Essay I wore about editing

Essay about the process of editing :) x

Editing

Editing has changed a lot over the years, from when film was just shot and then displayed with no editing whatsoever meaning that planning had to be really careful, to cutting up film and re-assembling it, in camera editing, introduction of more techniques and angles to the software such as Final Cut Pro and After affects that are available today to reassemble clips add affects and even add completely computer generated elements and use of motion capture. In this essay I will examine the basic principles of editing.

Editing doesn’t just start in post-production or even during filming, it starts from planning. In plans scripts, shooting scripts and storyboards are made. The script is the basic running order of scenes and says the very basics of what and who is in the scene; the storyboard is then created from this. A Storyboard is a visual representation of all the main key shots that will be taken and often they are ordered in sequence- the shooting script is the written version of this including details about background, angles and actions. This planning is done to ensure all the shots that are needed are taken and often they are in a general order before shooting even and the more angles and cutaways they get the more choice that there is during editing. Also in the planning stage the sound is planned to, for example a scene may open with just hearing the sound of a ticking clock and if you plan to edit that in planning is needed to decide whether a sound library will be used or if the sound is needed to be recorded with the video or separately and layered on afterwards so there for planning is very important in editing to make sure you have enough footage and sound to edit into the final product.

There are many considerations needed for editing while filming. Firstly the written aspects; for example on a project that has many tapes the tape case and cassette itself needs to be correctly labelled, or even on a project with a single tape the tape must still be labelled with the project name so it doesn’t get mixed up with other projects. Also it is important for the cameraman or director to make a Log Sheet. The purpose of a log sheet is to log every shot and every take of that shot, written on the log sheet is the tape number, place in the time code, description of the shot and scene and whether it is good or bad. The reason a log sheet is created is so that directors can look at it after shooting and decide what shots they want to include in the finished product, this is why the tape number and time code are necessary so that the editor can easily find and capture the clips, if the time code is given it is easiest to log the clips and then batch capture (marking in and out points of shot with time code) them so that it takes less time for the editor as through the capture now method the editor has to be there to stop the capturing where as batch capturing lines all of the clips up. However to be able to batch capture it must be ensured during filming that there are no breaks in the time code otherwise the computer gets confused by the breaks and doesn’t capture correctly meaning you need to scan through the tape to find the correct takes and the use capture now which would take longer and be more complicated.  Another thing that needs to be considered and checked is the file formats, if you record in the wrong file format and don’t have the software so that a Mac will recognise it and it will be useable on Final Cut Pro then basically its your hard worked for film down the drain, so always check first, also when logging and capturing it is important to make you set the system preferences correctly according to your camera, file formats are also important when importing sound though more of an issue with video.

Not all editing considerations while filming apply to paperwork and labelling, there are many practical things that are necessary to consider. To have more options when it comes to edit it’s better to not use in camera affects and or fades as sometimes when you put these affects on in camera it is impossible or very difficult to change when it comes to the edit. Again to do with the amount of decisions possible when it comes to the edit, the director should film each scene from different angles if possible and get cutaways so that there is plenty to edit from, so that scenes in the finished project don’t get boring to the viewer with really long takes that aren’t broken up a little by varying angles and cutaways. Also it is important to get some establishing and location shots as well so that the viewer understands where the scene is and more of an atmosphere can be created in the way that the scene is established. Also all the angles of the camera and the lighting used creates certain atmospheres which can then be enhanced in the edit though it is better to use some lighting effects while filming as by then it should be known what affect the direct is trying to have on the viewer.

Speaking of atmosphere sound is another key factor in production, wild track sounds must be taken on all locations to capture the atmosphere just the sounds of a room or park or whatever the location is to make it seem more natural – unless the filmmaker is planning on making it seem unnatural depending on the digesis (the world of the film) , also the dialogue sound needs to be considered within scenes so that sound is recorded properly and isn’t interfered with otherwise when you come to edit you may find the sound isn’t good so the take is ruined. Also some sounds need to be added after filming though still need to be recorded as part of the production process, this includes original music which needs to be edited to fit the scene, voice-overs that need to be recorded and thought about what footage will be visible during the voice-over to make it make sense, in some cases and sounds such as someone falling down the stairs need to be recorded after as it is difficult to record while filming, often these sounds that are added are made by using other things like drumming hands on the floor to create the sound of an impact. Other sounds can be gathered to be used in the edit from sound libraries with many pre-recorded sounds like basic phone rings or copy-free sound on the internet can be used. Also composed original music is often composed while the scene as it is played the orchestra play to make an appropriate soundtrack. Sound is very important in edits to create the right mood and to add emphasis to information or add information on its own, for example you may hear a gun shot in the distance but not see the gun shoot or the impact of the bullet but may see the after result.

The paper-edit is the next stage when it comes to editing, sometimes the script and or storyboard is cut up and re-arranged into a different order or just laid out across a table so that it is easier to see what shots were planned and then the director can begin to think about what takes of the scene and angles can go where and make notes in order of the tape number and time codes on a separate sheet of paper ordering all of the clips used –often the description of the shot will be included here to. Sometimes an editor will be part of this process but not always, often it is after this when the director and editor sit down and talk about the desired effect of each scene, the sound that will be used etc, and then the paper edit is handed to the editor ready for them to capture and edit the footage.

There are many different ways of editing depending on the style of what the media product is, often continuity editing is used particularly in films. Continuity editing is when everything is edited together in sequence as if it is happening in real time even though one angle of the scene may be shot the day after another angle of it for example but it appears that it is happening in real time. Sometimes some aspects of a programme are filmed with continuity editing and other parts aren’t for example a documentary may use continuity editing on the main presenter if it’s based in a studio for example cutting from  a long angle shot them walking to a high angle of them yet they may then show a reconstruction (for example in a documentary such as Crime Watch) which then takes it away from the continuity editing side and will more often skip around a little in time and have a voice over explaining events.

Another editing technique is montage used to show things happening over a period of time, a good example of a montage would be the one in Citizen Kane which though it is slower than some montages does show how a relationship changes over time from being happily married to arguments and then not talking and sitting far away from each-other at the breakfast table. The transition used of the newspapers is relevant to the story, using appropriate transitions is also part of editing and often different transitions can be used for different effects for example to show the passing of time like the newspapers do in Citizen Kane.

Also timing of other things in editing is important so that it looks right to the viewer, for example if in a scene someone is seen walking through a door and it is shot from one side them opening it and the other them coming through if it is edited in real time then it doesn't look right visually so must be edited so that you see them coming through the door the other side a few seconds or frames (depending on the speed) later.

Some things are edited very abstractly for example often music videos don't use continuity editing but often skip around and may only use continuity for some small parts of the video however this isn't the case with all music videos for example The Friday Night Boy's song –‘Stupid Love Letter’ has a lot of continuity editing though does still skip about during some parts but not as much as most music videos for example Rhianna’s video for ‘Please Don't Stop The Music’.

It is very important in all media products that correct establishment is made, how a scene, music video, documentary, film, drama, comedy whatever it is starts it is vital that the opening of it and all establishment used in it is used well as how you start something often makes the viewer decide whether to continue watching or keep flicking through the channels. You need to set up the atmosphere and let the viewer know where the scene is set, often with long establishing shots to moving closer for example in a sci-fi film may be established by first seeing the Earth then a country or city and then the area the first scene is set in before the characters are even seen. The music and camera angles are also very important to create the right mood for the media product for example creepy music in a horror film or dramatic music in a drama.

The edit can have a massive affect on the storyline and/or create suspense more than just un-edited tied together footage. There is sometimes a decision to be made with what is revealed vs. what is concealed. For example a scene with a dead body on the floor you could choose to show the body first then someone’s reaction to it, or show the reaction and then only a little while after show the body so that suspense is gained as the viewer wonders what made that reaction. This applies also to the earlier gunshot example; it is a very important part of editing.

Sometimes colour comes into editing for example the massive waterfall shown in Pirates Of The Caribbean At World’s End is actually Niagara falls but colour etc has been edited to make it look different. Also involved in editing are CG elements either effects like healing for example Claire in Heroes from going from really burned and scared to normal or even just a cut to normal, other times using motion capture for example Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings is motion captured (played by Andy Serkis) and a 3D model is built around it and follows around it as if Gollum’s character is real. There are a billion and one examples of this in many shows and films, sometimes not even done to make something look extraordinary but to make it look more for example some scenes in The Dark Knight when he comes out of a tall building he wouldn’t of actually been there as it would be too dangerous and difficult to film and permission would never be granted.

The are many different software available to use in editing, ranging from simple software such as Windows Movie Maker which has some effects and transitions but only allows one layer of sound and video, Sony Vegas, to Final Cut Pro which is the professional industry software that you can have many different layers of sound and video and you have a lot more freedom with what you can do with clips like using split screen which is impossible on WMM. Other software where you can alter small elements getting them ready to put them into the final film include animation software and things like after affects where you can add certain effects onto a shot like a morph and colour correction where needed so that each part is ready to edit into the final product. But its not just video editing that is important, sound editing is to, some software to sound edit include Ejay, Garage-band and Pro Tools, though sound can also be edited from within Final Cut Pro to some degree like adjusting the sound levels and cutting parts.

Finally one of the most important things in editing is representation. An editor has a lot of power to influence how people perceive something or someone, a famous experiment into this is the Kuleshov experiment (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gLBXikghE0) he believed that the perception of the viewer depended on how things were tied together in editing, he took the same clip of a man and tested putting different images in between his face and showing the different versions to different people to see how they interpret the mans expression, and he was right with different images people perceived the man differently. However its not just how things are tied together with cutaways and other images in the scene that is important. Also important is what you show of a person, the angles and effects you use on them for example a low angled show can make a person look superior as the viewer has to look up at them and a high angle show looking down makes the viewer look down on the person so makes the subject appear inferior. In observational documentaries or reality TV in particular subjects are usually edited in a particular way to make them look like a good person or a bad person, for example if in I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here one celebrity is always shown arguing but not shown much at other times it doesn’t mean they were arguing with everyone all day or that the other contestants weren’t arguing but it is edited to make that one celebrity look bad to the public. It is important that editors attempt to give a true and accurate presentation though that is always impossible as the only way to do that is show the entire all day footage taken completely un-edited which 1. Would be un-interesting for the viewer and 2.The public and the broadcaster would want to put other programmes on.

Overall editing is very important in all video media products and even other media products such as sound and posters but video particularly, be it factual, fiction, a film, a music video or even an advert. It can alter someone’s appearance, what you think of a character or subject, it can construct false illusions of time and change an atmosphere, editing happens throughout and even before production and is probably the most import aspect of any production.