The Edit
In this chapter you will learn:
- How to define editing.
- Essentials of a digital medium.
- Continuity vs Montage editing approaches.
Have you ever said the words “I love you”? What do they mean?
In truth, what you hear is little more than a collection of sounds created by a combination of air and vibration, an interplay of your breath, vocal cords, and tongue.
Each word by itself has its singular meaning, but when combined, “I love you” carries tremendous emotional weight.
Words, which are used in everything from shopping lists to philosophical diatribes to haiku, have the power to elicit a wide range of emotions in an audience.
Shots spark emotion.
Making the audience feel
More than words can say.
Like words, shots carry tremendous emotional weight, yet they are just clusters of pixels.
Much like a writer combines words into a precise sentence to convey a specific meaning, we combine shots into a series of precise edits to convey meaning on the screen.
Shot
A shot is an uninterrupted segment of motion picture time.
Edit
The edit is the connection of shots into a meaningful whole.
Consider the following equation: 1 + 1 = 3.
(To think that all these years you thought 1 + 1 = 2.)
As a filmmaker, 1 + 1 = 3 is the most important equation to know because it calculates the meaning created when you combine shots. Specifically, it is the equation that explains editing.
Editing is the juxtaposition of images to create meaning that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Be it a shot of a woman’s face, a bird in flight, or a crack in the pavement, every image has meaning unto itself.
Consider the following images. What meaning do they each individually have?
The moment you juxtapose one image against another, as is done in the editing process, a third meaning is created. This third meaning doesn’t exist until the act of editing occurs.
What third meaning does the juxtaposition of the following images create? Click through to see different versions. How does the meaning change?
There is no right or wrong way to juxtapose images; each arrangement will convey a different meaning. You have to ask yourself which meaning is the one that works for you.
A healthy dose of experimentation is required to discover the myriad ways you can combine images to create meaning. It is precisely that sort of experimentation that enabled editing to evolve over the years, progressing from a simple technical side effect to a full-blown art form.
