Editing Techniques

There are many ways to edit for film, and many purposes at the same time. The purposes of editing for film and television are the following:

Manipulating time

Editing in film and television does many things with time, including speeding up time, slowing down time, compressing and stretching time. The manipulation of time would be found within montage edits. You find many montage films within the sports genre, for example, Rocky includes plenty of montages within Rocky training to become the best

Perception of space
This helps the audience orientate themselves, and gives a logical sense that neither characters or objects share the same shot.

Controlling rhythm
The purpose of controlling rhythm is to either build up excitement or to make a shot more thoughtful. For example, an exciting build up would suggest rapid pacing and therefore suggest shorter shots. And the slower, less rapid pacing in an edit would suggest there isn't a build up of excitement pending, and would suggest a relaxing feel.

Functions of editing include:
Development of drama
Withholding and providing information
Creating motivation to further the narrative

There are plenty of editing techniques in film, many have their own symbolic meaning within a film, these include:

Continuity
The first editing technique that is used in the vast majority of films, is continuity editing. Continuity editing is the process of combining related shots in a scene to create a logical sequence. For example, a continuity edit could have a character opening a door on one shot, cut, then the continuity would be the door opening. The effect this has is that it deceives the consumer into thinking that the shot was smooth and continuous and will believe its all in one take, yet there has been a transition in shots.

Non-continuity
This is when shots are mismatched and disturbs the consumers view of a realistic film. This opposes to the continuity edit, as in a continuous edit the illusion of reality is there. An example of non-continuity editing in film is the use of flashbacks.

Creating meaning within editing
Juxtaposing elements within editing-  In film this is where you place two elements side by side and letting the audience compare them. This can compare and contrast two elements and create a sense of irony, humor or sadness.
Creating empathy with a character- Editing within a film can cause

Engagement
Editing can be used to engage the audience through tension, creating suspense and pace.

Create Meaning
Editing creates meaning by juxtaposing elements, creating an empathetic feeling towards a character, as well as bias, seen for example in a documentary. First of all, I will analyse Battleship Potemkin, released in 1925 and directed by Sergei Eisenstein. This film was one of the most influential silent films of its time, receiving fame and plaudits globally. In this film, Russia's political and economical side play numerous parts, shaping and dictating what its like today. The Odessa steps sequence begins with sailors being cheered on by common people, before being extinguished and seemingly under siege by attackers from on top of the stairs. The audience struggles to accept what is happening in the film, as they are unsure what may be going on at the other side of the staircase, this is similar to the characters feelings who was in shock as to what may be going on. Eisenstein uses montage to show the devastation as to what has happened, this particular type of edit is used to show political agitation within the movie.

Parallel editing
Parallel editing is the technique of editing two or more scenes that happen simultaneously but in different locations. If the events are simultaneous, they will usually take place in a single location, where the characters will confront each other. In the scene from 'Way Down East', parallel editing is used to keep the audience intrigued, to keep them on edge. The struggle of the main character is shown in the camera work and then the force of the waterfall. This is followed by the panning towards the waterfall, showing its force and power in the situation, whereas the woman, stumbling over the ice, looks vulnerable at this point in time. Parallel editing is used in 'The silence of the lambs' to show the intensity of the murder scene via shots of the police. This used for the effect of the audience, again to keep them on edge, to make them feel tense and worry towards the police in this scenario. This scene helps pace the narrative, yet, in addition to this, adds suspense as to what will actually happen, it keeps their eyes peeled to the screen.

Montage
A montage in film is where a set of short videos are edited together, usually supported by background music. This technique is used to compress time, space and information. The effect of montage editing is to give the audience key information that they may not have understood. The most well known montage film is 'Rocky'. In Rocky, it shows months upon months of training to get to the next level to be able to fight, this is crammed into a montage lasting only minutes. This is compressing time as it shows months of work in minutes, giving the audience all the information they need in that time. Montages are used to show a main character overcoming a problem or conflict, and is also commonly shown in the 'Creed' trilogies. The clip taken from Team America is similar to that of a Rocky montage, however the montage from Team America is a copy of Rocky, meaning the creators of Team America have copied the Rocky montage for comedic purposes. The montage in Team America is used for the same purpose and effect as the Rocky montage, to show clear progress of the centre character in the narrative. The montage in this film is unusual, keeping the audience entertained by the progress and the growth of the character in the narrative, as well as the comedy on the side, which you don't tend to see in montage. The quick cuts and jump edits are used to show character progress and, moreover, for the entertainment of the viewer. The added background music is used for comedic effect. This is unusual in montage as the main purpose is to keep the audience on edge, and feel tension throughout.