CONTINUITY EDITING| MONTAGE EDITING

 

Continuity Editing (Classical Continuity)

 



The simple definition of 'Continuity Editing' is the way shots go together to create a seamless chain of events. However for good continuity, all of the strategies need to be looked at closely during the shooting footage. Once raw material (filming) as been created, editing techniques provide further means for binding the scenes together so the film runs easily and smoothly for the audience. Continuity editing aims to hide or at least minimize the shift from one cut to the next, and as a clear result of making the edit seems as 'transparent' as possible. This technique has several component parts and shots which I am about to talk about individually.

 

- Shot Reverse Shot

 

Is a film technique where one character is shown looking at another character and then the other character is shown looking back at the first character. Since the characters are shown facing in opposite directions, the viewer assumes that they are looking at each other.

 

-180 Degree Rule

 

The 180 degree rule is not a law, many notable filmmakers intentionally cross the line to achieve a desired effect that might support the stories narrative.

 

-Graphic Match

 

Is a cut in film editing between either two different objects, two different spaces, or two different compositions in which objects in the two shots graphically match, often helping to establish a strong continuity of action and linking the two shots metaphorically.

 

 

-Establishing Shots

 

An establishing shot establishes the setting of a scene. When we see a shot of the sun setting behind the exterior of a building, and then we cut to the inside of that building where our scene takes place, we have seen an establishing shot.

Montage Theory

Montage editing is a process of cutting up the whole film which is created and editing it into a screened sequence. It is sometimes used to consciously evoke subjective messages through the shots which are related in composition or movement.

A clear example of Montage editing would be when someone's life is shown by in a few minutes, using things such as fast pace and fades to make the cut run smoothly wile it skips to the next part.

In my own opinion believe both types of editing works really well and can actually go hand in hand. By this I mean both editing techniques can work well to create a good short film. When I come to editing my short film I will use both, montage and continuity because I think they both help to make the film run smoothly and makes it more enjoyable and pleasurable for the target audience watching. Significantly, I believe there is a distinctive difference between to the two, however I think they are both amazing techniques and I feel like using them both should help my film look far more professional and aid the overall outcome to appear more successful than if I didn't use any of those techniques.

NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

When contemplating the difference between the three, narrative, story and plot- i couldn't help but come to a confusion. We always seem to establish the story and the plot to be the same thing however we couldn't be anymore far off.  The story or narrative is what we visually see on our screens, however the plot determines what we don't see

 

Story=Consists of all the events in a narrative, both explicitly presented and inferred

 

Plot= Everything visibly and audibly presented in the film before us

 

Narrative-=Narration describes how a story is told, how the material is selected and arranged in order to achieve specific effects on the audience

 

Conventional Narrative Structure

 

Conventional narratives follows the same basic pattern in the way they construct a story.

 

Tzventan Todorov defined the 3 main parts of a narrative suture (beginning, middle and end) as-

 

- Equilibrium- the balanced normality of the world of any story

 

-Disequilibrium- the unbalance world between the problem in the story and the climax

 

-New Equilibrium- a return to normality at the end- returning

 

 Classical Hollywood Structure

 

1. Situation or Exposition- This is needed at the beginning of all narratives to set the scene of the film. This is were basic information is given to the audience, allowing them to build up a clear picture in their heads. Where are they? Why are they there? How are they there? What will happen next? When did they get there?
2. Complication- These are events which happen to occur purposely to make a problem. This is the section that takes up most time in a film.
3. Climax- This is the significant moment where the problems are actually solved by someone, someone normally being the hero or the good person.
4. Resolution- This is the part of the narrative where the world of the text returns to some sort of normality if any and there complications are now the past. This is conventionally the part of the film or narrative where all the loose ends of the plot are tied up and the questions are answered, unless the film or narrative is an NB, leaving a open ending with no questions answered.

SLINKY| A SHORT FILM ANALYSIS

This short film is about a man called Eddie who is spotted by his friend called Jeremy. Jeremy is portrayed as immature, silly and stupid. His character seems as if he hasn't matured since he left school. The contrast in characters is what makes this short film entertaining. This is an analysis of the editing techniques that the film includes and my overall opinion.


Camerawork  

• - Close up of Jeremy to convey his immaturity and childish behaviour.
• - Establishing shot of the park, which allows the audience to see the setting of the venue, this helps t heighten the irony of Jeremy's character, as the park has connotations of children, in which these two characters are seen as.
• - Panning shot from the sky to Eddie sitting on the bench with his lunch and a newspaper to imply his sophisticated job.
• - Low angle of Eddie to show his inner immaturity.
• - Finally over the shoulder shot of Jeremy s he walks past Eddie until he spots Eddie on the bench, to allow the audience to see Eddie before Jeremy does and therefore we know that eventually Jeremy will see him and make conversation with him.

Sound

 

• -Ambient sound of the birds singing helps create a typical day at the park.
• -Dialogue between the character- Jeremy at the beginning of the film appears to be the immature and silly character with a high pitch voice, suggesting his childish behaviour. However Eddie appears at the beginning of the film to the mature character using proper English and keeps a very controlled and deep voice, until the end of the film where he plays with the slinky.
• -Sound bridge- Eddies laughter at the end of the clip, when he is playing with the slinky.
• -Eddies voice changed to become more high pitch at the end of the film where he is paying with the slinky, conveying his inner immaturity and child like behaviour.

 

Editing

 

• -Quick cuts from character to character.
• -Natural lighting which is established when they are in the park.
• -A shot reverse shot between Eddie and Jeremy when that have a conversation.

 

Mise En Scene

 

• -The clothes distinguish the difference between both characters, Eddie wears a suit which looks rather professional where as Jeremy wears quite casual clothes which shows the difference between class and status and character.
• -The food on the bench in the lunch box helps prepare the 'twist' at the end of the film, where Eddie acts childish, and therefore the lunch box and pack lunch is a typical connotation of children.
• -Space hopper that Jeremy uses vs the newspaper that Eddie reader, compares the maturity level of both characters.
• - Finally the most important- the slinky which is used as a twist in the short film making it more interesting for the audience to watch. and then the audience understand that really neither character have actually grown up and both contains an inner childish behaviour.

Overall this short film did not appear to be very humorous to watch for me. I felt that the characters were portrayed successfully and that the editing techniques were kept minimalists to help reflect the characters. However the distinguished contrast between the two characters was, what I thought the main point therefore when the twist came in at the end when Eddie turned immature I didn't quite understand.

Overall I probably would not use this short film as a influence upon my short film, as the genre would not be the same.

UMBILICAL| A SHORT FILM ANAYLIS

This one time in lesson..

 

 

We watched a short film called "Umbilical". It was titled, 'Best Animated Short Film' last year as well as achieving many other awards. Quite Honestly I must agree with the film critics and praise this short film. It has a powerful message with meaning and thought. Ultimately the film is presenting todays technological epoch in society. The message of this short film establishes a strong link between children and technology, where children sadly do not understand or acknowledge the creativity of their childhood as the impact of technology as dramatically changed what was seen before as a 'normal' childhood. 

 

 

Camerawork

 

• - There is a wide shot within the short film, when the animated character  gets shocked from the umbilical cord, this shows that the child is suffering inside, when they could be outside having fun with such an object as a ball which we identify in the short film.
• - A high angle of the child is established when the character realises they cant get outside, this shots implies technology and society has power upon generations, it is also used to convey the character as trapped and in a very vulnerable position.
• - Likewise, a low angle was used when the character was looking up at the window suggesting that outside is where the character wants to be, as the low angle allows the audience to see a reaction shot of the characters face (sad).
• - At the beginning of the short film, there was a close up of the crayons and the characters drawing on the floor, to imply she is alone and by herself, having no friends and therefore she has to make her own entertainment.
• - Also at the beginning of the short film, there was a panning shot to show the umbilical cord attached to the character head, which is significant in suggesting the main message to this short film.

 

Mise en Scene

• - The umbilical cord which is connected to the characters head, retains the child from going any further (especially from the window) suggesting that the character is getting held back from her happiness and what they love to do.
• - The drawing which covers the entire the floor, which implies she is all alone and has to make her own entertainment in order to save herself from getting bored by herself in the only room.
• - The packet of crayons are crushed as she walks back to the TV. This helps the audience to understand that technology now controls children's minds and also it is a symbol of the characters dreams have been crushed and will never come true.

 

Sound

 

• - The characters laughter when she is playing with the ball helps the audience to notice that she is enjoying herself and having fun with the ball as it is something the character has not yet experienced almost like 'cruelty' against children
• -The ball bouncing out the window is heightened which implies the characters happiness has now been taken from them, symbolising destruction and the inevitable fate of never being happy.
• - The loud music continues to get louder at the end of the short film when the TV is on which implies that technology is evil and destroys a child's fun, imagination and over all childhood.

 

Editing

 

• -Cuts help emphasise the different scenes within the short film.
• -The animation helps to reflect the child's imagination and it also helps reflect the main message also.
• -There is a fade out at the end of the short films which suggests children are 'stuck' or 'glued' to the TV and there is not going back from the new technology which is being invented.

 

My opinion

I personally think in addition to a range of different editing techniques such as the sound and mise en scene, the overall idea that the director has successfully created is that in todays society children are almost 'trapped' by the ever growing advances in new technology. He makes a significant juxtaposition in the lighting and sound when contrasted with the children playing outside. I believe the animation used in this film is very effective, it provokes the message of the childlike representations and what, actually society used to teach children to be creative on a piece of paper. I think it is a very clever way of producing a film however when referring to my short minute film this could be very difficult to achieve due to technology limitations in the class room.  However, even though the animated film may not work well right now with my task, some of the features in this short film are really good and I may use them when coming to create my own short film. I really like the deeper message, and that is something I would like to convey in my own film, I want to depict a strong and powerful message which my audience will think about throughout and after my film. 

CODES AND CONVENTIONS