introduction to the art and aesthetics of film
TRANSCRIPT
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Introduction to the Art and Aesthetics of Film & Television
Editing
A film is made twice, once on the writing table and the other on theediting table. Editing as an art has come a long way from tape
splicing to non-linear editing where-in you can retrieve and edit
instantly any frame in a video clip without modifying the source files.
Non-linear editing systems are not only user-friendly interfaces but
are cost effective as well.
Film and Video Formats
The course explains the different workflows of film and video formatsin detail. Celluloid film is an optically acquired image, while video is
an electronically generated image. Interestingly, video technology is
now at a point of great convergence with celluloid, with the
emergence of HDTV, DI processes, 2K, 4K & 6K formats. Nowadays,
a deep technical understanding of both these formats is an absolute
must for an Editor
Visual Literacy
Cinema is primarily a visual medium. It is not possible to work in a
visual medium without being visually literate. A deep knowledge of art
history, elements of visual design, principles of visual composition,
colour theory, the art of visual storytelling and current stylistic trends
is necessary for an Editor. At Digital Academy-The Film School, we
strive to give detailed inputs about all aspects of visual literacy.
Continuity
The knowledge of continuity is as necessary for an Editor as the
knowledge of grammar is necessary for a Writer. Continuity
constitutes the very heart of film knowledge. It is the knowledge that
allows Film Makers to weave visually distinct shots into a seamless
continuum of time and space. Using well-known codes and
conventions of pictorial language, a credible world of reality is
created by the principles of positional, directional and relational
continuity. Even those who want to break free from such codes and
conventions must possess the knowledge of what they are breaking
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free from. Continuity knowledge is not only a matter of spatial &
temporal organization but also constitutes a deep stylistic
understanding of the film medium.
Narrative Structure
A story is any sequence of events with a beginning middle & end
not necessarily in that order. What makes a story work is more often
than not its structure. Understanding structure means understanding
the parts of the whole and understanding how the parts relate to
each other. Like any well-designed construction, it is important to
work carefully on the ratio, proportion & placement of the various
parts of a story to finally make a good narrative. We consider
structural thinking to be germane to the making of a good editorialmind and give deep insights into the mechanics of both linear & non-
linear narrative structures.
Editing Different Genres
The aesthetic requirements of the various genres & types of
audiovisual media are quite different from each other. The aesthetics
of long fiction narrative is different from short fiction narrative, which
in turn is different from documentaries or advertisements or corporatefilms or daily soaps. There are various genres and cross-genre
conventions and then there are ways to break those conventions.
The main thing is to develop a mind that is flexible and agile enough
to adapt to the various aesthetic requirements of the job at hand. We
insist on the ability of Editors to understand the subtle shifts of styles
in various formats of Film Making and excel in all formats.
Introduction to Sound Track Design & Mixing
Sound track design & mixing in present times is as much an Editor's
job as it is of a specialized Sound Recordist. Most modern editing
systems are nowadays equipped with sophisticated sound
processors to enable Editors to generate professional sound tracks
and mixes. An Editor must therefore understand both technically and
aesthetically the requirements of sound track design and mixing. All
four components of audio track design - dialogue, sync effects, non-
sync effects, and music must be understood independently and then
together as part of the overall image making process of Cinema.
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PROJECTS.
P1. Continuity Exercises:
a). The aim of our carefully graded continuity exercises is to givestudents a clear idea of how discreet shots can be joined together to
create a feeling of real time and real space. Exercises are divided to
deal specifically with positional, relational and directional continuity,
both for intra cutting and inter cutting situations. Emphasis is also
given to time expansion and time contraction while maintaining, the
illusion of continuity. Certain specific 'tricks' employed by editors for
match cutting and cheat cutting as well as jumping the axis or
imaginary line, are also taught.
P2. Dialogue Exercises:
There is great creative scope in the editing and re-editing of dialogue
sequences. Students are given exercises to hone their skills in areas
of Maintaining dialogue rhythm, Maintaining visual balance,Using
silences & pauses,Editing sound clearly,Correct use of silent reaction
shots.
P3. Action Sequences:
Students are given exercises with the purpose of developing their
understanding of dramatic tension in an action sequence. The
exercises involve inputs in inter-cutting, cheat cutting, climax building,
visual rhythm and tempo.
P4. Montage:
The students are given exercises to help them understand the entire
gamut of creative choices available in Montage Cutting. The
exercises are specifically designed to teach them MetricMontage,Rhythmic Montage,Tonal Montage,Over - Tonal
Montage,Intellectual Montage. Exercises are also given with regard
to conventional American Montage style and French Montage style.
The Digital Academy student benefit:
- No previous knowledge required, however being computer savvy
would be an added advantage.- Short-term intensive hands on course that covers all aspects of
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editing in detail
- Strong theoretical base with focus on high cinematic standards and
aesthetic standards
- Basic and Advanced editing formats for feature films, serials, music
videos, ad films, documentaries and corporate films- New-age styles of editing and in house professional Non-linear
editing set ups (FCP, Avid etc.)
- Editing practice will be given on rushes of released feature films
- Unlimited practical time with prior booking
- Editing curriculum devised to adapt to any media
- Students can take their edits as their demo reel
In short, an editing student from Digital Academy is equipped to edit
in Film, Television as well as print media.