Editing

“The invisible art”

What is editing?
Editing in the film industry is when, usually a small group of people, work on the process of
stitching together pieces of film to make an actual, by definition, film. The editing process
can also include the use of special effects and techniques that involve altering the initial
footage in any way. For example, the most common use of editing is a “Jump-cut” which is
where the footage is cut to immediately reveal the next shot and can also be used as a
transition to the next scene.
Historical timeline

In 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumiere invented the Cinematograph “Cinematographe” which
is a camera that also worked as a projector and ultimately created filming motion-picture.
The twins then went on to exhibit
their films in Moscow and St.
Petersburg in 1896. This lead on
to the recording on Nicholas II’s
coronation to be the first official
film in Russia filmed by a man
called Camille Cerf.
Once the popularity of movies had gradually increased, film studios and theatres started to
be constructed; the first one being built in 1897. This lead to the first successful and
permanent theatre “The Nickelodeon” to be constructed in Pittsburgh in 1905. Slightly
earlier, in 1901, Edwin S. Porter changed that by being the first filmmaker to attach pieces of
film together to create Jump cuts. This made the films around this time last up to seven
minutes long. The first instances of several techniques used were in 1915 with a film called
“The birth of a nation”. This D.W. Griffiths
work contains a multitude of long
panoramic shots, cross cuts, planning and
still shots and even use of the iris effect.

The first animated movie to be edited

digitally on computers was called
Hummingbird, which was released in the
1960’s. This saw the rise of many more CGI
implemented films in the especially 1980’s.
Much more recently Computer CGI has
evolved to allow creators to produce almost anything they can think of. In the new
millennia, a long list of new techniques has been used as more ways of editing are always
being imagined.
Technologies

The
Lumiere brothers invented the Cinematographe in 1865. It was made to record the footage
onto negative images and then play back the film as a projector. Thomas A. Edison’s
Kinetograph inspired this, which was invented 1891. This device was essentially a spinning
wheel with small slits cut into it. When a small piece of film is inserted into it and it is placed
around a small electric light bulb, once spun around it begins to project those images onto
outwards surfaces to portray moving images. In 1924, Iwan Serruria invented a device called
the Moviola, which allowed editors at the time to see in more detail and cut film negatives
more precisely. From 2010 onwards, software has been developed that allows for a lot of
“Automatic editing”. This implies lots of techniques usually only accomplishable by a human
now being done by advanced programming. Techniques such as creating a route for a
digitally inputted object to move around in. Or, automatic colour correction in scenes films
in certain lighting conditions. Although some of these techniques can make editing a lot
user-friendlier, it can make a few editing roles obsolete. There are also a large number of
editing software’s available. Programs like Microsoft Moviemaker and Nuke V10 are
becoming more and more used in the modern world, not just by small moviemakers but
large advertising companies as well. Going back to analogue editing, when film-makers first
had the idea of editing film, editors would spend hours cutting up the original film reel and
sticking it to other sections of the story with special glue. Once played on a projector this
would seem like a smooth transition and were the first instances of Jump shots.

In the early 20th century a soviet filmmaker filmed a 2-seond clip of a man with a blank
expression staring at the camera. Then the scene cuts to one of the following things: a
young girl in a coffin (presumably deceased), a bowl of soup and a drink and finally a
beautiful woman lying on a sofa. Each of these things coupled with the man’s expressionless
face cam be seen to demonstrate the different emotions the man could be showing. Put
simplistically, the purpose of this sequence is to show how to use continuity editing to
portray a story.

Practitioners- in detail
The Lumiere brothers were French inventors who
created the Cinematographe, which was a camera that
was also a projector. At aged 18, Louis Lumiere built
his own photographic plate factory. After hearing
about Thomas
Edison’s Kinetoscope from their
father, they were inspired to try and combine
Animation with projection. They were the original
inspiration for George Melies.
 David Wark Griffith is one of the most well known editors in the
media industry. When he was younger, he had a keen interest in
Victorian literature and tried writing plays and poems and then
eventually screenwriting for movie scenarios. After being hired by
Edwin S. Porter to star in one of his films, he then directed his first
film on a $45-a-week contract called “The Adventures of Dollie” which
was shot in two days. Griffiths first created Continuity editing to keep
the flow of the scene to feel natural and not jarring. D.W. Griffith was
also known for using the “180-degree-rule” which, coupled with his
continuity editing, made his style seem very smooth and made his films easy to understand
even for the simplicity of the film of that time. In 1909, Griffith created a film called “The
Lonely Villa” about a burglary. This is considered one Griffith’s best works as he uses the
tempo and increase of the film to build tension in a, then, very unique and interesting way.
Some of the most his most used techniques are used here such as: the use of long medium
shots, the temporary shot lengths and course close up shots. In 1911 he released the
infamously controversial “The Birth of a Nation”. A film that seemed racist even at the time
for promoting the Klu-klux-Klan, only became noticeable because of it use of a wide variety
of editing techniques. Many alterations were requested by many censorship boards to see if
it could be moderated as it caused many riots. A final version was produced and later
released that same year. D.W. Griffith has always been regarded, despite having a
controversial view on the world, as one of the most influential movie editors of all time.

Sergei Eisenstein, born in 1898, was a Russian filmmaker who first

thought-up the concept of a film montage. He created such films as Potemkin and Ivan the
Terrible. Eisenstein changed the way films at the scene chronologically. He proposed the
idea of a film montage. Which was when a series of shots would be shown sometimes out
of chronological order or realistically chronological (Skipping large amounts of time). From
his work, he was dubbed” The Father of Montage.” He once claimed that the footage
captured from a camera is just raw material and that not until that raw material has been
edited. Eisenstein goes into incredible detail about his theories on the effect of montages in
one of his several books called Film Form which, despite just being a collection of his college
and work notes and essays are actually quite insightful.

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most influential filmmakers in the 20th
and even 21st centuries. In 1960, Hitchcock created a film called Psycho
which used a lot of editing techniques including the Hitchcock
montage. The Hitchcock montage is a group of clips which are strung
together to show a complex scene. Due to the restrictions of what
directors could have in a film, Alfred Hitchcock had to create methods of censoring certain
scenes. For example, back in the 50s and 60s, the act of murder wasn’t allowed to be shown
so what a Hitchcock montage did was it showed lots of consecutive scenes which only
implied and murder had taken place. This was a clever loophole that creators still use today,
but to achieve creative effect as appose to bending the rules of copyright.

A few other techniques Hitchcock used are suspense and shock. These two elements can be
reached with good editing; if edited the right way, something like suspense can be shown
very easily. For example, if an editor edits certain clips to be long and focusing on the
character(s) and then onto something that the main character hasn’t seen or noticed then
we as the audience instantly feel fearful of what might happen to the character. This could
be achieved if the editor shows shots of something out of the characters perspective and
then another shot of the character obviously not looking in the direction of the new
development. Another way to do that would be to have a shot that shows the main
character close up to show all of their small and scared or at least tense reactions so that
the audience really feels connected to the characters emotions. Another editing technique
Hitchcock used was the element of shock. This was and still is mostly achieved through the
use of something called a jump-scare. This is where an action will occur so quickly it will
startle the audience. The editor suddenly cutting to a shot of the subject that is meant to
scare the audience normally achieves this.
 Citizen Kane is a film released in 1940s, directed Orson Wells,
about a group of reporters tasked with figuring out a secret
message left by a millionaire tycoon before his death. The editing
of this film employs a lot of different techniques, the most
prominent of these being Continuity editing. This meant that
there is a lot of cuts where the timeline of the film may seem a bit
mixed and matched. But the continuity isn't damaged as the particular shots in the film are
put there to make a more fluid plot structure. Looking more specifically at some smaller
editing techniques, the transitions in the film vary from quick, snappy jump-cuts to a smooth
fade transition. All of these transitions were implemented for a particular purpose; swift
Jump-cuts are used to build up the tension by constantly switching to different subjects of
the scene; whereas the long fading transitions are used for adding a mysterious tone for a
scene. Noticeably a lot of the techniques used in the film are meant to add mysterious
pretences and tones to the overall vibe of the film. For example, having the background
blurred for some shots with just one character creates the sense that these characters are
surrounded by mystery, so to speak, as they are metaphorically and physically unable to see
what is around them.

Francis Ford Coppola was an American filmmaker from Detroit. His

first film was called Finian’s Rainbow in 1968 where he was credited
for his editing skills. A few years after he created Apocalypse Now in
1979. Apocalypse now has lots of elements of editing that are still
considered extremely impressive. The opening scene uses lots of
techniques, for example the use of L and J shots to represent the
contrast of what the character is feeling and experiencing. Also, in the
opening scene is the use of a match-cut of a ceiling fan with a
helicopter sound effect to show that character having constant
psychological reminders of the traumatic experiences of the war he
was in. Parallel editing is also prominent in Apocalypse now. Some scenes are shown with
parallel editing to show how all of the soldiers at the start of the film struggle to see
anything different to the war itself. Another noticeable technique was having a fading shot
on Martin sheen’s face at the beginning of the film. Specifically, having shots of helicopters
and explosions on half of his face that is faded out and having the light of the other side
could show that he is constantly thinking about his trauma.
Coppola also made The Godfather trilogy, which was a series that included lots of editing
techniques. For example, the infamous church scene shows off parallel editing very well as
there are shots of both the main character being baptised and intertwining shots of all the
crime he has organised happening elsewhere. This kind of parallel editing is very cleverly put
together as it not only shows the anxiety of the character but also shows the hypocrisy and
irony of the situations as he’s supposed to be resenting his sins but has caused lots of
trouble elsewhere. There are also some long shots in the films, most noticeably inside the
restaurant scene where the main character kills for the first time; there is a technique used
that also falls under sound editing.

I’m not specifically focusing on sound but

the technique is still notable anyway. The
technique I am referring to is that when
the main character is sat down, there is a
very long shot of the camera slowly
moving towards his face as he becomes
more and more tense about what he is
about to do. This shot is coupled with the
sound of a nearby train getting closer and closer with the sound of it getting louder and
louder. This combination of editing techniques is incredible as it shows the main characters
growing nerves about his upcoming actions both physically with the long shot that makes
the audience feel every second of the ever-growing tension. The sound of the train’s
increasing volume also indicates the tension is growing with each passing second. The final
scene that is most notable for its editing is the scene when the millionaire character is in a
meeting with a mob boss and the millionaire character refuses to do business with him. This
causes the scene to change with a fade-out shot to indicate that some time has passed to
the next day. This scene shows a one long shot of the millionaire character waking up in his
mansion and suddenly becoming very scared as to what it is his bed. The camera then slowly
pans down to the covers being pulled off of an object at the bottom of his bed which a
severed head of a horse he owned. The character then screams at the head then it cuts to a
shot of his mansion still with the screaming sound effect. This piece of sound editing has
very cleverly implied that that characters fear has been cast over all of his wealth and riches
(as represented by his mansion).

Also, arguably one of the most

influential filmmakers of the 21st
century is Edger Wright. His films are
widely praised for their editing and he
has easily developed his own style very
easily and quickly. His use of
techniques is used very carefully in his
films and he pays into the upmost
detail in his films. For example, in one
of his most popular films Shaun of The
Dead and some other films in that
trilogy where he has some of actions in frame but not focused on. This means the audience
will subconsciously pay attention to it and will have a better reaction from it later. However,
In Shaun of The Dead, one of his most prominent techniques is showed the most, this
technique is called cutting to the beat and expertly shows off his obsession with timing.
Every movement of every subject in shot has been planned out thoroughly with the use of
songs and beats. For instance, in Shaun of The Dead, there are some scenes where the
zombies walk in time with the music or synchronised to something with a beat. Even there
movements and not just the way they walk are all similar with each other. For the sake of
the film, this is to show the zombies moving as one unit as a singular force of “evil”. These
methods are also implemented into his two “sequel films” Hot Fuzz and The World’s End.

However in these films, another one of his techniques are mot used which is the use of
dramatic jump cuts. A short montage made up of quick shot coupled with zoom effects can
give the audience a number of impressions. In Hot Fuzz, these montages are seen in the
most mundane tasks giving them a more thrilling feeling to them to increase the over all
action of the film. In The World’s End, these montages are also seen with almost any
sequence creating more of a comedic effect. There are even some examples when Wright
uses sound designs with these montages. By adding sharp sound effects to each of his shot
transitions he increases the weight of each shot. There is even one instance of him doing
this exact thing in a montage in The World’s End where the main characters are having
glasses of beer pored for each of them respectively and with each shot of poring beer is a
harsh sound effect. However, the sound effect is taken away when one of the characters has
asked for water and the build up of tension is immediately take away but for a well-
promised comedic effect. All of these techniques are reason for Edgar Wright to be one of
the most influential editors of our time today (he is also one of my persona favourite
filmmakers).
 Baby driver- a film by Edgar wright
uses a technique called: ”Cutting to
the beat”. This is where shots,
actions and reactions all happen to
the beat of the soundtrack of the
film. Baby Driver does this very well.
For example, the car chase scene at
the beginning film uses the beat of
the song playing in the background
as cues for the actors and actions.
This technique is normally used to establish a style for the film and generally everything else
like the main characters, background, plot, story, etc. It can also be used to seemingly speed
up a film or scene, as the audience will pay more attention to the rhythm of the scene. The
film also comes with a very large and specifically selected soundtrack:
1. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – ‘Bellbottoms’
2. Bob & Earl – ‘Harlem Shuffle’
3. Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers – ‘Egyptian Reggae’
4. Googie Rene – ‘Smokey Joe’s La La’
5. The Beach Boys – ‘Let’s Go Away For Awhile’
6. Carla Thomas – ‘B-A-B-Y’
7. Kashmere Stage Band – ‘Kashmere’
8. Dave Brubeck – ‘Unsquare Dance’
9. The Damned – ‘Neat Neat Neat’
10. The Commodores – ‘Easy (Single Version)’
11. T. Rex – ‘Debora’
12. Beck – ‘Debra’
13. Incredible Bongo Band – ‘Bongolia’
14. The Detroit Emeralds – ‘Baby Let Me Take You (in My Arms)’
15. Alexis Korner – ‘Early In The Morning’
16. David McCallum – ‘The Edge’
17. Martha and the Vandellas – ‘Nowhere To Run’
18. The Button Down Brass – ‘Tequila’
19. Sam & Dave – ‘When Something Is Wrong With My Baby’
20. Brenda Holloway – ‘Every Little Bit Hurts’
21. Blur – ‘Intermission’
22. Focus – ‘Hocus Pocus (Original Single Version)’
23. Golden Earring – ‘Radar Love (1973 Single Edit)’
24. Barry White – ‘Never, Never Gone Give Ya Up’
25. Young MC – ‘Know How’
26. Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’
27. Sky Ferreira – ‘Easy’
28. Simon & Garfunkel – ‘Baby Driver’
29. Kid Koala – ‘Was He Slow (Credit Roll Version)’
30. Danger Mouse (featuring Run The Jewels and Big Boi) – ‘Chase Me’

Every song on this list has an important role at some point in the film. Whether it would be a
song that has the same name as one of the characters so that main character Baby is
reminded of it when looking her. Or whether a song shows Baby’s fascination of the
relevance of a song to a situation. This shows the level of detail Edgar Wright goes to for
when making a film.

Conclusion

In conclusion, editing, or at least the evolution of editing has been extremely important to
the film and media industry respectively. Films would be a lot blander and probably not
even as popular as they are today. Editing has always been a very fine art to filmmaking and
may become a lot easier and simpler as technology continues to grow. From my research I
can now include a timeline in my documentary about lots of well-known editors and there
works, detailed case studies of a few films edited by those professionals and specific
techniques used by those professionals.
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