Editing In Film: Part 1

After filming a movie, the movie still needs changes to make it more aesthetically pleasing, interesting, eye-catching, etc. This is where Editing is introduced. Editing in film is a technical code used by filmmakers to give the film more aesthetically pleasing look to it and to enhance the genre, therefore, attracting more audiences. My teammates and I had been assigned work to do regarding the definition and examples of some editing techniques. So, in this blog, I will be discussing the first portion of my contribution towards this assignment and, since we were all assigned nine techniques in total, this blog will be discussing three of those techniques, and there will be two more blogs in the future, one discussing three techniques each, equating to nine techniques discussed.

J cut 

The audio from the following scene plays over video from the preceding footage. 

A conversation over the phone is ending and the camera slowly dolly's-in towards the character as the audio of a conversation in the following frame. 

An in-person conversation is about to end and music from a party in the following scene starts playing as the character looks to the side and ponders. 

Whilst two characters dance in the center of an empty room, the audio of their conversation starts playing before the camera cuts to a frame with them talking to each other. 

Dissolve 

As opposed to a straight cut from one shot to another, a dissolve involves the gradual transition from the first image to the next. 

One scene ends with someone walking away from a character to create a sad and isolated mood, the screen dissolves into another scene of them deep in thought. 

During a montage, the screen dissolves multiple times to show the actions of the character(s) whilst they work on their idea. 

During a specific scene, the screen zooms onto the face of a clock and dissolves a few times to emphasize the passing of time. 

180-degree rule 

When you have two people or two groups facing each other in the same shot, you have to establish a 180-degree angle, or a straight line, between them. 

A conversation between two people and the camera alternates between them as they begin to speak. 

A stage with a band and the camera cuts to each musician as they play their instrument. 

A field of two battle parties, ready to begin war as they yell across the field to each other before beginning. The camera cuts to each person as they speak.