Editing Research

Edwin S. Porter: Life of An American Fireman (1903)


One of the earliest films to include the editing technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4C0gJ7BnLc                                   

There are about 9 different cuts in the film,comparing this to modern day editing this is a tiny amount,we have cuts such as cross cutting and much smoother transitions. We now use editing to draw attention to certain details and add depth to clips.

 There is only a close up and the rest are just long shots from a static camera. The lack of different angles creates a rather static,straightforward chronological narrative. Modern day films,use a variety of cuts and shots to create different effects from different characters points of view. An action film would use a large amount of cross cuts, to create a fast pace and a high energy tone. Certain angles would be used to show a character social position in comparison to another character e.g the antagonist would use a low angle, in order to make them look powerful and dominant. 

The narrative follows a progressive,chronological order however the continuity is ruined, due to lack of editing,where a cross cut would be needed. The fireman is seen entering the house,rescuing the woman and exiting. However in the next scene,in order to see the action in a different perspective, we see the woman gesturing for help and then fireman enter the building. In order not to disorientate the viewer, in modern day film, cross cuts would have been used.

 In most Hollywood films, editing helps determine at least four dimensions of film narrative: in what order you receive information about the plot, how much information you are supposed to receive about the narrative, how you are supposed to feel about events and characters at any given time, and how you are supposed to experience the pace of the narrative. In addition, as the idea of montage suggests, editing can serve an intellectual function, often making aesthetic, political, or ideological assertions about the activities you are seeing, as well as emotional appeals. This latter activity tends to belong more to the world of avant-garde and experimental films.

Psycho 'Shower scene'

1st viewing: how many cuts are there? 66

2nd viewing: how long is each edit? What happens to the pace of the editing? The beginning of the scene is quite lengthy and a relaxed pace,with around 5 cuts but as the mysterious figure approaches,the cuts get more quick and erratic,making the audience eyes more difficult to adjust to each scene and more panicky and tense.

3rd viewing: how does the length of each edit link to the narrative?
4th viewing: how does Hitchcock control the audience's reactions through his editing? 'You know that the public always likes to be one jump ahead of the story; they like to feel they know what’s coming next. So you deliberately play upon this fact to control their thoughts. You turn the viewer in one direction and then in another; you keep him as far as possible from what’s actually going to happen.'

Through the use of  large amount of cross cuts, the action in the scene is frantic and disorientating to the viewer,there is so much action to follow, it intensifies the viewers fear of this unknown killer,due to the sudden,shocking violence.

Taking inspiration from Pyscho and the cross cuts, we felt adding this to Infatuation, in the chase scene would intensify the fear for the protagonist and for the viewer. Adding with the handheld movement, this would inlude the viewer in the film and chase, making Infatuation more connectable with the audience. As in Pyscho, we led the audience into a state of tension through the music but with a lack of action, as the music intensified, so did the narrative with the climatic chase scene.