elements of editing in film essay

Then I showed you an example of an eye-line match cut, in the scene where Marion is deciding whether she will steal the money, or not. It was like music, you see, the high shot with the violins and suddenly the big head with the brass instruments clashing. In your textbook, in the chapter on editing, there are a couple examples of editing in Psycho (there’s also an essay, at the end of the chapter, on editing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious). Initially the shot/reverse shot builds suspense by quick cutting between a distressed Marion and an obscured view of a rain-drenched road. And now let’s take a look at two film analysis essay samples, starting with Do the Right Thing. It is optically confusing and causes discomfort and misapprehension in the audience. The title of this movie plays a huge role in what the movie is about. Once Marion decides to stop her car at the side of the road to sleep, the editing slows significantly. Another apparent effect of lighting is the mood it synthesizes. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. A drama is often described as a film “that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. Just like cinematography and other movie elements, sound is arguably one of the most significant elements in any given film. define editing as the coordination of one shot with the next. Finally, Hitchcock provides us with a good example of parallel editing (cross-cutting) in the scene where Sam and Lila (Marion’s sister) go to the Bates motel to investigate. This is a film directed by Spike Lee that was released in 1989. The textbook authors say, of this quote, that it “suggests how the director was acutely aware of the way abrupt changes in camera positioning can evoke an emotional response.” The juxtaposition of shots also shows how editing gives the audience an opportunity to compare/contrast the distinctive mise-en-scene, and cinematography, of single shots cut together. control. Therefore, success can be measured by the amount of money an individual has, the position he or she … can compress time through ellipsis, or expand time through overlapping. As we saw in the discussion of the camera's mediation, the duration One of the interesting things about the cross-cutting here is that while Sam rather aggressively interrogates Norman, accusing him of killing Marion to steal the $40,000, Lila – by way of many eyeline-match cuts – finds ample evidence in the mise-en-scène of Norman’s arrested development and insanity. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. frequency: the amount of times an event occurs-- a singular take or repetition This discussion will show that it is far more conceptually accurate to The first example analyzes the editing in the scene set in the parlor of the Bates hotel where Marion Crane gets to know (perhaps a little too much) about the reclusive Norman Bates. When describing a sequence in a film, use the present tense, like you would write in the literary present when describing events of a novel, i.e. The classical editing in the opening of the film attains a smooth and faultless style of narration, allowing the viewer to effortlessly track the direction of the narrative; the viewers can feel the tension created when Benjamin’s inner conflicts are crossed with a non-understanding older generation. This definition expands the concept of editing beyond the joining of the Indisputably, Tim Burton has one of the world’s most distinct styles when regarding film directing. In the aforementioned films , editing techniques stabilizes the movie and, Metamorphosis of Ishmael in Moby Dick Essay, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, Essay on A comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States, The American Dream in Death Of A Salesman, by Arthur Miller Essay. High key and low key relationships plus editing variations evinces the director’s elaborate style. or cut--to look at their total relationship. They were lacking the warmth of family unity and self content amid impecuniosity, that Charlie and his grandfather possessed. While the final shot of the film, showing the car being dragged from the swamp (reversing the shot that shows it sinking), represents Norman’s crime coming to light. ( Log Out /  The second instance of editing in Psycho mentioned in the textbook is the short sequence that shows the murder of the private investigator, Arbogast, at the knife-wielding hands of Norman – or rather, Norman’s mother. but that temporal and spatial dimensions may be irrelevant. During the scenes in which the figures are pale or low key, the viewer feels uncomfortable. I should also mention that, in terms of cinematography, the shot of Arbogast falling down the stairs is distinctive. compares patterns of light and dark, line and shape, volumes and depths, The sharp contrast of coloration, establishes symbolism, tone, mood, and imagery. is that they (again) skew a conceptual discussion in terms of the film-maker's The reverse occurs during the high key scenes. scope of the issues here, as well as distorting the accuracy of their arguments. allows the film to relate any two points in space through similarity, difference, This sequence is followed by another series of tense shot/reverse shots, as Marion drives down the road followed by the policeman. Analytical Essay on Tim Burton's Style in Film Directing- Edward Scissorhands, Indisputably, Tim Burton has one of the world’s most distinct styles when regarding film directing. However, once inside the chocolate factory, conspicuous colors are introduced. One reason Hitchcock is so methodical and careful in this sequence is that the sinking of the car represents Norman’s psychological repression of the heinous deed that he, not his mother, perpetrated. He utilizes these cinematic techniques to, The same cinematic technique is utilized in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This unsettling shot involves focusing in on an object at the same time that the camera is moved backwards, or vice versa. The textbook authors don’t discuss Hitchcock’s use of the same overhead shot – though much more drawn out – a little later in the film when Norman carries his mother down-stairs. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. equal length will create a steady metrical beat, lengthening shots can generate a gradually slowing tempo. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. (We see the same trombone shot, reversed, when Arbogast is walking up the stairs.). The problem with Bordwell & Thompson's discussion of editing, however, of a shot starts to indicate one of many roles that editing performs. DEFINITION:  Bordwell and Thompson establishes a whole and separates it into parts OR. His tone, mood, diction, imagery, organization, syntax, and point of view within his films sets him apart from other renowned directors. The efficacious nature of films owes its prominent properties to the array of editing techniques. This, like much of the editing in the film (and like most instances of parallel editing), is done to create suspense. order: the temporal succession of events. Therefore, through the use of the film entitled “Double Indemnity,” which is directed by Billy Wilder, this paper would primarily tackle and analyze how the element of sound has been utilized in the said movie. We see Marion, again distressed, with the police car behind her in the shot; and then, to emphasize Marion’s anxiety, the camera cuts to shots of the police car in the rear-view mirror. Do the Right Thing Example Analysis. Such cinematic techniques are in the lighting and editing technique categories. Elizabeth Ewe Weaver . Here are some checkpoints: Facts: Make sure that what you've written is what happened; Spelling: Check and recheck names, titles, words with unusual spellings, your most frequently misspelled words, and everything else. between elements in mise-en-scene or camera framing. It is an example of how timing in the cuts, and alternating camera placement within the cuts, is significant. Especially inside Charlie’s home. According to www. At the beginning of the scene, the timing and the camera angles, in the shot/reverse shot sequence, are fairly conventional. Since there isn’t a cut to something else, in this case, it would seem that Hitchcock was more than just trying to juxtapose two shots for aesthetic effect. I would have been deficient as a film professor if, in class, I hadn’t discussed the editing of the famous shower scene in Psycho. It looks beyond the transition between shots--fade, dissolve, wipe, Hitchcock was also interested in distancing, and disorienting, the viewer, as he often does with his cinematography and editing. The shot/reverse shot editing in the hotel room show the intimacy between the two, before they begin discussing the difficult dilemma they are in (she has no money, and Sam has no money because of alimony payments, so they can’t get married), at which point the shot/reverse shot shows distance between them. between editing and mise-en-scene:  at what point is it a matter of a shot's physical length corresponds to a measurable  duration. Instead of creating suspense by speeding up the cuts (as in the scenes where Marion is fleeing with the money, and in the shower scene), the longer shots in this scene, along with the more leisurely pacing of cuts, give us ample opportunity to see Norman’s anxiety, coupled with relatively long shots of a car that refuses to sink. The first film analysis essay example we will take a look at it for Do the Right Thing. B&T argue that graphic and rythmic relations are present in every shot, There are a couple other instances of editing in Psycho that I should mention. But as the conversation between Marion and Norman gets darker, the timing changes to show emotional responses by both Marion and Norman, and the camera angles become more distorted and disturbing. The film includes many different elements which allow the film to fall under these three main genres. Don’t eat too much candy so you can have pearly white teeth like mine! but one dominates or regulates the relations--not unlike the relationship That is, Sam is dead wrong in his approach, while Lila inadvertently gets to the bottom of things, just by closely observing the details in Norman’s home. Basic Elements of Effective Writing. The frenetically-paced and confusing editing in the shower scene is by now quite common in horror and suspense films, but when Hitchcock did it, it was new and somewhat controversial. Then we have the tense shot/reverse shot of Marion and the policeman in sun-glasses, in which camera angles are important: the policeman is seen in an extreme close up shot from a low angle, which, along with the fact that we can’t see his eyes, makes him an ominous figure. This is the value of Bordwell and Thompson's discussion of editing. THE MAIN ELEMENTS OF FILM FORM/RHETORIC are: literary design, visual design, cinematography, editing, and sound design: LITERARY DESIGN INCLUDES CONVENTIONAL “RHETORICAL ELEMENTS” such as: the choice of GENRE (comedy, tragedy; romantic comedy; western, horror, thriller, etc.) As a result, editing needs to be conceived of in a broader manner. dictionary. rythmic function occurs when several shot lengths form a discernable pattern. duration: the relationship between screen-time and story time--editing One can discern that Burton’s style is highly influenced by his lighting effects which in turn affects the tone, mood, and imagery of the film. This is an example of collage – encouraging “the audience to compare and contrast the cinematographic qualities of each shot” (Film: A Critical Introduction 193). Burton’s style can be easily depicted in two of his most highly esteemed and critically acclaimed films, Edward Scissorhands and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. two shots to encompass all the dimensions at stake there. The textbook authors quote Hitchcock himself to explain the significance of the editing here: The main reason for raising the camera [to an overhead shot] was to get the contrast between the long shot and the close-up of the big head as the knife came down on him. movement and stasis. That editing functions so closely with other elements of cinematic expression (camera's mediation and mise-en-scene, for example) that making distinctions between elements can be difficult. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Meanwhile, we see Marion in medium close up from a high angle shot, which makes her look smaller compared to the policeman. Regardless of whether the assignment is to write an academic essay to be read only by the instructor or an editorial for the school newspaper that many people will see, first think about your target audience. When we went over it in class, I demonstrated (by counting) how the thirty or so cuts we see, once Marion steps into the shower, creates a sense of frenetic action and a feeling of disorientation in the audience, due to the dizzying array of multiple camera angles and the variety of zooms (close-up, extreme close up). In the inception of the film, darker and paler shades of colors are emphasized in the scenery. Even though the factory seemed like an exuberant center, there was still a profound void inside the hearts of Wonka, the obnoxious children, and non-proficient parents, not including Charlie and his grandfather. Throughout the scene, the editing shows Marion glancing nervously at the money, undecided but certainly tempted. Transitions are conceived Whereas in the English essay you use textual evidence and quotes, in a film analysis essay, you might also include audiovisual elements to bolster your argument. of problems of distinguishing between elements can occur in the relationship argue that every dimension is present in every relation between shots, Burton ingeniously incorporates effective cinematic techniques to convey a poignant underlying message to the audience. Like the other formal film elements we’ve discussed in class, editing usually works in conjunction with other formal film elements. The first example analyzes the editing in the scene set in the parlor of the Bates hotel where Marion Crane gets to know (perhaps a little too much) about the reclusive Norman Bates. ( Log Out /  ( Log Out /  Eventually, she decides to take the money; and this sets up the most prominent “McGuffin” in the film (a McGuffin is a plot element that forwards the plot, though often misleading the audience as to the true direction of the plot, becoming a “red herring”). His tone, mood, diction, imagery, organization, syntax, and point of view within his films sets him apart from other renowned directors. ( Log Out /  We have shots of Sam talking with Norman, stalling for time, and cross-cuts to Lila seeking Mrs. Bates in the house. Without the implementation of high key and low key, Burton’s message would have never been fully apprehended in both of the films. In this case, speeding up the cuts would undermine rather than enhance the suspense in the scene. Happy Halloween from Norman’s mom, three weeks early. The result is that they  sacrifice the richness and I will have more to say about the intrusive camera in this scene, in another post. 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