7/27/2019 The Grammar of Editing

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The Grammar of Editing

THE FIVE TYPES OF EDIT 

1, ACTION EDIT2. SCREEN POISITION EDIT

3. FORM EDIT4. CONCEPT EDIT5. COMBINED EDIT

There are SIX ELEMENTS of the Edit

1. Motivation 2. Information 3. Composition 4. Sound 5. Camera Angles 

6. Continuity 

Continuity has four elements- content- movement- position- sound

General Notes:

1. Sound and vision work together, they’re not rivals 2. A new shot should really contain new information3. There should be a reason for every edit4. The 180 degree rule must be observed (don’t cross the line)5. Select the correct form of edit6. The better the editing, the less it will be noticed7. Editing is a creative process

General Working Practice – ‘The Rules ’ 

1. Never cut from a shot with incorrectly framed headroom to one that is correct (ir vice versa)

2. Avoid shots where objects appear close to the subject (unless a key part of furthering the narrative)

3. Avoid framing shots where the horizontal edges cut off people4. Cut matched shots rather than unmatched5. Don’t edit out performer’s pauses unless told to do so6. A reaction shot seems more natural during a phrase or sentence than at the end7. Do not be too bound by dialogue when looking for a cut point

8. In three person dialogue, never cut from one two-shot to another two-shot9. On close shots of single characters, the fuller the shot the better 10. With a single character, try not to cut to the same angle (could get a jump cut)

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11. When cutting the ‘rise’ (character rising), try to keep eyes in shot as long aspossible

12. When editing in a close up of an action, select a version of the close up where theaction is slower 

13. Prefer a tracking shot to a zoom14. Never use a track out unless it is motivated (it usually signals the end of a scene)

15. When cutting in a pan, keep the direction the same16. If cutting from a moving shot, never cut to a static shot of the same object/person17. when tracking objects/people, don’t cross the line (or action is reversed) 18. When cutting a telephone call, the head shots should be looking in different

directions19. If a character leaves frame stage left, in an action edit, they should enter stage right

in the next frame20. Never cut point of interest to point of interest (watch details in the frame when

editing!)21. Give a long shot as soon as possible after a series of close shots22. On entrance of a new character or subject, edit in a close shot to it

23. When editing a new scene, with new backgrounds, show a long shot as early aspossible (establishing/master)

24. Don’t make action edits from long to close up of same character  25. Never cut to black and follow with a cut to picture26. At the start of a programme, the sound leads to vision27. For the end of a programme, use the end of the music

NOTES: