Editing

Different types of transitions:

• Dissolve

A dissolve overlaps two shots for the duration of the transition. This effect is most used when a scene is ending, to show the beginning of a new scene, it can also be used in a montage sequence. This effect can indicate a period of time has passed between the two shots.

• Fade-in

A fade in is where a shot dissolves onto the screen from an originally blank screen - usually a black screen. Transitions usually last 1-2 seconds on screen. Fades are alternatives to cuts.

• Fade-out

Fade-outs occur when a shot dissolves from the screen to a blank screen – the opposite of a fade-in. Both transitions are used as alternatives to cutting, and are used to create certain atmospheres, depending on how short or long the transitions last.

• Wipe

A wipe transition is when one shot replaces another by travelling from one side of the frame to the other side. This is often used with moving objects, e.g. an aeroplane, as this is when the transition works best. If the wipe proceeds from opposite edges of the frame to meet in the middle, or vice versa, the wipe is known as a barn door wipe. It is used to transition between two shots, usually showing two different locations.

• Superimposition

Superimposition is the placement of an image or video on top of an already-existing image or video. This can be used to show two images at the same time, or two cover one image up with another.

• Long take

In film, a long take is an uninterrupted shot that lasts longer than the conventional editing pace of general films. These types of shots are usually accomplished by the use of a dolly shot or a Steadicam shot. This shot is used to show in detail characters expressions and body language, which allows the audience to see clearly how they’re feeling. This shot hints a character is in deep thought. Long shots can also be used to show a character or object approaching or leaving the frame.

• Short take

A short take is the opposite of a long take. These shots last for a shorter time than the conventional shot length. This shot may be used to show fleeting moments, events that occur very briefly and fast reactions. The effect of having short takes in a film is that the pace of the film increases and becomes more dramatic.

• Slow motion

Slow motion is shown through a clip or shot being played at a slower speed than it was originally made or recorded, therefore making the action appear slower than it was in reality. Here, time appears to be slowed down, allowing the audience to take in more of the shot and to see actions in detail. It allows the filmmaker to capture a key moment in a film for the audience to see clearly, perhaps to see natural phenomena, such as a drop of water landing on a surface.

• Ellipsis and Expansion of time

Ellipsis in film allows part of the narrative to be missed out of the film, allowing the time of the film to be condensed, and for the audience to fill in the gap in the narrative with their imagination. Time shall have elapsed between two shots that were not shown to the audience, but evidence of the time passing shall be shown. A small example of this is a character rising from a chair – the audience doesn’t need to see the process of the person sitting up, but just where they end up after that action. Expansion of time refers to events happening at a slower time than they would if they were real time. This can be achieved by inserting several different shots of the same action happening. The purpose of this is to stretch out time and exaggerate actions.

• Post-production

Post-production refers to the work done in editing to a film after recording has taken place. It is a term for all stages of production occurring after the actual end of shooting the completed work. Effects added in this stage may be transitions, sound effects, special effects and adding a score.

• Visual Effects

Visual effects are the processes by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of live action. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, expensive, impractical, or simply impossible to capture on film.

• Shot/Reverse shot

A shot/reverse shot is typically used when two people are having a conversation in TV show or a film. It is usually taken from an over the shoulder perspective and would be filmed in two parts, once over person A’s shoulder and a second time over person B’s shoulder. These shots are then edited together, quickly changing from behind person A to behind person B.

• Eyeline match

An eyeline match is when the audience are taken away from the main action to be shown what the character is looking at. The object that the audience is shown or that the characters are looking at tends to be off screen.

• Graphic match

A graphic match in editing is when two separate shots with objects in them that look similar are cut together. The things that tend to be important in a graphics match would be the size and shape of the object. These would have to be similar in order for the graphic match to work correctly.

• Action match

An action match is when something happens in one particular scene and then it cuts to the same action but being shown from a different angle. The action begins in the first shot and ends in the second. This can also be referred to as a “match-on-action”.

• Jump cut

A jump cut is when the scene changes abruptly from one scene to another. This could be in the same

location or to two different locations. The jump cut includes no transitions of any kind and is an abrupt change in scene.

• Crosscutting

Crosscutting is when two things are shown on the screen at the same time. These things however are happening at different locations and are sometimes completely unrelated to each other.

• Parallel editing

Parallel editing is a technique that editors use to show action that is happening at two different locations at the same time. The cuts tend to be quick and quite close together giving the audience the impression of panic and disorder.

• Cutaway

A cutaway shot is something that is inserted into a scene with action in it. Normally, the cutaway has little relevance to the scene and is only inserted so that the audience do not get bored with seeing the same action over and over.

• Insert shot

An insert shot is something where one object is framed in one specific way in one shot, then it cuts to the same object but from a different angle. This different angle would usually be one that the audience would not have seen without the insert shot being there.

Quiz

Use information from our presentation to answer these questions:

• What is it called when the screen goes from black to the scene?

• What is it called when a shot replaces another shot by a single movement on the screen?

• What method of editing is used to show actions occuring not in real time?

• What is it meant by the term a 'long shot'?

• I want to show action taking place in two separate locations at the same time, what would be the best editing technique to use?

• If I put a second image over an already existing one, what am I doing?

• What is it called when an action begins in one shot and ends in a second shot from a different angle?

• I want to add an explosion into my film, how can I do this?

• If I wanted to show the audience what the character is seeing by showing an object from a different angle, what could I include?

• If I wanted to make an abrupt jump from one shot to the next, what could I do?