Midterm - Editing Flashcards
Continuity Editing
Classical Hollywood editing; aims to unnoticable and keep focus on the story; also known as IMR (Institutional Mode of Representation); the bigger the camera distance the longer the shot, traditionally
Cut
A join between two shots
Discontinuity
When continuity editing is not followed
30-degree rule
When a shot is cut to another, the second shot should have a camera angled at least 30 degrees away from where the original shot was. If not it violates continuity and also could create a jump cut.
Jump Cut
A cut to another shot at the same or very close angles, so it makes the screen appear to “jump”; can be used to express passing of time or other narrative purposes; always violates continuity
180-degree rule
When filming a scene, the camera should stay on one side or within 180 degrees to keep what’s going on clear and focused. Ensure relative positions, eyelines, and screen direction stay consistent If 180 degrees is passed it violates continuity.
Cut-in
Cutting to a closer shot of the same subject; “a close up shot of something visible in the main scene”
Cut-away
When a shot cuts to another subject entirely
Montage
A series of shots, generally quick, that utilizes many cuts and generally expresses passage of time or space
Eyeline Match
A cut from someone looking at something to what they are looking at; creates strong sense of continuity
Dissolve
A shot fading into another; as one shot becomes less distinct another becomes more; could be considered a form of superimposition
Single-Cam
A type of filming that only uses one camera, so each scene is reshot from multiple angles; most common type in Hollywood
Graphical Match
When a shot cuts to another shot that has some graphical feature in the same position (i;e first shot has red balloon in top left, second shot has same positioning of red balloon); can be used to keep viewers focused on a certain part of the screen
Straight Cut
A cut with no techniques (like dissolves or fades) used
Long Take
A long shot with no cuts, generally at least 30 seconds
Fade-Out/In
A shot fading to black; black fading to a shot
Wipe
A line crossing across the scene, with one side of the shot gradually replacing the whole scene
Shot/Reverse-Shot
An editing technique that shows two characters conversing, while cutting back and forth between the two
Rhythm in Editing
Possibilities that can be used to effect in editing: cuts can match actions, scenes can be extended to allow for audience reactions, shots can be repeated in the same length to create a tempo, or gradually shortened to increase tension
Space in Editing
How editing can create space; filmmakers can choose which parts of the scene to show and for how long, creating focus on certain parts of the space
Kuleshov Effect
A series of shots that do not have an establishing shot, causing the viewer to make inferences about the space from what they can see
Crosscutting
Cutting between scenes in various spaces
Time in Editing
How editing controls time in film; ordering of shots and events, messing with duration of events to extend or shorten them
Flashback/forward
Showing shots from the past/future of the story, out of order
Elliptical editing/ellipsis
Using editing to make an onscreen action take less time then it would in real life i;e cut from someone at the bottom of stairs to them at the top
Temporal Expansion
Causing an event to take more time then it would normally, usually done via overlapping editing, which repeats shots to emphasize an event
Punctuation Shot Change
A special edit technique i;e a wipe, dissolve, fade
Empty Frame
Frames with no action, usually used to put emphasis on something entering or leaving or a lack of action
Axis of Action
Line that the 180 degree rule revolves around, usually cuts through middle of scene
Screen Direction
Direction something on screen is moving relative to the screen world
Reestablishing Shot
Redefines space originally established earlier
Match on Action
Starting an action in one shot then cutting to it continuing in another shot, thus continuing the action across shots
Cheat Cut
Having some mismatches between shots that are masked by following continuity systems
Nondiegetic Insert
A scene/shot from outside the world of the film
