Introduction to the Art and Aesthetics of Film & Television Editing

A film is made twice, once on the writing table and the other on the editing 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 formats in 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 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 editorial mind
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 corporate films 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.

Projects:
P1. Continuity Exercises:
a). The aim of our carefully graded continuity exercises is to give students 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 Metric Montage,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 editing in detail

- Strong theoretical base with focus on high cinematic standards and aesthetic
standards

- Infrastructure available for in house shoots

- 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, Adobe Premier Pro and After Effects)

- 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