The History and Development of Editing

Editing is the splicing together of media (both visual and audio) which make a film a film. It is the post-production process of making a film and is very important to get right as it is a crucial aspect to film making. 

Editing first started  in the early 1900s and was a physical process, which would include cutting a positive copy of a film negative with scissors and splicing it back together again. This is where the term 'cut' derives from. Unwanted film would be discarded, just like it is now digitally. It was then fed through a machine called the 'Moviola' which allowed for the editor to watch the film whilst editing. Editing would have to be very precise, if editing wasn't done properly, film would have to be reprinted which would cost money and put the film at risk of damage. Once the film had been cut good enough, it was then used to make an editing decision list. Whilst the negative was being processed, this was what the negative cutter relied on and it split shots into rolls which were then contact printed to produce the 'answer' print. 

However, nowadays, the invention of digital editing using programmes like 'Final Cut Pro' or 'Premiere Pro', has made the editing process so much easier. Digital editors skip the whole positive film workprint altogether  and like before with the positive film which allowed the editor to experiment, editors can digitally manipulate the film however they'd like without the risk of damaging film. This is a quicker less time consuming way of editing.

With digital editing, you can be much more creative and precise. If you are not happy with the way you have cut a particular clip, you can undo  or delete the editing. Whereas with physical film, you did not have this advantage and you had to be careful where you were cutting and splicing film.

The invention of digital editing also brings more techniques to help develop your editing. These include effects known as 'transitions' which help smoothly move a scene on to another scene. These include 'wipe, dissolve, fade' etc and are a very effective addition to editing.  

Another method of editing, is 'in-camera; editing. This is where the filmmaker shoots the shots or sequences in the exact order they will appear in the film. This is instead of editing the clips with a software later on which is an advantage, however there are lots of things that need to be considered when using 'in camera' editing. One of which being you need to know exactly how you would like the shots to turn out and in which order you would precisely like them in. This requires a lot of planning beforehand as unlike with digital editing, you can not move clips around or re-shoot scenes. As soon as the last scene is shot, the production for the movie is completely over. This is good for low-budget films or filmmakers as it more affordable, however it is a lot more work and effort.

Combining footage into sequences can help develop a narrative for a film or TV show and help us understand how characters are feeling. An example of combining shots to create meaning is 'The Kuleshov Effect'. This includes using the same shot of a man however changing what he's looking at by cutting to a different picture/scene each time which changes the mood and perspective of the first shot as we assume his emotions.

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In editing, a system that is most often used is called the 'Continuity System'. This is a process of editing that is widely used if film and in hollywood, which consists of combining shots together. Pretty much all movies follow this structure, and it helps the audience understand the relationship of shot to shot. 

 An example of a movie scene that uses continuity editing is this scene from 'The Greatest Showman' ( (25) The Greatest Showman | "Who's That?" Clip - YouTube ). The scene starts off with a slow-motion medium shot of Phillip and Anne, whilst she is doing her trapeze. (00:4-00:7). The slowing down of this shot, shows the significance of this moment, how seeing her for the first time makes him feel as though time has slowed down, and highlights how this could be an important relationship in the movie. 

The next important part of the scene, is the eyeline-match when Anne notices Phillip for the first time. We see Anne looking up, and then it cuts to Phil looking back at her. This kind of shot helps the audience understand what the character is looking at, by cutting to the person or thing they have their eyes on. Also by the expression on Phil's face, we can see that what he is looking at has a great effect on him; and as an audience we are intrigued to know exactly what is making him feel this way, which is achieved by an 'eyeline match' shot.

 The film then cuts to the next scene, which opens with a tracking shot, which follows PT and Phil to introduce Phil to Anne and WD. This is an important technique used on film, because it establishes where the action is happening and also which characters the audience should be following. In this case, the audience knows they should be following PT and Phil, as they walk down the stairs of the busy circus, with a lot of action happening behind them, but we know that it is them that we should be following.

After he has shaken hands with WD, there is a moment where his focus has shifted to something/someone else. This can be shown by the camera panning to an over-the -shoulder shot where we see the back of Anne's head and we instantly know what his attention has shifted to. A pan in important in film, as it illustrates when the characters or us an audience need to shift our attention to something else.

Following on from the pan, is an over-the-shoulder shot. This is mainly between Phil and Anne and is important in film as is signifies when a conversation is being held between two characters and helps us establish that the characters are staying in the same place.

Another crucial aspect of film making is the 180 degree rule. This is quite possibly one of the most important rules when it comes to film and it involves placing an imaginary line in between two characters or in a scene. The camera must not cross the line or else it could lead to dis-orientation and confusion from the audience.

This rule is followed in my selected scene as the camera always stays on the same side of the shot, even when the shots variate between over-the-shoulder, the line is never crossed. This makes it easier for the audience to follow and helps with continuity. 

In conclusion, this scene follows a lot of the conventions in film making and editing, this is in order to intrigue the audience and help them understand the storyline and identify with the characters and their relationships. This helps bring an understanding in for the whole movie.