‘The common conventions, techniques and purpose of film editing: when and why it was developed’. INTRODUCTION Before the invention of computers and the development of technology, the cinematic industry was completely different to how it is in this day and age. Nowadays Computers and software built into said computers are at the heart of all cinematic pieces whether they be professional or armature. Back in the days before the word computer was even known to be, film makers all over the world had to be creative with how they compiled and compartmentalized different footage, and the sequences that they were assembled into. In such instances as a parallel edit, anyone can easily use this editing technique because scenes can be recorded separately and then uploaded to a computer where they can then be put into certain sequences. Prior to this method, film makes had to use scissors to cut parts of film away and then use such equipment as glue in order to assemble a certain sequence, such as the parallel edit. Another majorly used technique in modern cinematography is CGI. This helps to create animated cinematic pieces and allow directors and writer to use certain scenes that are not available to them in present day such as space travel. Back before this, film makers had to rely on the setting itself for effects because as computers were non existent in that era, CGI was not available, meaning that if it was a sunny day when they were filming, they couldn’t have a scene set in a setting where it was raining until it actually rained. Also in relation to CGI, stunts in this day and age are made particularly easy because when stunt actors are not used to do actual physical stunts, CGI can be used to make any digitally created stunt look like it was physically done by an actor. Again before this, stunts had to be done by the actors who had been written to do them, even the dangerous ones which could have seriously injured the actor or even killing them, thus potentially ending shooting for that piece of cinematography. Props where extremely limited too, as when cinematography was first developed in the late 1800s, the firearm, or ‘gun’ as it is more commonly known as was typically reserved for the wealthier person such as dukes, kings and the soldiers of nations. Even if film makers were able to use a firearm in the making of their films, the scenes they were used in would not have seemed realistic as you couldn’t have recreated the visual effects of when a gun is fired accept for when a gun is actually fired, and if it was aimed at your main protagonist, your shoot would have been concluded prematurely as your main actor would have not been available for shooting the next day. Pun intended. Although nowadays, our old pal CGI has us covered as visual affects can be mimicked via such digital programs such as adobe fireworks and premier pro, thus recreating the effects captured when an actual firearm is fired.
Also, audio in that era was non existent, hence the birth of ‘the silent film’. This means that films in that era had no audible content such as soundtracks, conversations and sound effects which are so commonly used in modern society cinematography. This is due to the advancement in technology in the past century. This is due to such innovators as Steve Jobs, a founding member of the tech giant ‘Apple’. Throughout the advances in cinematography, the British Film Institute have collected relics all the way from the early nineteenth century such as the 1903 innovative film, ‘a Trip to the Moon’. This is continued throughout history and continues today. Old movie reels are especially collected by the British Film Institute as first cuts of movies were produced on this media type. Even today this happens although most films are then transferred digitally so are able to be shown on digital projectors and to be shown on television and online streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Showbox. With respect to physical affects such as make up and materials to be fitted to skin, they are widely used in modern cinematography in such aspects as infections, as seen in the TNT hit naval show ‘The Last Ship’, and zombie themed storylines as seen on the global phenomenon, AMC’s most talked about show ‘The Walking Dead’. In such shows as these, make up and materials are used to present characters and extras in the most realistic ways depending on their situations, whether it be an epidemic or a zombie outbreak. This is also supported by the art of after action editing which adjusts the lighting around such affects in order to make them more realistic to the demographic of said show or movie. Because of the lack of modern technology in the era predating the first world war, thee aspects weren’t available to even the most experienced of film makers meaning that some aspects of cinematography couldn’t be explored of put into as much detail as they can be in present day. Although, as technology has advanced, and the cinematic industry along with it, the industry has always managed to accommodate the evolution of said technology into the works of art that are produced. Even today. For example, in present day cinematography, the evolution of smartphones is evident as phones imitating the ones used in the real world, although may not be to do with the same brand for legal purposes are used to represent a sense of gratification in the demographical audience watching the piece of work. This is designed so that the audience can empathize with the characters provided by the producers as they remind the audience of themselves when the characters are using said technology In cinematography, there is an editing technique called parallel editing. This involves multiple scenes, in which after a scene is finished, it then cuts to another partially related scene. Then it cuts back to the original setting of the fist scene and then back to the setting of the second scene, and this is the theme for multiple cuts until the scenes as a whole are finished with a type of climactic end. When the scenes are edited together, no transitions are needed as generally there are just clean, straight cuts from scene to scene. Throughout the scenes there can be a type of audio in the background. This could be a soundtrack or voices etc. An example of this is the the 1972 phenomenon ‘The Godfather’ starring Al Pachino. In the film there is an iconic scene called ‘the baptism murders’. In said scene, the opening setting is a church with a large congregation, attending for the baptism of a young child, and at the alter is the parents of the child, including the mob boss father, played by Al
Pachino himself. In this he is renouncing past sins for the sake of the child. Although whilst this is happening, murders are carried out of men all around the city in various places. After a murder, the movie then cuts back to the church with shots focused on o Al Pachino’s character, and the congregation behind him. Each time after, the movie then cuts to another murder and then back to the church. This goes on for a certain amount of scenes until there is a compilation of scenes of the dead bodies of the people that were killed. After this it then cuts back to the church in order to finish the scene. Because of how this scene was produced, a certain amount of dramatic irony is used as the congregation behind the mob boss at the alter are witnessing him renounce his sins to god for the sake of his child, not knowing that he had just ordered the murders of at least half a dozen people. Throughout these shits, the voices of vote the priest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CDlBLvc3YE Another editing technique is the match cut. This is used when there is scenes including settings such as a long stair case or a long corridor. The reason for this is to close the gap in terms of how long it would take to move down said stairs or said corridors. Between shots of the person/character moving across the area, the shots are cut and moves to another object, place or character. It then cuts back to the person moving in the area in the original shot with them gradually moving down the area at the same pace as they were previously. It then cuts to the secondary shot, and then back to the original scene. This is continuous until the character eventually makes it across the area of the original shot, thus concluding the match cut. This is evident in the Matrix when the character Neo is filmed entering a room with a security check point. It firstly focuses on him entering via his shoes. It then cuts to a shot of him with his back to the camera placing his bag on the conveyer belt. It then cuts to an image of the bag and then an image of the conveyer belt. After this it cuts back to the character with him walked further than he had before he placed the bag on the belt, with him having passed through the metal detector, thus concluding this example of a match cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o7WUnnDzIc The editing technique ‘rack focus’, consists of a constant shot, where focus is changed between a number of characters or objects. In the 2013 film ‘The Host’ there is a scene which kicks off with focus aimed at a man in a medical mask walking to the camera, and in the opposite direction to the people around him creating contrast as soon as the scene starts. As the scene progresses the focus switches to two people behind him. They too are walking in the opposite direction to the other people around him so are broadcast to the audience as being related to the person earlier in the scene. Additionally, as the scene goes on the focus again switches but this time to a nurse who is looking in the direction that the focus was just previously on. The nurse then calls the person that the focus was previously on at the start. After a brief second the man at the start and the people behind him start running away from the nurse, thus concluding the part of the scene where the editing technique rack focus was used. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPGQ_k80MoE
An additional editing technique is the 180-degree rule. This is generally used when two people are having a conversation. The scene is usually kicked off with the camera angled towards someone whom is talking to one or more persons. Once the person is finished talking the shot is then switched to another person in the conversation, where when they are finished talking the camera switches back to the previous person or then ends as another person enters the conversation, thus ending that particular sequence. An example of this is provided below in the form of an image.
In conclusion, the advancements in technology that benefits the cinematic industry are evident, due mainly to the creation of computers and of such technological innovative brands such as Windows and Apple. Because of this, the pleasure of viewing a cinematic piece is also enhanced as the audience get a more accurate account of reality. It is not only the more technical advancements, the more physical advancements stated above such as the advancements in make ups and prosthetic materials are also mutually evident in the cinematic world, and all the same, equally beneficial for the success of the industry itself. Of course as history says, there will be even more advancements, after all in such a short time, look how much has been developed and put into use. The advancements in prosthetics, CGI, editing techniques and of course technology itself are expected to go further than ever in the next thirty to fifty years, which would also mean the expectations for them to improve the level, and quality of the cinematic works of art produced in the future.