[0:06] At the beginning of parasite Min shows up with the scholars stone
[0:11] Ki-woo is immediately attracted to the stone. He stares at it intently
[0:18] The next cut is a break in continuity, a jump in time
[0:22] The stone has already been lifted out of the box and ki-woo is looking in a totally different direction
[0:28] But this jump is barely noticeable
[0:30] the dialogue from this shot starts under the previous shot making the jump in time almost imperceptible
[0:39] Is this a landscape type?
[0:42] The transition from a closer shot to a wide shot also keeps us from being a jump cut but the subtle passing of
[0:48] time isn't accidental. We enter into Ki-Woo's subjective perspective in this moment
[0:53] we're experiencing his attraction to the rock and it's almost as if he and
[0:58] We the audience lose track of time and snap back to reality a moment later,
[1:04] Realising time has passed
[1:07] There are many examples of this kind of subtle and precise editing in parasite that we could examine
[1:13] But parasite provides us with a great opportunity not just to examine and break down some examples of effective editing,
[1:20] But to ask ourselves, what editing is and who really does editing in a film?
[1:26] This video is sponsored by Mubi check out their curated collection of streaming cinema and movie comm slash Thomas flight
[1:32] Most likely the majority of films and TV shows you watch are shot with a process called
[1:37] Coverage
[1:38] When shooting a scene a director and cinematographer will usually shoot the scene from a variety of angles
[1:43] They'll shoot some wide shots, close-ups, medium shots and over-the-shoulder shots
[1:48] Then it will be the job of the editor to stitch together the scene from all these takes
[1:54] The director hopefully has an idea going into the scene of how it will progress visually
[1:59] But with coverage you have an option in the Edit of changing the visual structure of the scene
[2:05] We know from interviews with Bong Joon-ho
[2:08] That he did not shoot coverage for Parasite except where it was absolutely necessary
[2:13] This means for a scene like this where the entire scene plays out from a single angle
[2:18] this was probably the only angles they shot this scene from they didn't shoot any other angles just in case they wanted to
[2:25] Change how the scene progressed in the edit
[2:28] so in this case instead of creating the visual progression of the scene
[2:33] the editors job is just to choose the best take and
[2:36] Time the transition into an out of the shot
[2:39] For Bong Joon-ho, one of the reasons he can avoid shooting coverage is that he's often
[2:45] Incorporating or planning how the film will be edited together in the script and in his storyboards
[2:52] Let's look at this scene
[2:53] as the conversation shifts to the idea of counting the parks the visual composition of the scene changes
[3:09] And we have this shot
[3:18] it's a transition from here to here and from
[3:21] Using this angle of Min to this angle of Min
[3:25] Was planned for this moment in Bong Joon-ho's storyboards
[3:28] And cinematographer Kyung-pyo Hong just shot the scene the way it was storyboarded
[3:33] And editor Jim-mo Yang just followed bong storyboards and stitched the two shots together.
[3:38] Do we attribute the effectiveness of the end result to editing, cinematography or directing?
[3:46] Ultimately, no matter which person made the creative decision or if it was made in pre-production
[3:51] Post-production or production we can attribute the effectiveness of the transition to editing
[3:57] When we use the word editing or often incorporating two things into that definition
[4:02] first we're referring to the activities of the actual editor and the creative decisions they make but we're also referring to the
[4:10] Concept of an edit in film language. This is sometimes called montage
[4:14] I'm not talking about montage sequences like the one you see later in parasite
[4:18] A montage sequence uses a faster series of shots that usually condenses time, space and information
[4:24] When I say montage here
[4:24] I'm referring specifically to the creation of meaning through the visual juxtaposition of two shots
[4:31] By itself this is just a shot of a stone and by itself this is just a shot of Ki-woo but edited together
[4:37] they create a moment where Ki-woo, looks at a stone that's montage and
[4:42] Montage is the fundamental building block used by editors to create meaning
[4:46] But montage and editing can happen long before a film is even shot
[4:52] Towards the end of parasite there is a lot of inner cutting between different locations and characters
[4:57] A lot of action is happening all at once but this is carefully managed in a way that is
[5:02] seamless
[5:03] We can attribute this seamlessness and pacing to editing but it isn't just the editor
[5:08] who's responsible for how these scenes flow together and are inter-cut
[5:13] For example
[5:14] Here, the cut from the kitchen to the basement is aided by Choong-sook's glance towards the stairs
[5:20] The performance and the edit have to work together to create that smooth transition
[5:24] it's the work of the editor to time the cut with look but for the editor to do that the look has to
[5:29] exist in the performance
[5:31] And in this case it originates in the script
[5:34] But I'm not trying to diminish the work of parasites editor Jim-mo Yang
[5:37] or give all the credit to Bong Joon-ho
[5:40] By making strong and effective creative editing decisions early on,
[5:44] director Bong is simply giving his editor more time and space to work on everything else
[5:49] Some scenes are still shot with coverage and it's up to Jim-mo Yang
[5:53] to work out the timing of the cuts in those scenes
[5:56] In this scene it appears coverage was shot
[5:59] It looks like the entire scene was probably filmed from these four angles
[6:12] Here the editor cuts to
[6:14] this shot crossing the line of action instead of cutting back to this angle
[6:19] Which stays on the line of action
[6:21] This choice emphasizes the idea that Mr. Kim is someone who will cross the line
[6:26] the material to be able to make this choice
[6:29] crossing the line and creating meaning through montage had to be provided by the cinematographer
[6:34] and it was probably planned for by Bong
[6:38] But if coverage was shot the editor still needs to decide when is the right moment in that scene to cut to that new angle
[6:52] In this scene we see the housekeeper inside over video and also on the outside in the rain
[6:58] An important decision for the scene is when to show her on the outside in the film
[7:04] We don't see her outside until right before. Mrs. Kim takes some pity on her and lets her in
[7:25] The shot mirrors some shots of the Kim's from earlier
[7:28] And so I think it makes sense to show her outside for the first time when mrs
[7:34] Kim relates to her and has sympathy on her
[7:38] But this shot could have come at the beginning of the scene or in the middle
[7:42] and it's up to the editor to make that decision
[7:45] But even with the constraints of no coverage shooting there's still a lot an editor can do
[7:50] As VFX become cheaper, better and more accessible
[7:53] they're increasingly used by editors in subtle ways to improve timing and performance
[8:00] The lock down shots in a moment like this
[8:02] It's easy to composite two shots together to perfect the timing of actions
[8:07] Here's another example
[8:08] If I wanted in the shop for the housekeeper and the dog to come in a little earlier
[8:13] That would be a very easy adjustment to make
[8:16] But it goes deeper than that. In an interview with the art of the cut Jim-mo Yang revealed that
[8:21] shot stitching is used in the film even during pans on longer, unbroken takes
[8:25] In the same way the editor of 1917 can combine multiple takes to create the illusion of one longer take
[8:32] Editors like Jim-mo Yang
[8:33] can use the same techniques to combine multiple takes to perfect timing or combine two different performances
[8:40] and if they're not spending most of their time constructing scenes from coverage
[8:43] the editor will have more time to spend perfecting every little detail
[8:48] The role of editing is massive and far-reaching in film
[8:52] but the building blocks of good editing often start with the script and cinematography
[8:57] A great editor will be able to create magic from scenes shot with coverage. Coverage itself isn't bad
[9:04] but often when a director like Bong Joon-ho is planning the cinematography, performance and editing
[9:10] and how they'll work together from the beginning of the process
[9:13] It can lead to a quality of work difficult to achieve otherwise.
[9:17] In the same way the editor of a film is often referred to as the last screenwriter
[9:22] The screenwriter is, in a sense, the first editor even if they're never communicating directly, in reality
[9:28] the editor is working in collaboration on the edit with many other members of the film crew
[9:35] understanding editing will make you a better screen writer or cinematographer
[9:39] And understanding screenwriting and cinematography will make you a better editor
[9:45] This video is sponsored by Mubi
[9:48] Parasite was a film that I think made a lot of people realize that the world of international film has a lot to offer
[9:56] if you want to have more access and find interesting indie films arthouse films or international cinema
[10:03] check out Mubi! Mubi has 30 films at a time and they add a new one every day
[10:07] It's a great place to find new stuff and you can try it for free for 30 days when you go to
[10:20] Thanks so much for watching
[10:21] If you want to see some additional commentary on parasite that just didn't fit into one of these essays
[10:26] You can watch this month's bonus video on my patreon by becoming a patron for five dollars a month at patreon.com/thomasflight