Discontinuity Editing Flashcards
Jump Cut
an elliptical cut that appears to be an interruption of a single shot
either the figures seem to change instantly against a constant background, or the background changes instantly while the figures remain constant
Nondiegetic Insert
a shot or series of shots cut into a sequence, showing objects that are represented as being outside the world of the narrative
What is Soviet montage?
a collection of theories and practices advanced by Soviet filmmakers in the 1920s that stressed editing as the central element of film
montage as film term derived from the Soviet artistic practices that assembled images that relate to each other in some way to create a single work or part of a work of art
emphasis on editing as art; as a selection process
What are the aesthetic principles of Soviet montage?
editing was viewed to give an interpretation of reality rather than being a neutral transmitter of reality
emphasis on editing was to ensure that the spectator did not view a shot as an unmediated piece of the story world (constant presence of filmmaker as teller)
Soviet films from the 1920s contain more shots (600-2000 shots) compared to Hollywood films during the same period (500-1000 shots)
average shot length (ASL) for Soviet films were 2 to 4 seconds, compared to 5 to 6 second average shot length
as a result, editing intervened on the filmed material more frequently, and often for rhetorical purposes
contrasts with the principle of “invisible” continuity editing
character action are often broken into several shots, utilizing overlapping editing
figures of speech, like metaphor and simile, often expressed via editing
greater use of crosscutting, and across a broad range of locales
What is Kino-Eye as established by Dziga Vertov?
Soviet documentation and film theorist
developed the concept of “kino-eye”: film was able to capture what was inaccessible to the human eye by assembling film fragments and editing them together
What is the Kuleshov Effect?
an editing experiment conducted by Soviet filmmaker Lev Kuleshov
suggested that two shots in a sequence are more impactful than a single shot by itself
produces a cognitive effect that prompts the viewer to derive meaning from the interaction of two shots in sequence
What is the point of view editing structure?
Kuleshov effect revealed the cognitive basis of POV editing structure
point/glance shot: shot of a character looking, often offscreen
point/object shot: shot of the character or object that the character is looking at
prompts viewer to infer the subjective state of the character
What is spatial discontinuity in Eisenstein’s montage aesthetic?
placed emphasis upon creating spatial and temporal discontinuities
shots were not meant to create smooth continuity, but to collide
spatial discontinuity often derived from graphic discontinuities arising from linking shots
What is a dialectical montage?
the effect in montage when the juxtaposition of two shots that reflect some kind of conflict, has the potential to make an abstract concept tangible
What is overlapping editing?
a technique in editing where the second shot repeats part or all of the action from the previous shot, often resulting in temporal expansion
often used to underscore the significance of the action
discontinuity arise from the perception of repeated elements
contrasts sharply with the match on action
How can editing represent figures of speech?
Eisenstein believed editing can provide “symbolic pictorial expression”: figures of speech could be conveyed in film using images
What does polysemous mean?
can possess multiple meanings
What is the metric method of montage?
sequence is cut by frame
cutting to the next shot after a finite number of frames, no matter what happens on screen
What is the rhythmic method of montage?
matches the music
uses rhythm of music to match shot rhythm
What is the tonal method of montage?
setting the tone
two or more shots that support one another and build a theme
What is the overtonal method of montage?
combination of all four other methods
What is the intellectual method of montage?
tying of concepts
two shots clashing, Koleshav effect
use two shots to connect an idea
How were jump cuts used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
an abrupt transition from one shot to another, effecting a jump forward in time
How was cross cutting used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
three lines of action
soldiers descending stairs (downward thrust)
crowd’s flight from soldiers split in two: schoolmistress with pince-nez, mother with boy (upward thrust)
mother and her baby in carriage
series of close-ups then detach from storylines
How was overlapping editing used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
overlapping editing of the descent of soldiers, crowd, and baby carriage; causes temporal expansion of event
How was rhythmic editing used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
based upon tempo of action
How was intellectual montage used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
marble lion rises
How was editing as expression of conflict used in the Odessa steps sequence in Battleship Potemkin?
screen direction, contrasting camera distances, organized movement of soldiers compared to chaos of crowd fleeing
What are the aesthetic principles of Jean-Luc Godard?
key figure of the 1960s French New Wave
amongst “the most influential filmmakers” (Quentin Tarantino)
significantly influenced by German playwright Bertolt Brecht who was against theatre as “illusion” of reality
Brecht employed techniques that remind the spectator that the play was a representation of reality and not reality itself: set design, lighting, including have actors step out of character and directly address viewer
How does Godard employ discontinuous editing in a scene?
sounds from a previous scene continue onto next scene
cuts when action commences (tear gas explosion)
cut on gunshot has significant ellipsis of shooting event
intertitles used to terminate shots
repetition of story events
