🎞️Film History and Form Unit 10 – Editing Techniques and Montage in Film

Key Concepts and Terminology

• Editing involves selecting, arranging, and combining shots to create a coherent narrative or visual story
• Montage refers to the juxtaposition of shots to create meaning, emotion, or a sense of time passing
• Continuity editing maintains spatial and temporal coherence between shots (match on action, eyeline match, 180-degree rule)
• Cutting is the process of transitioning from one shot to another, which can be done through various techniques (cut, dissolve, fade, wipe)
• Rhythm in editing refers to the pace and timing of shots, which can influence the mood and tension of a scene
• Diegetic sound is audio that exists within the world of the film (dialogue, sound effects), while non-diegetic sound originates from outside the story (soundtrack, narration)
• Parallel editing intercuts between two or more simultaneous actions occurring in different locations to build suspense or draw comparisons
• Mise-en-scène encompasses all elements within a frame, including set design, lighting, costume, and actor placement, which editors must consider when crafting a scene

Evolution of Editing Techniques

• Early films (1890s-1900s) featured single, unedited shots that captured events in real-time without narrative structure
• Edwin S. Porter's "Life of an American Fireman" (1903) introduced cross-cutting between two simultaneous actions, a groundbreaking technique
• D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916) expanded on Porter's techniques, using close-ups, fade-outs, and parallel editing to create a more complex narrative
• Soviet filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein and Vsevolod Pudovkin developed theories of montage in the 1920s, emphasizing the psychological and emotional impact of editing
  • Eisenstein's "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) featured the famous Odessa Steps sequence, showcasing the power of rhythmic editing to create tension and pathos
• The introduction of sound in the late 1920s led to a temporary decline in editing complexity as filmmakers adjusted to the new technology
• Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane" (1941) revitalized the use of deep focus, long takes, and creative transitions, influencing a new generation of filmmakers
• The French New Wave of the 1950s and 1960s, led by directors like Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut, embraced jump cuts, discontinuity editing, and self-reflexive techniques that challenged traditional narrative structures
• Digital editing software, such as Avid and Final Cut Pro, emerged in the 1990s, streamlining the editing process and allowing for greater experimentation and flexibility

Types of Montage

• Metric montage creates a rhythmic pattern by cutting shots based on a specific number of frames, regardless of the content (Eisenstein's "October", 1928)
• Rhythmic montage cuts shots according to their visual composition and movement within the frame, creating a dynamic and engaging sequence
• Tonal montage juxtaposes shots to evoke a particular emotional response or atmosphere, often through the use of lighting, color, and sound
  • Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" (1960) features a famous tonal montage in the shower scene, using rapid cuts and jarring music to create a sense of horror and violence
• Overtonal/associational montage combines metric, rhythmic, and tonal elements to create a complex, multi-layered sequence that conveys abstract ideas or themes
• Intellectual montage juxtaposes seemingly unrelated shots to create a new, conceptual meaning that goes beyond the literal content of the images (Eisenstein's "Strike", 1925)
• Narrative montage advances the story by presenting a series of related shots that convey essential information or events
• Montage sequences compress time and convey a large amount of information in a short period, often using music and a series of short shots to show a character's development or the passage of time (Rocky's training sequence in "Rocky", 1976)

Influential Filmmakers and Their Editing Styles

• Sergei Eisenstein pioneered the theory of montage, believing that the collision of two shots could create a new, third meaning (intellectual montage)
  • "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and "October" (1928) exemplify Eisenstein's theories, using rhythmic and tonal montage to create emotional impact
• D.W. Griffith established many foundational editing techniques, such as cross-cutting, fade-outs, and the use of close-ups for emotional effect
  • "Birth of a Nation" (1915) and "Intolerance" (1916) showcase Griffith's innovative editing style and ability to craft complex narratives
• Alfred Hitchcock's editing style emphasized the psychological impact of shots, using montage to create suspense, shock, and subjective experiences
  • "Rear Window" (1954) and "Psycho" (1960) feature masterful editing that manipulates the viewer's emotions and expectations
• Jean-Luc Godard challenged traditional continuity editing, using jump cuts, discontinuity, and self-reflexive techniques to create a sense of alienation and provoke thought
  • "Breathless" (1960) and "Weekend" (1967) exemplify Godard's radical approach to editing and narrative structure
• Martin Scorsese's editing style is characterized by rapid cuts, dynamic camera movements, and the use of music to create energy and rhythm
  • "Raging Bull" (1980) and "Goodfellas" (1990) showcase Scorsese's kinetic editing style and ability to convey the subjective experiences of his characters
• Quentin Tarantino's films often feature non-linear narratives, extended dialogue scenes, and intertextual references that create a unique, postmodern style
  • "Pulp Fiction" (1994) and "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2003) demonstrate Tarantino's use of editing to create a sense of irony, humor, and self-awareness

Technical Aspects of Film Editing

• Continuity editing techniques, such as match on action, eyeline match, and the 180-degree rule, ensure spatial and temporal coherence between shots
• Cutting techniques, including cut, dissolve, fade, and wipe, are used to transition between shots and convey the passage of time or a change in location
• Shot duration and rhythm can be manipulated to create tension, anticipation, or a sense of urgency
  • Longer takes can create a sense of realism or allow for complex choreography, while shorter takes can convey chaos or excitement
• Sound editing involves synchronizing diegetic and non-diegetic audio with the visuals, creating a seamless and immersive experience
  • Sound bridges can be used to connect two scenes or create a sense of continuity across a transition
• Color grading and correction can be used to enhance the mood, atmosphere, or visual consistency of a film
• Visual effects and compositing techniques allow editors to combine multiple elements into a single shot, creating seamless and convincing illusions
• Editing software, such as Avid, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere, provides a range of tools and workflows for organizing, manipulating, and exporting footage
• Collaboration between editors, directors, and other crew members is essential for creating a cohesive and effective final product

Psychological Impact of Editing on Viewers

• Editing can guide the viewer's attention, emphasizing certain elements or characters within a scene
• The Kuleshov Effect demonstrates how the juxtaposition of shots can influence the viewer's perception and emotional response
  • In Lev Kuleshov's famous experiment, the same shot of an actor's neutral face was juxtaposed with various other shots (a bowl of soup, a child in a coffin, a woman on a divan), leading viewers to interpret the actor's expression differently based on the context
• Editing can create a sense of identification or empathy with characters by using close-ups, point-of-view shots, and reaction shots
• Rhythmic and tonal montage can evoke physiological responses, such as increased heart rate or tension, that mirror the emotions of the characters on screen
• Discontinuity editing and jump cuts can create a sense of disorientation, alienation, or psychological instability, reflecting a character's mental state or the themes of the film
• The pacing of a scene, determined by the length and frequency of shots, can influence the viewer's perception of time and create a sense of urgency or contemplation
• Editing can create dramatic irony by providing the viewer with information that the characters do not have, heightening suspense or anticipation
• The use of parallel editing can encourage the viewer to draw comparisons or contrasts between two simultaneous actions, creating thematic or emotional connections

Practical Applications and Examples

• In "Jaws" (1975), Steven Spielberg uses editing to create suspense and terror, often cutting between the shark's perspective and the unsuspecting swimmers
• The Odessa Steps sequence in "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) showcases Sergei Eisenstein's theories of montage, using rhythmic and tonal editing to create a sense of chaos and emotional impact
• The shower scene in "Psycho" (1960) features rapid, disorienting cuts that create a sense of violence and shock, even though the knife is never shown piercing the body
• "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) uses slow-motion and rapid cutting in its final shootout scene to create a sense of tragedy and brutality, contrasting with the romanticized portrayal of the characters throughout the film
• The "bullet time" effect in "The Matrix" (1999) combines slow-motion and rotating camera angles to create a sense of heightened reality and visual spectacle
• Christopher Nolan's "Inception" (2010) uses cross-cutting between multiple dream levels to create a sense of urgency and complexity, mirroring the film's themes of nested realities and psychological manipulation
• The "Up" montage sequence in "Up" (2009) uses a series of short shots and music to convey the entire life story of a couple, from their meeting to the death of the wife, in just a few minutes
• "Requiem for a Dream" (2000) uses rapid, rhythmic editing and split-screen compositions to convey the characters' descent into drug addiction and desperation

Contemporary Editing Trends and Technologies

• Non-linear editing systems, such as Avid and Final Cut Pro, have become the industry standard, allowing for greater flexibility and efficiency in the editing process
• Digital cameras and high-resolution formats, such as 4K and 8K, provide editors with more detailed and malleable footage to work with
• The rise of streaming platforms and binge-watching has influenced editing styles, with many series employing faster pacing and cliffhanger endings to encourage viewers to keep watching
• The increasing use of visual effects and CGI has blurred the line between editing and post-production, requiring editors to work closely with VFX teams to create seamless and convincing sequences
• The popularity of found-footage and documentary-style films has led to a rise in the use of handheld cameras and naturalistic editing techniques, creating a sense of authenticity and immediacy
• The democratization of editing tools and platforms, such as YouTube and TikTok, has allowed for a wider range of creative voices and experimental techniques to emerge
• Interactive and non-linear storytelling, such as in "Black Mirror: Bandersnatch" (2018), presents new challenges and opportunities for editors, who must create multiple narrative paths and ensure a cohesive viewer experience
• Collaborative editing platforms, such as Frame.io and Wipster, enable remote teams to work together seamlessly, streamlining the review and feedback process