Understanding Movies

1. Understanding Movies Editing

2. Shot: the basic unit of film (one or more frames in a series on a continuous length of film stock) Editing: the coordination of one shot with another Editing

3. Four Basic Types of Relationship Between Shots • Graphic • Rhythmic • Spatial • Temporal

4. Graphic • Patterns of • light and dark • line and shape • volume and depth • movement and stasis • Create • graphic match • graphic clash

5. Rhythmic • Variation of physical length of shot: • Relatively similar lengths (steady rhythm) • Relatively shorter lengths (accelerating rhythm) • Relatively longer lengths (slowing rhythm) • Long takes (rhythm supplied by camera) • Music accentuates rhythmic editing

6. Spatial • Conventional scene: • Establishing shot • Shots breaking that into shorter units • New establishing shot, and so on • Editing constructs spatial relationships where none exists in reality • Parallel editing allows shots from two or more different locales to be juxtaposed for thematic or dramatic reasons

7. Temporal • Conventionally, stories are told chronologically, with occasional flashbacks or flash forwards • Within that framework, editing allows ellipsis (shortening the action from real time) and expansion (prolonging the action through overlapping editing or repetition)

8. Classic Hollywood Style: Continuity Editing • Graphic elements kept roughly similar within a scene • Rhythm usually dependent on camera distance • Spatial continuity within ‘axis of action’ • 180 degree rule controls • Establishing shot • Shot counter shot • Eyeline matches • Match on action • Temporal continuity usually appears continuous, but regularly elides action