FILM EDITING

Editing is the process by which film is assembled into a

sequence. Women did early film editing.

DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES:
• Match on action – for example, a person walks through a
door on the right, and next shot they come out the door on

WHAT IS the left side of the screen.

• 180 degree rule – keeping camera on one side of an invisible
line, if broken, audience may become disorientated
EDITING? • Shot/reverse shot – close up shot of a person who is talking,
camera is turned to show what the person was looking at or
talking to, then the camera is reversed back to the person,
and so on and so forth.
• Jump cut – an abrupt transition from one scene to another.
 SHOTS:

PURPOSE OF EDITING 1. The use of editing shots can show the audience
different aspects of the film, such as cutting the head
off the shot to make it more mysterious as this can
• EFFECTS: EFFECTS AUDIENCE: leave the audience wondering as they wouldn’t
1. These can create an effect on the audience as know who the person is, and an effective opening
1. Adds effects to make certain scenes that
cannot be made when filming different techniques such as sound effects can shot helps set the scene, so the audience know
emphasise a moment during the scene, for where the scene is.
2. Can show text through screen example, a jumpscare in a horror film can be 2. During editing, transitions can be used to change
3. Background music can be added to make accompanied by a sudden loud sound effect as from one scene to another and sometimes can be
the scene more interesting and sets the this can be more surprising to the audience.
mood. added for effect. It can be used to show the change
2. Our responses can also be shaped from the use of a location or a character dialogue, or even the
4. Sound effects can be added to emphasise a of these effects emotionally, for example, sad beginning or end of a film.
specific event that is happening scenes accompanied by sad music makes the 3. There could also be different lengths of shots such as
5. Small tweaks can be made to improve the audience feel sympathetic, compared to a sad quick short ones to make the scene more intense,
scene, such as audio, colour, brightness and scene with no music it would seem less serious such as a crime scene where it quickly jumps from
contrast as the music shapes the situation more. the weapon to the victim's reaction. It can be used in
that way to show that the action was quick and
unclear, which can leave the audience wondering.
TIME:
1. Adjusting the speed of a shot can change how the audience NARRATIVE:
views the scene. Slow motion can be used for the audience to 1. Editing can affect a character's screen time, which could
notice the small movements of the scene that they may have determine their importance in the film as the main character
missed in normal speed. Fast motion could also be used where would get long screen time while a backdrop character would
the scene is sped up, usually making it feel comical. get little screen time.
2. Editing to change the order of shots which can create 2. It can also be used to show the plot, as a voiceover near the
flashbacks is effective as the audience can feel a part of the beginning of the film, or a small conclusion at the end of the
persons mind and the plot may make more sense to them. The film. Another example would be to show the story, with brief
past event can have connections with another scene later. voiceovers to explain something.
PROGRESSION OF EDITING
TECHNQUES
 Match on action refers to film editing
and video editing techniques where
the editor cuts from one shot to
another view that matches the first
shot's action. A common example is a
man walking up to a door and reaching
for the knob. Just as his hand touches
the knob, the scene cuts to a shot of
the door opening from the other side.
Although the two shots may have been
shot hours apart from each other,
cutting on action gives the impression
of continuous time when watching the
edited film. By having a subject begin
an action in one shot and carry it
through to completion in the next, the
editor creates a visual bridge, which
distracts the viewer from noticing the
cut or noticing any slight continuity
error between the two shots.
ACTION MATCH
 This shot is usually used during a
conversation between
characters, it is a film technique
where one character is shown
looking at another character,
which is often off-screen, and
the next shot is followed by the
other character shown looking
back at the first character usually
in a off the shoulder shot or
point of view shot. This
technique often links with the
180 degree rule to keep
continuity and prevents the
audience from losing their sense
of location of the characters
from the shots. In this scene of
Jerry Maguire, this editing
technique is portrayed in their
conversation, with the camera
switching back and forth
SHOT REVERSE SHOT between the two
 Eyeline match is a technique used to create
an effect where the audience is looking
through the characters view, like we are in
the same shoes as the character and we can
see what the person is seeing. An eyeline
match begins with a character looking at
something off-screen, followed by a cut of
another object or person, for example, the
camera can show a character looking off-
screen, then the next shot would be at a
person/object. Even though the camera shot
wasn’t showing the audience that the
person was looking at something/someone,
we automatically assume that it was what
the person was looking at. For example in
this scene in the film 'Get Out' (2017), we
see Chris being hypnotised by Missy using
the teacup, though there isn't a shot with
both of them together, we assume they are

EYELINE MATCH looking at each other due to the change

between the shots of their faces, and Chris
being on the right side of the camera while
Missy is on the left.
THE MILLER AND
THE SWEEP (1897)
The Miller and the Sweep is a 1898 short
black and white silent comedy film lasting
one minute, and was directed by George
Albert Smith. In this short film, there are no
camera movements due to the fact that
technology wasn’t advanced and cameras
were too heavy to be moved around. This
was filmed in only one shot and we are
shown two characters, a miller in white and
carrying a bag of flour and a chimney sweep
carrying a bag of soot. The two bump into
each other and begin fighting that is
presented in a comedic way, here the 180
degree rule is used where the miller and the
chimney sweep are on opposite sides of the
camera and stay in the same position.
A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902)
This film was released on the 1st of September 1902, in France
and directed by Georges Méliès. The first scene and the
second scene are separated with a fade in/out transition and
this shows the audience that time has passed where they
have built the space capsule. There is not much of a variety of
shots and editing techniques used as technology was not
advanced.
A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902)
In this scene, a moon is shown from a far
perspective, but at the moon gets closer, a face on
the moon is visible and we are able to see the
moons 'face'. Here, a dolly could have been used as
cameras were too heavy to be lifted and this
allowed the slow zooms to be easier and smooth.
As the camera gets closer to the moon, we see the
space capsule hitting the moon on its right eye
which could symbolise a bullet being shot in its eye
 THE GREAT TRAIN
ROBBERY (1903)
The Great Train Robbery is a 1903 American
silent short film written, produced, and
directed by Edwin Porter. In the beginning of
the film, the good and the bad are
immediately identified due to the difference
in their clothes and the way they are acting,
the robbers are holding weapons towards the
guard which poses an immediate threat. The
camera angles are kept the same throughout
this scene and was separated with a
transition which possibly shows
the simultaneous events that are happening
while the guard is being tied down.
THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
In the first 3 minutes of the film, there is a long list of the different
actors and an introduction which settles the audience in and
conveys information to them. There is also a flashback shown as we
see a colour difference of the camera and the shutter was partly
closed to achieve the iris effect to make the scene look like a
flashback. The change in shots from the crowd to the close shot of
the boy allows us to see the facial expressions in which we
sympathise with the boy.
 CITIZEN KANE (1941) OPENNG SCENE

In the intro, there is a fade from black and we are introduced to the gates of a house with a sign
that says 'No Trespassing'. The use of this fade from black in the beginning can pull the audience
into the film. The sign makes things more secretive, with the slow music that is
synchronised with the scene along with the gloominess of the screen and slow movements
which creates a slight tension.
As the camera moves upwards, we see a change in the gates from wires to metal, which shows
the stages of rags to riches. There are many uses of transitions to show different areas of the
characters house in which we can conclude that this character is quite wealthy due to the size
and the metal gate having the letter 'K'. It could be interpreted by the audience that this person
shuts themselves away from society due to the many shots of the front yard before it actually
reaches the house, showing its isolation and distance from the gate and the sign in the
beginning. in each shot, the house is shown in the background where we get closer to it and the
many shots can show the audience that the house is big
 CITIZEN KANE OPENING SCENE

The camera slowly moves closer to the house, which eventually comes up to the
window where a light suddenly turns off and gives a sense of mystery. Suspicion is
also created as the characters that are shown in the opening scene cannot be seen
fully, for example, there was a close-up shot of a man's mouth and a reflection of a
women walking through the door but was distorted, along with no narration. Near the
end of the introduction scene, enigma is shown as there seems to be a crime scene
which the audience does not know about but would soon have to find out
during the rest of the film. The use of in media res is included as it seems like
a significant event has happened before the crime scene in the introduction, but the
viewers are only being shown the ending. Film has changed significantly since Georges
Melies 'A Trip to the Moon' in both quality and editing.
 DETERIORATING
MARRIAGE SCENE
In this scene, there are many uses of the shot reverse shot
technique to show the two characters having a
conversation. As the scene goes on, we are able to see that
time Is being fast forwarded due to the quick distortion of
the camera, making it seem like the camera is spinning and
we see a difference due to the change of their clothing and
appearance. We are shown the deterioration in
their marriage as the way they are speaking to each other
gets less affectionate as time passes, in comparison to the
first scene of the pair, they are sat close to each other
enough to get the two into one shot, with romantic music
in the background and them complimenting one another.
Their table is also decorated differently in each scene, the
first scene being decorated with However, towards the
end the two are sat opposite each other where they would
need separate shots of them and the way they are dressed
seems to get more casual. Their conversations also get
more tense as time progresses.
DETERIORATING
MARRIAGE SCENE
There is also a use of a flashback in this scene, where the shot of
Kane himself as an old man, fades out and the younger him is
shown with his wife. By the end of the last scene of the couple,
they are shown to be both reading newspapers with no
conversation going on between them at all, and the table being
filled with more casual decorations rather than romantic, such
as flowers, which is also symbolic of their deteriorating
marriage. At the end, the camera moves further back to a long
shot, showing the two sitting opposite each other on the table
in one shot where it can emphasise the distance that has grown
between the two, then proceeds to fade out and a shot of Kane
appears again, which could tell the audience that the two have
an ongoing marriage where their relationship becomes more
distant.
BAR SCENE
In this scene of Citizen Kane, it begins with a shot
of the bar from the outside accompanied with
thunder and a high angle shot which slowly
zooms into the bar with Susan Alexander sat
down at a table inside. This creates enigma as the
camera goes through the objects from the ceiling.
The use of this shot makes her seem vulnerable
and small as the camera is coming from above
and makes it seem like we are looking down at
her, she is also seem at the table with her head
down which shows this vulnerablility. The music
in the background also adds an eerie effect in the
beginning, but eventually fades into a classical
saxophone music which is relaxing as the camera
enters the building. The dialogue in this scene
makes Susan Alexander seem stressed and down
as her head is down and near the end of the
dialogue with one of the males she screams "Get
out" and then proceeds to put her hand on her
head as a gesture that seems like she is stressed.
 TRAINSPOTTING
(1996)
Trainspotting is a drama/crime film directed by
Danny Boyle. The editing techniques he uses
such as the 30 degree rule is used quite a lot
during the interview scene. The camera angles
are switched very quickly which could be
abusing the rule, but can be symbolic of the
sudden burst of energy from the character due
to the drug that he took prior to the interview.
The effect of his use of editing in this sequence
illustrates us how not to interview as Spud
seems overly energetic and informal which does
not match the atmosphere of the interview as it
is meant to be formal and must present himself
in a way where he will seem employable. There
is a use of shot reverse shot technique in the
beginning of the scene which shows a
conversation between Spud and Renton
speaking about interview. In the interview room,
there is a rapid use of jump cuts and the 30
degree rule is abused as the camera moved
more than 30 degrees and eventually makes the
scene seem disorientated.
DEVELOPMENT OF EDITING TECHNIQUES
 WHAT IS CGI?

CGI is computer generated imagery,

special visual effects created using
computer software. It is now used by
many different movies to create
various creatures/things that cannot
be done in reality, thus would need
technology to enhance it or create it.
There are many uses of CGI in the film
'Guardians of the Galaxy' as they
cannot get planets and stars as a
physical background, so we can see in
the pictures on the right that the use
of green screens are used so they can
paint the background on the
computer to make it seem like they
are on a different planet.
 MOTION CAPTURE-
DAWN OF THE PLANET
OF THE APES (2014)

Motion capture is the digital capture

of movement. The producers of a
game or film want to transmit the
complex motion of the performer's
body and face to an animated
character. It requires the actor to wear
a suit with various trackers on specific
parts of the body which then gets
transferred to a computer where the
whole body is traced, and the CGI
version of the character is put over
the body. The film series 'Planet of the
Apes' may have used motion capture
as this can allow them to easily make
the characters more realistic and
interesting rather than using monkey
suits.
 MOVIOLA (1924)

A Moviola is a device that

allows a film editor to view a
film while editing. It was the
first machine for motion
picture editing when it was
invented by Iwan Serrurier in
1924. The Moviola company is
still in existence and is located
in Hollywood where part of
the facility is located on one of
the original Moviola factory
floors.
 STEENBECK FLATBED
EDITOR

A flatbed editor is a type of machine

used to edit film for a motion picture.
Picture and sound rolls load onto
separate motorized disks, called
"plates." Each set of plates moves
forward or backward separately, or
locked together to maintain
synchronization between picture and
sound. This was developed in 1953.
This technology is still used by film
archives and restoration facilities.
 Non-linear editing

1970s VIDEO
TECHNOLOGY

In early days, linear (tape to tape)

editing was the only way to edit video
tapes. Then, in the 1990s, non-linear
editing computers became available
and opened a new world of editing
power and flexibility.
Non-linear editing was not welcomed
by everyone and many editors
resisted the new wave. However, the
advantages of this technique became
overwhelming that it could not be
ignored.
In the 21st century, non-linear gained
dominance and linear editing headed
towards obsolescence.
Linear editing
 1990s VIDEO
TECHNOLOGY

The non-linear video editing

method is a way of random access
editing, which means instant access
to whatever clip you want,
whenever you want it.
Instead of going in a set order, you
are able to work on any segment of
the project at any time and any
order. In non-linear editing, the
original source files are not lost or
modified during editing.
SOVIET MONTAGE
 The political and econominal climate in 1920s Russia was very
bad as poverty inceased and everyone was poor.
At the start of the 1920s, Russia’s economy suffered the
greatest economic catastrophe of a turbulent 20th century.
Studios were taken over, combining them to form one state-
owned company called Narkompros, and there were no raw
SOVIET stock left in the country.
CRAIG BENZINE – Montage comes from the french word
MONTAGE meaning 'assembling' or 'editing' or 'montage'
World war 1 ended in 1918. It had provided the opportunity
for rebellions and revolutions across Europe. Most successful
revolution was in Russia and led to abolition of tsarist rule and
the establishment of a new state. The Russian Revolution went
through several stages, and in October 1917 an insurrection
brought to power the Bolshevik Party (communists) committed
to a radically new form of society.
LEV KULESHOV
Kuleshov was a film maker and film theorist,
who founded the first film school and was
among the first to dissect the effects
of juxtaposition. Through his experiments and
research, Kuleshov discovered that depending
on how shots are assembled the audience will
attach a specific meaning or emotion to it. He
may well be the very first film theorist as
he was a leader in the Soviet montage theory.
METRIC EDITING
In the Odessa steps scene we are shown a baby being
accidentally pushed down a flight of stairs. The
different amount of shots used each time where it
changes from the baby to another scene makes it
seem like the baby is taking more time to fall in the
scene than in reality
Metric editing follows a specific number of frames,
cutting to the next shot no matter what is happening
within the image. The reason for this is to get an
emotional reaction from the audience.
INTELLECINETUAL
EDITING
A way of creating this is through a juxtaposition of
shots. The use of "intellectual montage" contributes
in creating an intellectual meaning through the
juxtaposition of two shots or more which collide
to produce another one which "becomes" purely
conceptual.
An example of the use of intellectual montage from
'Battleship Potemkin' where after the battleship
bombs Odessa, Eisenstein cuts to a shot of a statue
of a sleeping lion then he cuts to a shot of a stone
lion that appears to sit or wake up, before finally
cutting to a shot of an upright stone lion, the five
shots give the impression that the lion has woken
from it’s sleep.
RHYTHMIC EDITING
In The Odessa Steps, Eisenstein uses cuts to change
from the rhythm of the soldiers feet on the stairs to
the baby carriage rolling downwards. As the carriage
goes faster, the soldiers feet also move faster as if in
a rhythm to create a comparison between the two
opposing forces coming down from the same steps.
TONAL EDITING
Tonal editing elates to the emotions that it editing
creates. Eisenstein creates fear in the Odessa Steps
sequence mainly by the use of lights, shadows and
framing. We see the mother who sees her son
bleeding on the stairs, a close-up shot on her face
reveals her anger before she is seen holding her son
and moving towards the troops on the stairs. The
woman is then shown in a shot where she is facing
the troops with their shadows surrounding her
before she is shot dead. The few cuts in those scenes,
in addition to the relatively long shots reveal a
cautious and dangerous tone.
OVER-TONAL
EDITING
This editing technique is the use of
the three montage methods
together:
• Rhythmic
• Tonal
• Metric
Thus, this approves Einstein's
argument that "fragments has no
meaning of its own but is a unit of
discourse and as such participates in
creating meaning through its
relationship with other fragments”
VSEVOLOD
PUDOVKIN
Pudovkin was a Russian and Soviet film
director, screenwriter and actor who developed
influential theories of montage.
• His 5 editing techniques:
• Contrast
• Parallelism
• Symbolism
• Simultaneity
• Leit motif
CONTRAST
MONTAGE/PARALLEL
EDITING: BAPTISM SEQUENCE
'GODFATHER' SCORSESE
During the christening, there
is a crosscut that includes a
series of murders. The
implication is that these events
are occurring simultaneously or
at roughly the same time. This
is a contrast between good and
bad as the character is being
baptized which symbolizes a
cleanse of sins while a clips of
different murders are being
played after each sin is
renounced which contrasts the
point of him being baptized. It
seems to
 PARALLELISM: JURASSIC PARK (1997)
In this scene of Jurassic Park,
parallelism is shown where there is a
scene of a woman screaming then a
video of a man yawning afterwards.

In this scene of Indiana Jones & The Last

Crusade (1989), time is being used as a
flashforward to show how Indiana Jones
has changed over the years. A young
Indiana Jones is shown in one shit while it
changes and shows us the older Indian
Jones
 SYMBOLISM
Hitchcock uses a graphic match to
symbolise Marion Crane’s blood being
washed and flowing down the drain,
where the next shot is cross dissolved to
show her eye which replaces the area and
the shape of the plug hole in the bath.

In Lawrence of Arabia (1962), T.E Lawrence was trying

to convince an officer to let him go into the desert. As
he lights the match and then blows the fire out, the shot
cuts into the sun rising in a horizon. These two shots
are juxtapositioned as both these shots are simular as
the orangey red colour that is shown after the fire
represents the danger and the heat of the desert.
SIMULTANEITY/PARALLEL
EDITING: SILENCE OF THE
LAMBS (1991)
Cross cutting is an editing technique that cuts
from one scene to another to show two
scenes that are usually happening
simultaneously. Here is an example from
'Silence of the lambs' which shows the use of
cross cutting. When the doorbell is rung by the
detective, we assume that the person opening
the door is the person they are after as his
doorbell was ringing at the same time the
button was pressed, but the cross cutting
technique later reveals that the group of police
have actually knocked on the wrong door, and
another character is actually at the correct
place, showing the danger that she is in.
LEIT MOTIF
Leit motif is a musical theme throughout a movie associated with a particular person, idea, or
situation.
An example of this is the shark in Jaws (1975). The music associated with the shark is a very
suspenseful music and creates tension as the camera rises slowly to the surface of the water,
making the audience sympathetic for the person being stalked by the shark.

Another example would be the alligator in Peter Pan, where the tick tocking sound of a clock is associated
with the alligator, where the audience would know it is near.
RESEARCH OF
DIFFERENT SCENES
1960 ALFRED HITCHCOCK 'PSYCHO'
SHOWER SCENE
Montage editing is used to put together a sequence of cuts into one
fluent edit making the scene frames move fast or slow. This technique is
used to make the stabbing scene more realistic and to hide the fact that
the knife doesn’t actually touch her. It created a sense of panic and
energy throughout the audience as censorship back then would have
prevented the films release. Hitchcock uses a synchronization of tense
music and the actions of the women when being stabbed which makes
the audience jump and puts them on edge. The multiple frames that
are used are being quickly changed and this can be symbolic of the
panic and fear that the victim is feeling, adding to the idea that there is
flowing water where she may be unable to see properly
MONTAGE FOR
PARODY
A parody is remake of a type of media
which is often humorous. In this scene
of 'Team America: World police' a
montage of someone training is being a
shown and a collection of clips are put
together to show the progress of the
training in which he gets better towards
the end, this technique makes it seem
like time has passed but in a short
amount of time where it is condensed
into a montage. The music in the
background is upbeat and its lyrics also
refer to the scene being a montage and
the character improving his skills as the
scene develops.
1999 MICHAEL
MOORE 'BOWLING
FOR COLUMBINE'
In the beginning of the sequence,
there is a soldier telling the audience
that we will find the documentary
very interesting. It then leads us to
another shot where we are shown
different clips of the Earth in the
result of an Earthquake. This is an
example of intellectual montage
because the shots afterwards
represents the Columbine shooting
constructed by 2 boys and the
random images also collided with
the humorous dialogue.
HIP HOP MONTAGE – REQUIEM FOR A
DREAM (2000)
This montage has rapid editing, changing from one shot to another which
eventually intensifies as the video progresses, along with the music getting more
louder. This could be symbolic of the drug addiction, where different drugs are
being shown along with its side effects, for example, the extreme close up of the
body where blood cells are quickly flowing through, and pupils that are dilated.
There are some repetition on the clips being used, which can also show that they
are addictive and causes them to do the same thing again. The actions in this
montage match along with the music, which makes this somewhat rhythmic as it
goes along with the beat. The use of the editing technique is effective here as
it can symbolise the fact that drugs are known to make you feel as though you
are not yourself and the quick changes between the different clips can be
representative of that.
HIP HOP MONTAGE –
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
(2004)
In a scene of 'Shaun of the dead'
where Shaun and Ed are coming
up with a plan, the use of hip
hop montage is used in a
humorous effect with a series of
clips to show their plan to
escape the zombie apocalypse.
There is a repetition of the plan
as they both change it along the
way and the quick change of
each stage makes the situation
seem urgent and frantic.
HOLLYWOOD
MONTAGE- CREED
(2015)
In the training scene of the film 'Creed'
2015, the use is Hollywood montage is
used as we see the actor training in
different locations and different states
of fitness which helps to show a long
period of story time in a short period
of screen time. There is also a scene
where both the boxer's are doing the
same training techniques which can
show the different progresses, their
actions are also mirrored where at
some point it looked like they were
facing each other but the camera
turned to show the trainer rather than
the opponent. The use of this editing
technique shows the small progress
that is made from the beginning up to
the end
EDITING WITHIN A GENRE (CAPTAIN VIDEO 1950)

Films in this era had narration at the start of every episode, with
voiceovers commonly used, to inform the audience of where the story has
got up to allowing the to understand the narrative in a short space of time.
In the 1950s, technology was not as advanced so voiceovers were the only
thing to remind the audience. No special effects were also available so the
films were more simple and had more basic features such as costumes and
backgrounds. The 180 and 30 degree rule was also used in this film
 FARSCAPE (1999)
In the beginning of the scene, we are shown an extreme clsoe
up shot of an aliens eye which means the episode is mainly
focused on the alien itself. The introduction has narration and
a reminder of each character. It is the same for each episode
and may vary as the episode could include additions for new
characters or narrations. The first shots demonstrate an
eyeline match where one of the character who inhabit the
ship noticing another destroyed ship outside theirs.
The 180 degree rule was broken, camera started with the
characters walking towards the camera, slightly on the left
side, but was then changed to a view of the characters from
behind on the right side.
The eyeline match of the alien in the extreme long shot of it
looking at outer space identifies the location which shows the
sci-fi genre. The blue light of the torch as the characters
explore the ship also shows the sci-fi genre to show the
futuristic scene.
STAR TREK (2001)
This montage in Star Trek includes a series of clips that
show rockets, astronauts, spaceships and the Earth.
During the duration of the short clip, we could
conclude that a significant amount of time has passed
throughout the video, from the past to the present
day. As the video develops, the quality of the clips
improve and the use of CGI and special effects become
more realistic which shows the development of the
Earth, including the sci-fi genre in general.
The music in the background sounds inspirational and
gives off a positive since the lyrics itself are supportive,
giving a message to not give up and aim to succeed.
MONTAGE -
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
(2004)
In the opening sequence, it shows a montage of a
futuristic Earth, which could symbolise a bigger
budget and an increase and higher development in
technology in comparison to the Caption Video. It
also shows non-linear editing. It has its own
cinematography as it includes many shots of light
shown in a way that it seems sophisticated. CGI and
special effects are used in a more effective way and
has also developed since Star Trek, where there has
been uses of explosions and guns shooting that look
more realistic.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
(2004)
This begins with narration, which was also done in Caption Video. There
is also a lot of cross cutting within the first few minutes as there was a
transition of about 5 sets, showing the different scenarios going on for
each character and what is happening. There is also a cut between
multiple narratives which show the viewers that there are different
things going on simultaneously.
Gaius' narrative:
The scene here is set in a fantasy world on Earth that was made by
Number six in Gaius’ mind where she tries to convince him to destroy
Earth and comfort him and try to show him that was the right thing to
do. In trade for her romantic love, she tries to manipulate him into doing
different things for her. This scene seems quite baffling for the audience
but it keeps us watching as it may later on suggest that there could be
some information about what happened before Earth ended. On the
other hand it also makes us empathise with the characters as it develops
the drama to come, what Gaius will do due to his manipulated mindset.
BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA (2004)
Karls narrative:
The episode shows him returning to Earth,
overcoming the different attacks but then being
found by Cylon agents. The montage provides little
information and is an effective way to keep the
audience watching to find out more information as
the film develops. Here it is creating suspense as we
know Number six is a Cylon and we can clearly see
her with Karl making audiences fear for his survival.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
(2004)
Adama's narrative:
In Adamas narrative, there is an eyeline match shot of him
looking at the time of a possible attack which can show
his decision on whether to jump or not to save Karl on
Earth. As there are many things going on simultaneously,
the timer decreases and suspense builds up as he has less
time to make a decision before the next Cylon attack. This
scene may have been used as it is a good technique to
keep the audience on the edge of their seat.