Scene editing analysis

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The history of film making begins in 1895 with the Lumiere brothers who invented cinematographe, a device that was capable of recording and projecting motion picture (video).1.


Edwin S Porter showed that film can be more than one still when he accidentally discovered the film cut when his camera messed up the film and the subject had diapered. He later went on to direct lots of films including the great train robbery and life of an american fireman.1.

D W Griffiths made the first continuity cut when he had moved the camera between shots, as well as this he invented the first close up shot where as before hand all of the shots had been wide angle. He also changed the pace in which films where cut and most of his techniques have not changed much even nowadays such as cross cutting.1.

The Kuleshov effect, Lev Kuleshov invented the montage effect on film in 1920 because he beleived it would be more engaging and understanding to audiences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jebW5-G2HTs.1.

Nowadays recording and cutting is all done with modern technology as supposed to big film cameras and physically cutting the film, it is all done on computer software although some still prefer the much longer and more expensive process of using film because of how it looks.

Examples of continuity cutting can be seen in every feature film made nowadays such as in this clip from the film snatch.


Establishing shot, this is a shot that shows what is going on, it tells a story and shows the audience the location and characters. You can see this at the start of the film clip until 0:36. In this shot it shows the main character standing at the bar waiting for a pint and some gunmen walking up to him.

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180 degree rule, this is generally used when showing a conversation for shots such as over the shoulder. In the film clip you can see this from 0:58-2:00 when it shows the gunmen and the main character talking, this is also known as a Shot-reverse-shot. The match on action cut is where it shows something happening as a close up or wide angle and then cuts to an extreme close up of whats happening, you can see this at 0:46-0:49 in the film clip. An eyeliner match is where it shows the character looking at something in close up and then it cuts to what they are looking at in the same height and angle as they are looking at it; you can see this at 2:00- 2:05 in the clip.


The main character Tony has the most screen time in this scene and the gunmen have lots of time also. There are mainly close up shots in the film clip as it is is a conversation, towards the end there are more wide angles. There are no point of view shots (POV) in this clip. A reaction shot is when a character sees something at then it cuts to there reaction, this can be seen in the clip from 2:00-2:10, this shot shows the characters looking at the fact it said replica on their guns and then it cuts to them looking scared.










The shot variation is pretty well done in the clip however there are long duration's of the same mid shot when they are talking, the shots are mainly mid shots, close ups and extreme close ups with the occasional wide angle. There are no montage shots in the film clip but I believe it would work if there was because at the end of the clip it shows somebody that is with tony walking out with a briefcase and it would make more sense if the audience knew why. This could come under providing and withholding information leaving the audience wondering why they have the briefcase in order to not give away too much of the plot. There is cross cutting towards the end of the clip when Tony is still at the bar and the gunmen are leaving, this shows two separate goings on which you can see from 2:50- 4:00. The editing rhythm is fairly slow as it is a comedy/crime film as supposed to an action film, the pace does increase when there is a standoff at the end from 3:15. The clip cuts to a soundtrack of ghost town when the gunmen back down, this fits what is going on perfectly and adds a comic factor to it, it fades in at 2:35 and plays quietly in the background and fades out at 3:40. There are no point of view shots in the film clip so there are not multiple points of view. Jump cuts and cut away shots are very similar if not the same because it increases the pace and audience interest in the clip, there are several jump cuts during the standoff.

Bibliography:

Information and photos sourced from:
1. http://www.slideshare.net/katierothery/history-of-editing
2. http://www.geh.org/fm/precin/m197816510005.jpg
3. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/
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