BTEC Media Assignment Brief 

LAA: Film Editing 
Mr Waine 
 

 
 

David Chime 
30th October 2019 

Introduction: Timeline editing techniques 

Jumpcut:​ ​The film editing technique ‘jumpcut’ was discovered in 1896 by a ​French
cinematographer Georges Méliès. He discovered this technique by accident and first used it as a
special effect in his first film in 1896, ‘The Vanishing Lady’.

The jump cut is a film editing technique, it is referred to when two shots that are the same subject
are taken from the camera positions that vary slightly.

This film editing technique enables the filmmaker to swiftly move a scene on in time without
using several cuts and transitions. ‘Jumpcut’ also provides strengths for example, this type of
editing transition delivers the effect of jumping forward in time.

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Action on Match:​ French filmmaker, ​Alain Resnais​'s first uses this editing technique in his film,
Muriel ou Le temps d'un retour​ in 1963. Match on the action is associated with continuity editing
in the filmmaker cuts from shot to shot whilst making sure that the actions of a character or
object match across the edit. The strength of this type of editing is that it makes the scene more
seamless and natural as it passes from one sequence to the next.

In addition, this type of film editing allows the filmmaker to match together so that the audience
knows that it is all one action or motion. To recap, a match on action is an invisible type of
editing which creates flow when watching a scene.

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Eyeline match:​ It is firstly used in Carol Reed’s film, The Third Man in 1946. The eyeline
match is a film editing technique that is commonly associated with continuity editing.

Eyeline match refers to a cut between two shots in which the first shot shows a person looking in
the direction, and the second shot shows either a space containing what he or she sees or a person
looking back in exactly the opposite direction.

Shot reverse shot:​ The film editing technique also linked with continuity editing. It refers to ​one
character is shown looking at another character (often off-screen), and then the other character is
shown looking back at the first character. This type of editing is typically used in a conversation
situation.

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It was first used in Roberts Brendon’s The Trial of Joan of Arc 1962. Furthermore, when edited
together it gives the audience a sense of continuous action, making it seem as though the scene
they’re watching is occurring linearly in real-time.

Cross-cutting: ​Is and editing technique most often used in films to establish action occurring at
the same time in two different destinations. In cross cut, the camera will cut away from one
action to another action, which can illustrate the simultaneity of these two actions but sometimes
is not always the case.

The strength of cross-cutting/ parallel editing is that it will be easier to watch the film as the shot
sequences flow seamlessly into each other.

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Montage editing:​ A montage refers to a selection of short clips compiled together to make one
longer clip. A montage can be very beneficial when showing progress in cinema. Montages are
used to show the audience the progression of something and to make the place of the message go
by faster.

The first montage was developed creatively after 1952 by Russian Sergei Eisenstein; since that
time mirage has become an increasingly inventive way of condensing lots of information in a
series of short clips.

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Ellipsis editing:​ This typed film editing technique refers to the periods of time that have been
left out of the narrative. the ellipsis is marked by an editing transition which, while it leaves out a
section of the action, nonetheless it signifies that something has been elided.

180 Degree Rule:​ This is a cinematic rule which states that the camera, once it has filmed a
scene from one side, should not film from the opposite side.

Breaking the rules has the disruptive effect of confusing the audience making them stop and
think. This means that they may break away from the film temporarily as they try to readjust.
Furthermore, the reason that the 180-degree rule is so important is that the break in the continuity

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and disconcerting effect it can have on the audience would derange the illusion of reality as the
perspective is disrupted

CGI:​ The term ‘CGI’ stands for computer-generated imagery and was first invented by Edwin
Catmull in 1973. CGI is the implementation of computer graphics to produce or contribute

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images in art, video games, commercials, simulators and especially films. Moreover, CGI has
beneficial purposes as it can provide many images for lots of mediums.

Motion capture:​ It was the year 1915, in the midst of the First World War, when
Polish-American animator/ film director used motion capture.

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Motion capture refers to the process of recording human movement through specialized cameras
and mapping them onto a character model. Motion capture technology involves sensing
digitizing and recording that object in motion.

Freeze frame:​ refers to the effect of seemingly stopping a film in order to focus in on one event
or element. Moreover, the first known freeze fam shot was in director Alfred Hitchcock’s 1928
film ‘Champagne’.

Furthermore, the purpose of a freeze-frame shot at a particular point is to enhance a scene or

show an important moment in the production.

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Slow-motion: ​Was invented by Austrian Priest August Musgerin the early 20th century. The
term ‘slow-mo’ refers to the process or technique of filming a motion picture at an accelerated
rate of speed and then projecting or replaying it at normal speed so that the action appears to be
slowed down.

Slow-motion is used widely in action films for dramatic effects to enhance action scenes. For
example, the famous bullet-dodging effect, popularized by The Matrix. On the other hand, it is
sometimes done to convey the love between two characters.

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Split Screen:​ refers to the visible division of the screen typically in half but also in several
simultaneous images, separating the illusion that the screen’s frame is a seamless view of reality.

The purpose of split-screen is to show two different pieces of information or scenes

simultaneously on the same screen during a film.

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Wipes: ​is a very dated form of transition that is not often adopted in modern film making. The
shot is ‘wiped’ from the screen to reveal the next shot in a variety of creative ways.

The purpose of using ‘wipe’, the film transition edit is to replace a shot from another by
travelling from one side of the frame to another with a special shape.

Dissolves: ​refers to the gradual transition to another scene by overlapping one clip with another.
This type of transition edit can be used to transition to another scene more smoothly and
seamlessly. This technique is often used while following some sort of story in a sequence.

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Dissolving from one scene to the next allows the audience to see the change of emotion and
context. In addition, dissolving from one face to another can have a narrative significance
concerning the characters.

Fades: ​Refers to a visual transition used to gradually enter another scene. Some fades are often
used as a flashback or dreams to show the merging of the scene into another. A fade can make
the audience feel like they are fading into another scene. The use of fades can make the flow of a
sequence feel more smooth for the audience. They also help set the scene more successfully in
flashbacks for the audience as they signify the mind.

In addition, fading to black can be used to move a dramatic scene or emotional scene into
another scene, or to the credits at the end of a film. Fading to white, on the other hand, can be
used to create a sense of ambiguity or a sense of hope

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An analysis of editing: The Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon is a

silent,

black-and-white French film directed by Georges Méliès, which was released in 1902.
The film is about a group of astronomers who travel to the moon. The start of the film
begins with them building the rocket and as they travel to the moon and meet aliens. The
astronomers are then captured by the aliens. However, one brave astronomer hits their
king who explodes and they sprint to the capsule pursued by the aliens. They drop the
capsule which falls through space and reaches the massive ocean. Then they are rescued
by a streamer who brings the team safe and sound. Furthermore, Georges Méliès uses an
abundance of linear chronology or editing techniques throughout his film such as jump
cuts, fades and dissolves. The purpose of linear chronology is to establish the flow of
time within his film.

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In the opening scene, the fade-in editing transition is used immediately. ​A fade-in is
visual theme used to indicate or suggest a change in location and time. This demands a
gradual brightening as a shot opens or a gradual darkening as the shot goes black or to
another colour. The sound also fades in to convey the change.

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Later, a dissolve editing transition follows several minutes later to display the
astronomers building the rocket. In this instance, a dissolve transition is used to augment
how long it took the astronomers to build. A dissolve is referred to as a ​gradual scene
transition, it is when the filmmaker overlaps one scene with another in this case, ​Georges
Méliès​. It makes a scene look more smooth and seamless. Furthermore, this specific
editing transition is also used​ to represent the passing of time in a film.

The jump-cut film editing technique is then used to instantly ‘jump’ from one scene to
the next. For instance, in A Trip To The Moon, it displays a group of women waving
towards the audience and then transitions to the next scene spontaneously showing a man
standing next to the rocket. ​The film editing technique ‘jumpcut’ was discovered in 1896
by a ​French cinematographer Georges Méliès. He discovered this technique by accident
and first used it as a special effect in his first film in 1896, ‘The Vanishing Lady’. The
jump cut is a film editing technique, it is referred to when two shots that are the same
subject are taken from the camera positions that vary slightly. This film editing technique
enables the filmmaker to swiftly move a scene on in time without using several cuts and
transitions. ‘Jumpcut’ also provides strengths for example, this type of editing transition
delivers the effect of jumping forward in time.

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Fading to black is the most common film transition type it is used at the end of A Trip To
The Moon. Fading to black is usually used as a visual motif in a film to signify the
completion of the film or to symbolise the passage of time. Furthermore, by fading to
black allows the audience or viewer to have a visual pause and has time to reflect on the
dramatic event that may have just occurred.  

An analysis of editing: The Great train robbery 

 

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The Great Train Robbery is​ a silent, narrative, black-and-white American film directed
and produced by Edwin S. Porter, which was released in 1903. This short, ​action film
and a classic Western, with four sinful bandits who hijack a train and rob the passengers
of their valuables, then make their extraordinary escape only to be killed in a shootout by
a posse, sent after them. Director Edwin S. Porter also uses an abundance editing
techniques mainly cross-cutting, jump-cuts. Furthermore, Edwin S. Porter solely used
editing to cut together different shots into a narrative shifting and changing perspectives
and locations 

At the start of the film, a jump-cut is immediately used in a scene to display an innocent
passenger on the train floor beaten and tied up, then shifts the scene to the outside of a
desert, it displays four bandits lurking next to the train tracks.​ A ​ jump-cut is a film
editing technique, it is referred to when two shots that are the same subject are taken from
the camera positions that vary slightly. This film editing technique enables the filmmaker
to swiftly move a scene on in time without using several cuts and transitions. The use of
this film editing technique is to give the impression of jumping forward in time.

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As the film progress, the increasing use of cross-cutting is beginning to be more

prominent. This innovative film editing technique is used when the four bandits evacuate
the hijacked train and embark on their journey to safety. From the scene of the bandits
fleeing downwards into the forest, the scene immediately shifts to the bandits navigating
themselves in the centre of the frame. Cross-cutting is an​ ​editing technique most often
used in films to establish action occurring at the same time in two different destinations.
In cross-cutting, the camera will cut away from one action to another action, which
illustrates the simultaneity of these two actions but sometimes is not always the case. The
ultimate purpose of this film editing technique is to make it more natural for the audience
or the viewer to watch the film as the shot sequences flow smoothly and seamlessly into
each other.

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At the end of The Great Train Robbery, the scene shifts to a mid-close-up shot of man in
the centre frame aiming his gun towards the audience or viewer then it fades to black.
Fading to black is very typical at the end of Early 20th Century films, it is also the most
modern film transition type. Nonetheless, it is used at the end of The Great Train
Robbery usually used as a visual motif. The ultimate purpose of fading to black is to
signify the completion of the film or to symbolise the passage of time. Furthermore, by
fading to black allows the audience or viewer to have a visual pause and has time to
reflect on the dramatic event that may have just occurred.

Citizen Kane 
 

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Citizen Kane is an American film drama released in 1941, that was directed, co-written
and produced by Orson Welles who starred in as the main protagonist Charles Foster
Kane. Citizen Kane was often considered by critics, filmmakers and fans to be the
greatest film ever made. The film was nominated for Academy awards in nine categories
but only won an Academy Award for the best screenplay. Citizen Kane was Welles first
his full-length film while creating this film he was allowed to develop the story without
interfering cast his own actors and crew members and have the privilege of the final cut
which was unheard of at that time for a director. Furthermore, this film reveals the story
of a life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, an affluent media proprietor. Orson Welles is
also known for his contributions to cinematography which were a combination of two
particular film editing techniques, deep focus and deep space.

Citizen Kane use an abundance of dissolves and fades techniques to add to the mysterious
atmosphere, it also used to create suspense within the film. The dissolve editing
technique ​refers to the gradual transition to another scene by overlapping one clip with
another. This type of transition edit can be used to transition to another scene more
smoothly and seamlessly. This technique is often used while following some sort of story
in a sequence. Dissolving from one scene to the next allows the audience to see the
change of emotion and context. In addition, dissolving from one face to another can have
a narrative significance concerning the characters. Fades are defined as Refers to a visual
transition used to gradually enter another scene. Some fades are often used as a flashback
or dreams to show the merging of the scene into another. A fade can make the audience

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feel like they are fading into another scene. The use of fades can make the flow of a
sequence feel more smooth for the audience. They also help set the scene more
successfully in flashbacks for the audience as they signify the mind. Flashbacks are also
used successfully and effectively in Citizen Kane, this particular technique is used to
portray Kane’s childhood and rise to wealth all while trying to discover the identity of
“Rosebud”. This is a very beneficial technique as it enables the audience or viewer to
understand more about the character better. Citizen Kane is also full of Deep focus. Deep
focus refers to having everything in the frame, even the background in focus at the same
time, as opposed to having only the people and things in the foreground in focus. The
deep focus technique requires the cinematographer to combine lighting, composition, and
type of camera lens to produce the desired effect.

Mad Max: Fury

Road

Mad Max: Fury Road is an extremely unique action film, which is based in a desolate
wasteland where water, oil and ammunition are currency. Tom Hardy is ‘Max
Rockatansky,’ chased and imprisoned by the formidable War Boys. The movie
begins precisely with Max as the Protagonist. Then there is something of a shift
toward Furiosa. It’s her objective was to bring the Wives to the Green Place, which
creates the chase storyline which dominates the plot. The film uses an abundance of
cross cutting editing technique, to show two or more things happening at the exact
same time alternating between scene at different locations and with different subjects.
For example, it cuts the cinematic shot of the canyon to the bikers and drivers
pursuing the rig truck heading towards the Citadel. Furthermore, the film uses some
insert shots to zoom into the more important things in the scene. For example, when
the vehicle exploded the steering wheel emerged from chaotic destruction it zoomed
into the camera to provide dramatic empathise. In addition, the film also uses close
ups, an editing technique in which the camera narrows down and fixates on the
characters face. This technique allows the characters to portray universal human
emotions such as fear, anger and sadness.

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The Birth of a Nation 

The Birth of a Nation is a silent, epic historical drama film about the American civil war
and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. This film was directed, co-produced and screenplayed
by D. W. Griffith in 1915. The Birth of a Nation was seen as the beginning of narrative
film. It was mainly recognised for its use of continuity editing where D. W. Griffith
combined and mixed lots of related shots into a sequence which focuses on the attention
of the audience or the viewer. Furthermore, continuity editing was used to keep the
storyline in films flowing smoothly and seamlessly. In The Birth of a Nation, parallel
editing technique is used to display the clansmen horses galloping towards the cabins to
save the day. Parallel editing technique is referred to as when separate scenes
simultaneously have the action flow seamlessly and displays the correlation between the
two scenes shown in the frame. There were an abundance of established shots that were
used in this film for example, established shots were used to view the setting or location
before the action. Furthermore, this is used to suggest violence or a particular event that
is about to occur. The Birth of a Nation film was also solely famous for it repetition of
flashbacks. ​Early scenes in the south are filmed with a more sepia tone as life is peaceful
and harmonic, but later scenes are a harsh black and white as black soldiers fill the streets
and the clansmen come to break them up.

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10 Cloverfield lane 
10 cloverfield lane is an American drama, mystery film which was directed and released
by Dan Trachtenberg in 2016. 10 cloverfield lane uses an abundance of editing
techniques. It uses established shot to set the scene which allows the audience or the
viewer to see where the location or based. Furthermore, The establishing shot seems
unrealistic and ‘too good to be true’ which symbolizes her leaving her flawless life. At
the opening scene, there is lots of fast-paced cuts which makes the character feel chaotic
or frantic. There is a lingering close-up of the phone which creates importance on the
phone foreshadows the phone will kill the woman. There is also lots of depth of field
used in 10 Cloverfield lane which how objects and allows the audience to connect the
object to the future. This also foreshadows what is going to happen later on in the film.  

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