots in the order in which they will be presentedd so that when shooting the director can easily and quickly frame and prepare shots and so the editor has a basic over view of what is wanted before creating a story. Here is an example of a story board which was made in class. Not all story boards have to be done which photos, actually most aren't but it shows the main parts of a story board. The image, shot number and a description of what is happening in the shot.


When shooting it is important to slate your shots using a clapperboard. The clapper board is used to make sure that the editor knows which shot they are looking at and it is also used to help sync audio and video.

As well as using the clapper board it is also good practice to keep a log of all the shots you have made and which ones will be imported into the editing software. One of the reasons why this is done is to cut done on the time it takes to import the footage into the software and it also means that yoou won't have to sift through loads of useless footage which you won't ever use.

Preparation Techniques: There are many different ways in which you can prepare your footage for editing. All of them have their importance and if done correcctly they will help make the footage easier to edit.

Checking Materials for Faults:  One of the main reasons why this step is so important to do is so you are sure that all of the footage you import into the editing softwware is usuable. One of things you don't want to happen is to realize that some of your shots are unuseable because of something that is in them or something that went wrong. You don't want to spend a whole day shooting only to realise that nothing recorded. Checking for faults is a vital part of the shooting process and if you do it well it will make the editing process so much easier because yohu won't have to work around poor or ruined footage when editing.

Synchronising Rushes:  This is an important thing to do when using a different recording device and a different camera. Using a clapper board is one way to sync the audio and video and without it it will be hard to sync the audio and video. An example of this is the editing of my music video where the song track and footage weren't recorded at the same time which cause me problems when I was trying to sync the song to the footage.

Producing a Rushes log:  Producing a log of rushes is an important part of the preperation for editing. In order to keep track of all the shots and all of the footage it is good to keep a log of all of them.

Marking up a script: Marking up a script is a good thing to do as an editor as it can help speed up the edit. By writing little prompts and thoughts on the script about how the edit is planned to be carried out it can make it easier and quicker to get the editing done.

Labelling Tapes: When dealing with a lot of tapes, or storage devices it can be useful to label each of them just to keep track of what footage is on what tape. Doing this will cut down of loses of footage and make it easier to import the footage as you will know what is one each tape beforee importing it. This way you can prioritze what is being imported.

Storing Tape or Film: If you don't want to lose any footage it is good to know how to properly store them. Tapes, film and digital footage can all be damage or lost. If improperly stored lots of things could happen and each of them could be disastorous for the production. Without the knowledge you are asking for trouble.

Producing an edit decision list: This is when the editor and director will sit down and talk about how the edit should end up looking and what they will edit first. This can be called a paper edit and it is a simple outline of what the director and the editor want the finished product to be like. Doing this can make the editing simpler and easier to carry out.

Creating Bins: The term bin comes from the old days of editing when film was stored in bins and the piece of film needed was taken from the bin. In editing software they keep the principle of this and allow you to create bins, which are like folders, to store different footage. So you could have a bin for footage from one location or from one scene and a bon for different bits of audio, like the dialogue or the music. This is a way to organise all of the footage to make it easier to find a certain shot. It means that you don't have to spend hours sifting through all your footage to find one specific shot.

Clarifying the purpose of the work with a client or director.: Usually when an editor is hired they will be given a brief of what the director or client want from the edit. This is how the editor knows hw to edit but it is important to get a clear view of what is wanted before the editing process starts. This is because you don't want to waste time editing footage only to finnd out you have to do it again because you haven't done what was wanted. When we were creating our music video we sat doown a number of times with the artist to discuss what he wanted to music video to be and this is made the editing process easier because we knew what was wanted.

Importing Clips: Before you start editing the first thing you will need to do is important all of the footage that you need to into the editing software. It is important to import what you need because if you import too much then it will take too long.

Bins: As I explained before bins are where you store and orginise the footage in the editing software. The use of bins is vital because without using them you will get confused easily and might loose track of someting important. You can orginse your bins in a number of different ways and it is important to do it in a way you can understand.

Timelines: Timelines are where the footage and audio are placed in a sequence in AVID. You can create new ones and when putting together a scene you assemble the shots on the timeline. The time line. Controlling the time line and keeping track of them is important because if you want to make sure the product looks good and sounds good. Using the timeline is an important skill to have when editing because the more control you have the better you will be able to edit.

 Storage and folder management: It is important to manage the storage of your footage. If you don't you run the risk of losing some of the footage and this could spell problems if you lose something that is vital. In the professional world this could lead to a reshoot which will cost a lot and push back the schedule. This could result in you having a hard time getting another job after. The Management of each folder is something which should always be done because it just makes things easier.

Formats: Formats are an important part of editing for many reasons. Some formats will take up more space, some will not be able to open in your editing software and some might not be the best quality. This is why it is important for an editior to know what formats best suite their situation.

Resolution:  Resolution refers to the quality of an image. The higher the resolution the bestter quality the image. This is important for an editor to know because without knowing the resolutions you might end up with poor looking footage. In digital video the higher the number of pixels per square inch means that the image will be better looking because there can be more detail and more clarity to the image. This is why you have HD and SD (High Definition and Standard Definition) The problem with better resolution is that generally the higher the resolution the larger the file will be.






 

Task 1: Understand the development and principals of editing.

By Callum Taylor.

Editing is one of the most important jobs in the film industry. Not only do editors put the film together in a way that allows the story to be told but they also use different techniques and conventions to get across points that might not have been clear. An editor can change the look, pacing, writing, direction and tone of the film as well as many other things. Film editors are the unsung heroes of cinema and this blog will show an understanding of editing.

The Development of Editing. 

In Camera Editing:  The first video camera was invented in 1888. Soon after that people began to use it to make "films" for audiences. The Lumière Brothers are credtited with creating the first true films, screened for audiences. In the early days of cinema in camera editing was often used for a few reasons. One the process of editing, much like the camera itself was in it's most primordial form. With no digital software and limited knowledge of edting manually early film makers would often use in-camrera editing to create a story. In-Camera editing is the process of using the camera to create all of the shots. This is done by filming one shot, then another shot and another in sequence until the film is complete. This can lower the cost of production, especially in more modern times, in post-production. Obviously because all of the film is captured in sequence on the camera it negates the reason to edit the film in the traditional ways. The biggest drawback of the style of film making is that it requires much more planning and rehersal than a normal film does. This may increase the cost of pre-production.

This video, filmed using a Super 8 camera, showcases in camera editing. In camera editing was used a lot by amateur film makers using Super 8 cameras to make films. There have been cases where well known and succesful director have used in camera editing to create films arguably the most notable case of this is Alfred Hitchcock's Rope (1948) In which he uses the camera and the stage like set up of the set to uses the minimal amount of cuts possible.

This video shows how Alfred Hitchcock hid the few edits in Rope using in-camera editing.

Following the Action: There are many different ways in which films follow the action. One way is the use of a dolly. A dolly is a camera placed on a traack which can be moved around smoothly and with pace in order to capture the action.

Another way is to use multiple cameras (or shots) to show the action from many different places. This is a good way to capture the emotion of a lot of characters when witnessing an event. This would then be put together in post production to follow the action of the scene.

This video shows to examples of following the action. A simple onem with one shot that shows somebody walking and a more elaborate one featuring a huge car chase and how the shots show the action from various vantage points.

Multiple points of view: Multiple points of view is a techniques of editing which is used to show a scene from the points of view of many different characters. This is commonly used in shot out sequences. It can also be used for many different purposes as this video shows .

Shot variation: Is an important part of film making. It is the use of multiple kinds of shots i.e long, medium, close up and many, many more. It is important to vary shots or the film may become boring or predictable. This is why directors often shot scenes with various shots and the editor will put them together in a way that both the editor and the director agree is suitable.

This clip of Equilibrium showcases the use of shot variation.

Manipulation of Diegetic Time and Space:  This is the techniques of using the editing process to show a large, or small, period of time in a way that doesn't make it feel as though a long time has passed. One of the most common examples of this is the "training montage", a staple of sports movies and under dog movies in which someone goes from an amateur to a pro at what they are training in. This is done to show that a long period of time has gone by without actually having to last a long time. There are countless examples of this in film history. Another example is the use of non-linear story telling, for example Pulp Fiction. You can use non-linear editing as a tool to tell a story that involves a lot of characters experiencing inter connected stories, like in Pulp Fiction. Non-linear story telling is not telling the story in sequence.

This example of a training montage is from Rocky 4 and is one of the most famous training montages and the most famous training montage from the Rocky saga.

This comical portayal of a montage from the film Team America contains a song which explains the film montage in quite a conscise and funny way.
  D.W Griffith was one of the first people to use and unndertand the concept of manipulating time and space in order to tell a story. He was one of the first filmakers to realise that every minute detail of plot didn't have to be filmed in order for the film to make sense.

The Development of editing (Analouge, Digital): Until fairly recently all film were edited using analouge technology. This would involves physically cutitng the film and connecting it to the other pieces of film in order to tell the story.

This is the equipment that would have been typically used until recent times to edit films (Without the tv's obviously) orginally projectors would have been used for the editors to see the cuts as they would be going along. This process is resposible for a lot of the terminology of modern editing. For example, Cut. A cut is called a cut because in the days of editing before digital editing came around film would literally be cut before being connected to another. Bin is another example. A bin was a thing which stored all of the film which the editor would then use. Splice is another example. Splicing is the processing of connecting one piece of another. The process of manual, analogue editing was a slow and time consuming one, with little margin for error. This caused films to take along time to be put together. One of the biggest crimes of the film industry is the lack of crdit given to the early film editors who were in many ways the most talented people in the film industry but weren't given the same amount of respect as the actors, writers and directors by the general public and in many cases by the film industry itself.

Because of the legnth of time it took to edit a film using analogue technology digital editing software was developed to be used on computers to cut down on time and complication in the editing world. This software allowed editors many things which were either unavailable to editors before or were extremely time consuming. No longer would editors have to physically cut film they could use the software to do it. It also allowed for mistakes to be corrected. It is much simpler to correct a mistake in a computer than it was when using physical film. The use of digital (non-linear editing) software revolutionised the way films were edited. It also made it easier for amateur film makers to edit film as it wasn't such an art that required a lot of experience. It also allows editors to correct colour, crop shots and remoove mistakes in the actual footage which is something that wasn't available to analogue editors.

The Purposes of Editing

Story Telling: The biggest purpose of editing it Story Telling. The process of editing is one of the most important parts of story telling in films. In many ways it is the final rewrite of the script. An example of how important editing is to the creation of films is the film  Blade Runner. The original cut and the directors cut are very different in tone and themes. The film was re cut and re released then 25 years after the original release the film was re cut, re mastered and re-re released to much success and it has a different feel to the orignal cut.

Engaging the viewer: Engaging the Viewer is one of the most important purposes of editing. With the audience being engaged it is hard to enjoy the film, to understand the plot and to sell tickets. Unless the audience is engaged the film won't perform well. Editing is one of the ways to engage a viewer and in many ways it is the most important. It doesn't matter if the film is written and directed perfectly if the editing is bad it will disengage the viewer and make it hard to focus on the story.

Development of Drama: One of the purposes of editing is the development of drama. Without developing the story or the drama of the scene the audience won't care about what is happening. There are many ways of doing this. The shot variation, pacing, music, colouring, and length of shots can be used to create certain feelings in an audience.

Relationship to Genre:  Editing and the conventions of editing change from genre to genre. Editing can be used to create certain emotions in people. This is why certain genres often use different styles of editing. For example westerns often use quick cuts, shots variation and dramatic music to create tension, especially in shoot out sequences.

This example from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly showcases typical Western editing. The editing in this scene is used to create tension and to highlight the fear, anticipation and near excitment of the characters in the scene. This a classic example of genre specific editing.

This scene from the third Exorcist film is a classic example of horror editing. The first shot is held for a long time. This makes it uncomfortable. There is no music, only diegetic sounds which also make it uncomfortable and tense because there is no music telling the audience what to feel. It also features the classic horror movie jump scare. This is achieved through a quick cut and a music spike.

 Creating Motivation: Editors have to create motivation for their choice of shots.Through the selection of shots, transitions and speed the audience will know how to feel about the action that is being on the shown on the screen. This is so important in making films because if the audience don't know how to feel about what is happening they won't become invested in the story. It is important to film to make sure that the editing is done well and influences and manipulates the audiences emotions without being obvious.

This clip from the movie Casablanca shows how editing shows how editing can be used to create emotion, because it isn't clear how the scene is going to conclude it is easy to manipulate the emotions of the audience. Through close ups, zooms and the music it creates tension and emotion that emerses the audience in the action.

Combinging Shots into Sequences: Is the editorial process of taking all of the shots and putting them together in order to tell a story. The better done this is the less noticable it will be to the audience unless it specifically designed to be noticed. The purpose of this is to combine all of the shots into a cohesive sequence that an audience can watch.

Creating Pace: Creating and controlling the pace of a film is an important job of an editor. The pace dictates the amount of imformation that can be conveyed to the audience. This is why large action sequences are often fast paced because in general there isn't a lot of expositional information which needs to be portrayed. Where as a scene which contains a lot of important information will often be slower in pace to allow all of the information to be conveyed.

Conventions and Techniques  

Seamless Editing: Seamless editing is the process of cutting together two pieces of film without making it obvious that a cut has happened. This is used to create the illusion that it is seamless. It allows audience members to become more engrossed in the film without being distracted by hard, noticable edits.

Continuity Editing: This is a kind of editing in which extra care is taken to spot errors in the continuity. This stops the audience from being distracted and helps to keep the story engaging. It is important because films are mostly shot out of sequence and it is easy for continuity mistakes to sneak into films. This is why it is important to make sure that they are taken out.

Montage: Montage is a useful editing techniques in whihc many short shots are placed in a quick sequences. This is often done to create a certain emotional resonance in an audience or to show a lot of things happening in a short amount of time, I.E a training montage in a sports movie.

Jump Cut: Jump Cutting is an editing technique which is used to cut action out of a scene. This may be done to shorten the length of time an action takes or to create a sense of a lack of continuity or a choppy feeling.

Cross Cutting/Parallel Editing: This is a kind of editing which allows the editor to jump back and forth between two scenes. This is often used during phone conversations or used to build tension in a scene where someone is being chased etc...It shows that the two scenes are happening at the same time.

180 Degree Rule:  The 180 degree rule states that when shooting it is important that the camera never goes more than 180 degrees during a scene because if it does it the things inside of the shot will appear as though they are on the opposite side of the shot. This will cause confusion and be detract from the scene.

This picture shows what the 180 degree rule is and why it is important. As is seen in the shots from camera's 1,2 and 3 the man in the shot is one the right hand side of the frame and the woman is on the left but in the shot from camera X the woman is on the right and the man is on the left. If the director cut from camera 2 to camera 3 then to camera 1 and back to camera 2 there would not be any problems with the finished scene but if the director was to cut from camera 1 to camera x the man and woman would be on opposite side of the frame giving the illusion that they had swapped places. This would be very confusing for people watching the scene.

Splicing: Splicing is a techniques used both in analouge and digital editing. In analouge editing it is the process of sticking two cuts together. In digital editing it is the process of "splicing" one shot inbetween two others. This is how films were made before digital technology became the norm in the editing world.

Transitions:  A transition is how one shot moves to the next and there are many different kinds of transition.

Cut: A kind of transition which instantly replaces one shot with another. This is the most common of transitions in editing.

Dissolve: This is another kind of transition commonly used in editing. Unlike the cut, this is where one shot slowly overlaps the other. Creating a dissolving effect.

Fade: Another transitional piece of editing. This is similar to a dissolve except instead of dissolving to the next shot it fades to a blank shot ( usually black) after a brief period of this blank screen the shot fades into another shot. Sometimes used to imply a change in time and/or place.  

Wipe: A transitional edit in which a visible 'wipe' is seen. Usually a bar which slides across the screen.

 Cutaways: Cutaways are used in editing to add meaning and context to a scene from not only focusing on the main part of a scene. This could be cutting away to reactions or parralell editing.

Point of View Shot:  A point of view shot is a shot from the point of view of a character. This is used to make sure the audience is seeing what the character is seeing.

Shot Reverse Shot Cutting: Usually used in conversation scenes. The cuts will go back and forth between shots of the people talking, usually over the shoulder shots.

Providing and Withholding Information: This is the technique used by editors to tell the story. If it is important for the audience to know something that the character doesn't know then this can be acheived through editing. It can also be done in the opposite way. It makes the story more enthralling and makes the audience ask question. An example of this is in this short film at 7:05 minutes in

Because the guy turns around he doesn't see that the girl he likes pushes the guy who kissed her away, but we do. This is important to the story of this short film.

Editing Rhythm: This is a vital part of editing. The Rhythm of the editing is important to the scene. If the scene is a big full on action sequence then the edits need to be quick. Where as if it is a emotional, nuanced scene then the edits should be slow. If this isn't done for it may feel wrong, unless it is done deliberatly for a specific reason.

Cutting to Soundtrack: This is when the cuts are cut to follow the ryhthm and beat of a soundtrack. This is most often found in music videos where if the video isn't cut to the soundtrack it may become distracting. It is also used in film, especially in musicals and in dramatic scenes.