Montage comes from the French word for assembly 'montage' hence the phrase "assembly edit". In French film making montage has a literal meaning and simply identifies editing, in soviet film making of the 1920's montage was a method of juxtaposing shots together to derive new meaning that did not exist in either shot by them selves, and in classic Hollywood film making montage sequences are shot segments in a film in which narrative information is presented in a condensed way.
Hollywood montage is a montage style that became a convention during the classical Hollywood era and has remained a very popular technique for directors and editors throughout the twentieth and twenty-first century. the montage sequence consists of a series of short shots that are edited into a sequence to condense narrative, it is usually used to advance the story as a whole rather then create symbolic meaning.
Soviet montage leans more toward creating symbolic meaning, Lev Kuleshov was a Soviet film maker and film theorist, one of the founders of the world's first film school, the Moscow Film School. for Kuleshov editing a film was like the construction of a building- brick by brick, shot by shot. Kuleshov conducted an experiment where he edited together a short film in which the expressionless face of Ivan Mosjoukine was altered with various other shots. soviet montage works because it is the audience that infer meaning based on what they see and the context provided.
Monday, 1 February 2016
In-Camera Editing
In-camera editing is an editing technique where the shots in scene are all shot in a sequence which is already in the right order, this means that during post production the editor doesn't need to cut any of the scenes together later on.
This requires all the sequences to be planed in the right order before any filming is done but since no editing is required later it can still save time depending on how big the plan is and how long it takes them to finish the plans.
An advantage of using in-camera editing is high budget filming would require more time and money to edit but if they use in-camera editing it could save on time and money which allows them more budget for other aspects of their filming.
Due to the simplicity of in-camera editing many new media students/creators will favor this as they may not have much experience with editing or because it might save them trying to do any editing later on, it also can be seen as an educational medium because of time and organizational skills that are required.
This requires all the sequences to be planed in the right order before any filming is done but since no editing is required later it can still save time depending on how big the plan is and how long it takes them to finish the plans.
An advantage of using in-camera editing is high budget filming would require more time and money to edit but if they use in-camera editing it could save on time and money which allows them more budget for other aspects of their filming.
Due to the simplicity of in-camera editing many new media students/creators will favor this as they may not have much experience with editing or because it might save them trying to do any editing later on, it also can be seen as an educational medium because of time and organizational skills that are required.
Creating pace
Creating pace in editing a film is when a films speed changes, by either getting faster or slowing down during certain parts of the film, an editor can create pace in a scene by moving from longer to shorter takes or by using fewer cuts in a given time to many cuts in a given time. The pacing in a film might increase because of the rising action during a scene, the time for the film is running out, to mount more tension in scenes or to increase the stakes in a scene.
Combining shots into sequences
Combining shots into sequences refers to the editors primary responsibility, this includes to cut selected shot together in such a way that the story told in the script and captured through image, sound and performance in production is preserved.
This can be achieved in all genres by establishing setting with wide shot, characters with medium shots and emotion through close shots.
Continuity editing and montage editing are the main two ways of combining shots into sequences. Continuity editing refers to making the editing smooth and fluid, so all the cuts flow together making it seem that there is minimal editing involved. Montage editing refers to making the editing more apparent as well as editing together less clearly related material, this challenges the viewers to make abstract connections between the different shots.
This can be achieved in all genres by establishing setting with wide shot, characters with medium shots and emotion through close shots.
Continuity editing and montage editing are the main two ways of combining shots into sequences. Continuity editing refers to making the editing smooth and fluid, so all the cuts flow together making it seem that there is minimal editing involved. Montage editing refers to making the editing more apparent as well as editing together less clearly related material, this challenges the viewers to make abstract connections between the different shots.
Creating Motivation
Shot motivation is when one shot motivates another shot, action in one shot can imply another kind of action in a subsequent shot or call for it or demands it. when a scene of action demands some sort of response it will drive the narrative forward. Film makers usually agree on the point that all shots whether static or moving should be motivated. An example of creating motivation would be a character looking at something or someone in a particular way, then that shot is cut to the next one of what the character is looking at. This helps us to understand why they were looking at the person/object in the way they are and we get a feeling of the purpose as to why the object or person was significant to the character in the previous shot.
Relationship to genre
The relationship to genre in editing refers to how the different shots are sequenced together are influenced by the genre of film.
In a drama an editor may use a wide shot to start a scene to show the distance (physically and emotionally) between characters. an editor may shorten shots as the drama meets its peak, wide shot to medium shot to close up, the closer the shot the more emotion will be seen in the characters.
In an action or adventure film the editor may need to keep switching between wider shots which establish where the characters are as well as it covers a lot of the action that is going on to close ups on certain characters as it gives more details on action points as well as showing emotions that characters are going through as the action unfolds (wide production values shots to close coverage).
In a horror film the editor will use long shots over a longer period of time where there is minimal movement with occasional close ups on characters faces to show their emotions as the scene builds up, the longer the scene the more stillness is created and the more the audience anticipates something bad to happen or something to go wrong giving the audience more to fear adding to the immense tension of a horror scene.
Development of drama
Conflict: External conflict:
In a scene that encounters a protagonist against a antagonist, the protagonist has a dramatic need but the antagonist opposes that need within the scene.
An editor might decide to show this through shot-reverse- shot, which means that during conflict between the two characters the editor would switch between shots of the protagonist and shots of the antagonist, usually close ups of the characters faces as the struggle through their fight.
Conflict: Internal conflict:
Internal conflict arises when a character (usually a protagonist) is involved in a battle with themselves and they feel two opposing needs.
An editor may favour close up coverage on the character to capture this struggle in side them, the shots the editor might choose will be focused on the eyes and face.
Withholding Information:
Although taking information away from an audience might seem contradicted when it comes to building dramatic effect but you would be wrong as an audience enjoys being feed suspense and they liked to be teased and challenged especially during highly dramatic scenes.
An editor might choose to do this by withholding a characters identity, usually done when a new antagonist is introduced. Another way an editor can pull this off is by cutting from a scene where the tension is at its highest to a scene with other characters, this gives the audience a chance to imagine for themselves what is going to happen in the scene they just cut from.
The dramatic context:
An editor need to make sure that when they are putting different scenes together that the current scene still related to the scenes before it and the scenes that will come after it.
The editor must decide whether or not the tension in the scenes to come need to stay at the same (or higher) level or whether or not they need to put some dramatic relief in to break the tension for a awhile, this can be dome through comic relief or other methods.
Subtext:
An editor can some times create subtext through the way shots are put together.
A characters might be saying one thing but depending on what the editor chooses to show the audience might be led to understand something differently from what is being expressed verbally.
If the audience understands something within a scene that a other character has yet to understand, the audience might feel initiated within the film.
In a scene that encounters a protagonist against a antagonist, the protagonist has a dramatic need but the antagonist opposes that need within the scene.
An editor might decide to show this through shot-reverse- shot, which means that during conflict between the two characters the editor would switch between shots of the protagonist and shots of the antagonist, usually close ups of the characters faces as the struggle through their fight.
Conflict: Internal conflict:
Internal conflict arises when a character (usually a protagonist) is involved in a battle with themselves and they feel two opposing needs.
An editor may favour close up coverage on the character to capture this struggle in side them, the shots the editor might choose will be focused on the eyes and face.
Withholding Information:
Although taking information away from an audience might seem contradicted when it comes to building dramatic effect but you would be wrong as an audience enjoys being feed suspense and they liked to be teased and challenged especially during highly dramatic scenes.
An editor might choose to do this by withholding a characters identity, usually done when a new antagonist is introduced. Another way an editor can pull this off is by cutting from a scene where the tension is at its highest to a scene with other characters, this gives the audience a chance to imagine for themselves what is going to happen in the scene they just cut from.
The dramatic context:
An editor need to make sure that when they are putting different scenes together that the current scene still related to the scenes before it and the scenes that will come after it.
The editor must decide whether or not the tension in the scenes to come need to stay at the same (or higher) level or whether or not they need to put some dramatic relief in to break the tension for a awhile, this can be dome through comic relief or other methods.
Subtext:
An editor can some times create subtext through the way shots are put together.
A characters might be saying one thing but depending on what the editor chooses to show the audience might be led to understand something differently from what is being expressed verbally.
If the audience understands something within a scene that a other character has yet to understand, the audience might feel initiated within the film.
Storytelling
Storytelling is a way to show someone a story of events through the use of different mediums such as word of mouth, images and sounds, story telling has many uses and purposes and many people can tell the same story but all with different meanings.
Some of the purposes of story telling are; to give people entertainment, to educate people on different subjects, to preserve cultural heritage, and to instill moral values amongst others.
Stories have many elements to them, some of the main elements of stories include; the plot the story follows, the different characters in the story, the narrative within the story, and the varying points of views throughout the story.
Stories can be told through many ways and a method of story telling that can catch and audiences eyes and most influence them as a collective is through visual story telling. Visual story telling is when a story is told through what is seen rather then what is heard, as a producer you wouldn't have to rely much on written or spoken word. Visual story telling can be achieved through the choice of shots and the way those shots are edited together, but the images you see are often reinforced by appropriate music and shot lines of dialogue.
Some of the purposes of story telling are; to give people entertainment, to educate people on different subjects, to preserve cultural heritage, and to instill moral values amongst others.
Stories have many elements to them, some of the main elements of stories include; the plot the story follows, the different characters in the story, the narrative within the story, and the varying points of views throughout the story.
Stories can be told through many ways and a method of story telling that can catch and audiences eyes and most influence them as a collective is through visual story telling. Visual story telling is when a story is told through what is seen rather then what is heard, as a producer you wouldn't have to rely much on written or spoken word. Visual story telling can be achieved through the choice of shots and the way those shots are edited together, but the images you see are often reinforced by appropriate music and shot lines of dialogue.
Film and Video, Analogue and Digital
Film and Video: -
Film and video whats the difference? It’s become an ongoing debate among producers as to whether or not one medium is really better than the other. But while there are several differences between video and film, many times the deciding factor between who uses video and who uses film is cost.
Film is a chemical medium primarily made from celluloid, Video is a electronic medium, video is a analogue recording system but digital video is a digital recording system.
Digital cinematography is the process of capturing motion pictures as digital video images. digital capture is changing data, photos, and videos into a form that can be processed by a computer.
Analogue and Digital: -
A video describing the difference between Analogue and Digital:
Film and video whats the difference? It’s become an ongoing debate among producers as to whether or not one medium is really better than the other. But while there are several differences between video and film, many times the deciding factor between who uses video and who uses film is cost.
Film is a chemical medium primarily made from celluloid, Video is a electronic medium, video is a analogue recording system but digital video is a digital recording system.
Digital cinematography is the process of capturing motion pictures as digital video images. digital capture is changing data, photos, and videos into a form that can be processed by a computer.
Film needs to be developed and have light shone through it in order to be projected, video is captured on magnetic tape and scanned back over a play head. A tape can only reach a certain resolution before it starts to degrade in quality. Film, on the other hand, can become as large as the distance from projector to screen allows.
While cost plays a major role in the use of video or film, the one of the major arguments comes from the quality that each medium can display. Because film simply captures light waves, its creating lines of depth and color so it looks smooth and soft when projected, even at large sizes compared to the quality that video can display.
An example of a one roll 8mm film:
Analogue and Digital: -
The
simplest way to describe analogue and digital is to say 'signals' Analogue and digital signals are used
to transmit information, usually through electric signals. In both these
technologies, the information, such as any audio or video, is transformed into
electric signals.
The difference between analogue and digital technology is
that in analogue technology, information is translated into electric pulses of
varying amplitude, while in digital technology, translation of information is
into binary format, zeros and ones, where each bit is representative of two
distinct amplitudes.
A video describing the difference between Analogue and Digital:
Manipulation of diegetic time and space
Manipulation of diegetic time is when a director uses specific shots to make time seem slower or faster or to take us through time itself. Using a scene where a object is coming closer to a character can be used to slow time down as the object can almost always reaching its destination without it actually reaching it. An example of making time seem faster is the use of montages, a montage can cut down a twenty minuet scene in to a two minuet scene by only showing fast important points. An example of taking the view through time would be flash backs and flash forwards showing the viewer what happened earlier to a character or what a character is going to do later on.
Manipulation of diegetic space is when a director uses different lenses or shot sizes to make a scene seem bigger or smaller. An example of changing space would be the level of focus there is on an object, this is called deep or shallow focus.
Manipulation of diegetic space is when a director uses different lenses or shot sizes to make a scene seem bigger or smaller. An example of changing space would be the level of focus there is on an object, this is called deep or shallow focus.
Shot variation
Shot variation is a technique were the director will use many shot sizes during a scene to give more meaning to the story, for example a close up will show emotion more a long shot will establish what characters are in the scene and a wide shot will show the environment that the characters are in.
An example of this is one of the ending scenes for the matrix where the main character is on the roof of a building, during the scene many shot sizes were used through out. A close up to show the faces and emotions of the main character as he couldn't effect the enemy, a medium shot as the main character was getting shot at to show all the danger around him and a wide shot of the enemy being killed to show his full death as he falls to the floor.
An example of this is one of the ending scenes for the matrix where the main character is on the roof of a building, during the scene many shot sizes were used through out. A close up to show the faces and emotions of the main character as he couldn't effect the enemy, a medium shot as the main character was getting shot at to show all the danger around him and a wide shot of the enemy being killed to show his full death as he falls to the floor.
Multiple points of view
Multiple points of view is an editing technique in which a single event in a film is filmed from many different camera angles giving the effect of different 'points of view' in the scene. Multiple points of view focuses on one piece of action but seeing from many vantage points making it seem like we are looking through a characters eyes.
An example of multiple points of view is the final poker scene in Casino Royale, with the remaining four players and dealer at the table surrounded by many spectators. As the scene goes on the camera cuts to many shots from what the characters are seeing, like when the dealer places the cards we see the cards from a slightly diagonal birds eye view as if we were looking down as the dealer.
An example of multiple points of view is the final poker scene in Casino Royale, with the remaining four players and dealer at the table surrounded by many spectators. As the scene goes on the camera cuts to many shots from what the characters are seeing, like when the dealer places the cards we see the cards from a slightly diagonal birds eye view as if we were looking down as the dealer.
Following the action
Following the action is a technique that a director uses to capture the best scenes whilst a character(s) are moving about, there will be multiple cameras set up in different locations to follow then characters as they move, this gives the director a variety of different shots with different angles or zoomed in/out shots to make an entire sequence for the scene. Following the action goes into more depth to what you are watching instead of just seeing one camera shot through out, it gives the person watching something more to watch and gives it more excitement throughout the film/program. For example one of the opening scenes for Casino Royale the two main characters on screen are in a chase scene, the two characters move through out a construction site with the person being chased being adept in parkour and the chaser having to use the environment to move about, this allows the director to follow both characters moving through the environment in different ways.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)