Montage

The most over-used technique in Hollywood has led to its reputation as a film clich is a
montage. Montage was the foundation of Soviet movie production until Hollywood exposed
it to cinemas and became a means of converting losers into winners rapidly. Montage was
established to cinema firstly by Eisenstein and as he perfected it, it became a technique
where an editor will take more than one pieces of a scene or a series of short shots and
combines them by editing them together into a sequence to highlights its meaning. The
purpose of a montage is not merely to always follow the storyline, but merely to
communicate danger and excitement. A Montage is really used because it allows long
scenes in a film to be shortened and to show that time is passing. There is more to a
montage shot than just using it to condense time or information. A high level film director
can use montage to represent a different concept in a film. It can be used to convey a
particular message through the use of different shots that are related to each other. You can
also use this through a repetition of images. Shots used frequently alongside a montage are
jump cuts, close-ups and transitions. In this series of shots from the 1976 Rocky movie, the
montage begins with various sports training regime where Rocky is seen engaging in
numerous physical and endurance training through a series of cut sequences and short
shots followed by a fast paced inspirational song. At the end of this montage, we see
Rocky, after several weeks have passed, preparing himself for the boxing match.





180-Degree Rule
One of the most commonly used and frequently cited rules or practices of classical
filmmaking is the 180-degree rule. The 180-degree rule imagines that there is some kind of
an invisible axis between the camera and the characters whose being filmed. The camera
will always stay on one side of the axis and the characters will always stay on the other. The
problems was if the camera crosses that axis and went to the other side, suddenly people
would switch positions that is people on the right will now appear on the left and people
on the left will now appear on the right. This is a practice developed very early, being used
in the silent era which was then probably established in Hollywood or in western Europe
sometimes in the early part of 20
th
century. As films started to be comprised of more shots,
methods were assembled and developed to enable audiences to watch across these films
with comfort and utmost clarity to never be puzzled whilst an action was happening or
exactly were actors and actresses were in relationship to each other. In this sequence from
Harakiri (1962) directed by Masaki Kobayashi, the gentlemen whose been on the left is
always remained on the left and the gentlemen whose been on the right is always
remained on the right. Once this sense of direction has been clearly established, it is
carefully maintained.





Parallel Editing
Parallel editing which is also known as cross cutting is a convention technique where the
editor decides to cut between two or more separated scenes that frequently happens in two
or more different locations or at different points in time. These particular scenes more often
tend to conclude in a single place where the characters from those scenes end up opposing
each other. The two scenes are therefore related, linking the characters from both scenes
heightening the interest in both scenes. The reasons why directors use this type of editing is
because it can grab the audiences attention and add interest to an uninteresting scene. As a
result, this can create suspense and build emotional impact. If for instance, the
circumstance or the characters in one scene doesnt excite you, perhaps the situation or the
characters in the other story probably will. Furthermore, cross cutting can show the
differences and similarities between two scenes to highlight their importance. Finally, using
cross cutting can also shorten time especially when the scenes are divided on the screen. In
City of God, we are shown to two scenes: first scene of a group of teenage boys is chasing
a chicken and second scene of two boys talking whilst walking. The first scene is fast
paced whilst the second scene, the mood is rather calm and relaxed, creating suspense.
Both scenes concluded in a single place where the chicken is at the centre of the action.
This adds tension and grabs attention.





Jump Cutting
The invention of Jump Cut took place when George Mlis (Known as the father of the jump
cut) unintentionally attempted to make a cut from a shot seem seamless during his magic
tricks only for the shot to appear as if they have made an abrupt switch from one shot to
another. However, it was the ingenious Jean-Luc Godards Breathless that made jump cut
famous. From then on, jump cut is generally interpreted as a technique in film editing
whereby there is an abrupt switch from one scene to another similar part of the same scene
but misses out parts of the action. These scenes appear as if they have jumped forwards in
time because of the way they are framed. It sort of like fractures the length of a specific
shot then forwards it in time after couple more seconds without revealing the missed pieces
of action. This type of edit shortens the length of the film, speeds up time a little bit and
sometimes used to begin or end an action. Jump cut also draws attention from the
audience. In this extended clip from 50 Cent Many Men (Wish Death), we see a woman
extend her hand to a doorknob and the camera cuts from that to the woman already
inside holding 50 Cents right arm. This makes the clip seem have if the woman jumped
from one shot to another.






Seamless
Seamless editing was developed during the early 20
th
century and one of its pioneers was
Sergei Eisenstein - DW Griffiths then perfected seamless editing. Seamless editing was
developed to tell the story properly and accurately. It is also known as invisible editing due
to its capability of not being able to grab the attention of the audience and most of the time,
the audience doesnt even realise the editing took place. Seamless takes place when you
add two different pieces of shots together and cut between these two shots that will seem
like they have run into each other, in a smooth and neat way to create seamless editing. The
transitions (fade/cut) between the shots are matched to the action and as a result, it allows
the shots to flow without even the audience becoming aware of the edits. These shots dont
entirely have to be shot at the same time as they could be taken at different times, and
these shots tend to be a bit similar (in colour or shape) in order to create the perfect
seamless. Here is an example from Layer Cake; we see a shot of a flower as wallpaper,
then pan movement going to the left where there is an edit that takes place but you dont
even realise it because they appear as if they have run into each other making it look an
invisible editing; and then you see the pan movement of a dark green wallpaper to a man
wearing black attires and this took place without the audience realising that an edit took
place.

Match on Action
Match on action is a technique for continuity editing and is most likely one of the most used,
effectively, editing technique throughout the film industry. Match on action mainly takes
place when introducing a scene where one shot of a subject (first shot) cuts to a closer shot
of the subject (second shot) that portrays the action of the subject in the first shot, showing
the second shot in great detail then going back to the first shot or original shot. Usually
during the action, the subject will start an action in the first shot and finish it through to
completion in the next shot (second shot). This editing is used to link two dissimilar view of
the same action simultaneously in the movement. This ensures the scene is running
smoothly in succession and guarantees a correct sequential outplay of events. Editors prefer
to use this technique because it diverts the viewers attention from becoming aware of the
cuts or minor continuity problem between the two shots. Whilst editing, the editors
thoroughly match up the movement from the two shots without the shots appearing as if
they have been interrupted. The following shots from Eminems single Love The Way You
Lie shows a female and a male in bed and female wakes up holding his, presumably,
boyfriends hand and we see a shot of that. Then, the shot cuts to a closer look of them
holding hands in great detail.






Cutaways
Cutaway is one of them techniques where the director either doesnt know what to include
in a scene or he/she actually uses it to signify something important. So directors tend to use
cutaways as an instantaneous shift or a cut away from the main action (of a subject or
object) or scene to something either related or unrelated to the original action or scene
which is usually in the same location. The interruption from the main scene is typically quick
as, the majority of the time; the interruption revisits the original scene. It is generally
regarded as a secondary scene happening simultaneously with the main action. As films
began to be composed of more angles and shots, which took so much time resulting in jump
cut, directors used this as an opportunity to add meaning to other scenes that will give the
audience a better understanding of the main scene highlighting important details.
Cutaways create tension to a scene, consequentially raising the excitements and suspense in
them. It could also be used to conceal the good parts in the main scene to keep the
audience in anticipation and give the editor a way to avoid unnecessary jump cuts. In this
video clip, you see the main shot of the interviewer and a cut away shot of the
interviewee and this will then avoid the use of jump cut.

Cut
Cuts are the fundamentals of editing and arguably the most common editing in joining two
shots and simply because it is the simplest to execute. A cut is a straightforward edit that
allows the movement from one shot or scene to a different shot instantaneous. Its main
duty is to compress time but also to create an image or idea in a scene and vary different
perspectives. Apart from that, a cut can also be used to avoid long takes and seemingly to
make a shot seem interesting by adding different angles to create different meanings.




Wipe
One of the primary transitions alongside a cut and wipe. Wipes were used in the early 1903s
in films to literally wipe, vertically, the first scene for the second scene to take place. The
wipe travels from one side of the frame to another, in shapes or even in up and down or
right or left. Wipes were used to link two scenes and sometimes to show that the wiped
scene is less important than the present scene. In this example from Star Wars Revenge of
the Sith, we see a city and then you see the city wiped to introduce a new scene.





Fade
A fade is a type of dissolve with the only difference being the colours it takes as the scene
fades. The image gradually fades or disappears with either a white or black screen
although it is usually black. Fade to white always seem to suggest a dream is occurring or to
portray a characters state of mind which is usually disorientated. Fade to black shows that
time as passed or a scene has ended. In If I Were A Boy by Beyonc, you see a shot of
Beyonc in a car then the shot gradually fades to a black screen to show that that
particular scene has ended.





Dissolve
Dissolve is a transition that switches scenes or shots where firstly you notice a scene slowly
disappearing or vanishing whilst the second scene gradually takes place of the first scene;
making it seem as if they have blended for a moment. Editors use this transition between
shots to associate the two scenes. But more creative editors or director will use this to show
hallucination. In this scene from Butterfly Effect, you see a flower with a paper, you see
the first shot gradually disappearing whilst the second scene gradually takes place.