6 Scene Editing Techniques — Full Breakdown & Transcript

[00:00] Films are made up of sequences, sequences are made up of themes, and themes are made up of shots. In previous episodes we covered camera lenses, frame rates, and scene transitions.

[00:22] Today we're going to look at another angle of editing by examining different ways we can cut within a theme. This is episode 10 of The Soft List.

[00:39] Editing Techniques Almost all of an editor's work comes down to three choices. What to show, when to cut, and what to cut to.

[00:53] What to cut? The cut itself is the most basic way to move from shot to shot. and when an editor cuts away from the main action it's referred to as a cutaway.

[01:24] It's a cutaway. Oh, my God.

[01:58] Is your scene filled with frantic action? Rapid cutting might be in order.

[02:13] Deciding what to cut to is equally important. An editor might use a cutaway to indicate what's on the character's mind.

[02:28] or cut to what a character is looking at. No matter the reason, every edit should be thoughtful and purposeful. For a detailed explanation on the rule of six,

[02:43] you'll find a link to our blog in the description. This brings us to our first editing fundamental. Eyeline. An eyeline match is when an editor cuts to the object of a character's attention.

[02:58] If a character notices something, we cut to what they see. The second shot is often a literal POV shot, or from that character's general perspective.

[03:18] This is such common practice that we can build intrigue by either waiting to reveal what they see, or by not showing it at all.

[03:51] Either way, it's the character's eye that motivate the cut. Consider this moment from 300. Choose your next word carefully, Leonidas. It may be your last as king.

[04:05] As King Leonidas debates whether to submit to Hercule's control, watch how his eyes guide the edit. With each glance, he cut to his land, his citizens,

[04:18] his wife. And in this process, we are invited to think like Leonidas. Will he sacrifice his people's freedom or not?

[04:32] A common form of the eye-line match is the shot-reverse shot. When we cut between a shot of subject A and a shot of subject B in a reverse angle that is often a similar angle and composition The most common use of this can be found in conversation scenes

[04:49] to maintain scene geography and clarity. Inserts are also often prompted by eye-line matches. An insert is a shot of a detail within a scene,

[05:01] usually in order to emphasize a specific prop or element. In Tenet, the protagonist looks off-camera and we cut to this insert. An example of simple and direct visual language.

[05:17] The eyeline match is a great way to connect the dots between what the character sees, thinks or feels. Impressive. Very nice. It can also create and release tension, depending on what we see and when we see it.

[05:37] George?

[05:49] George! Hi, George. What's going on? Instead of cutting between two objects in the same scene, our next technique cuts between separate scenes.

[06:03] Cross-cutting. Cross-cutting is when an editor cuts between two or more scenes happening in different locations, usually at the same time. The baptism sequence from The Godfather alternates between Michael renouncing evil...

[06:19] ...and his men following Michael's orders to execute his rivals. By cross-cutting these scenes, it creates an ironic juxtaposition that elevates the entire sequence.

[06:37] And all this work... But cross-cutting can also be an effective way to combine multi-layered action as well.

[07:03] In Rogue One, the last third of the entire film is a massive sequence comprised of three distinct battlefronts. The combat on the beach, the jump fight in space, and the covert operation to seal the

[07:25] Death Star plans. In fact, each of these fronts split into additional sub-plots, but by alternating between these

[07:37] themes, the cross-cutting helps keep the plot and action constantly moving forward, and the audience invested in each group's progress. Cross-cutting can create parallels between separate themes that wouldn't be there otherwise,

[07:53] and weave multiple planes of action in one. Now, let's look at a technique which is designed to keep the audience's attention fixed to a specific part of the frame.

[08:06] Eye Trace. Eye trace is when an editor cuts between two or more shots that focus on the same area of the frame.

[08:21] This allows the viewers eyes and attention to stay focused without having to scan the frame after each cut.

[08:35] Eye trace can also be used through blocking and camera movement, guiding a viewer's eye within a shot.

[08:56] But let's look at how editors can achieve a similar effect. Eye trace is ideal for action scenes, which tend to move quickly. Mad Max, Fury Road, makes heavy use of this technique. Here's DP John Seal explaining this decision.

[09:14] Compositionally whatever was the center point of that shot had to be in the center of the frame In the faster cutting that he got

[09:30] your eye won't have to shift on an anamorphic frame to find the next subject when you've only got 1.8 seconds of time to do that.

[09:43] All we would hear all the time on the comms was George saying, put the crosshairs on her nose, with the crosshairs on and out. And that is basically the whole of the film.

[09:56] Some shots in the film are less than a second long. Using eye trace, the composition and editing of these scenes helps the viewer process even the most chaotic action.

[10:14] Our next type of cut also helped move over a transition. Split edit. While a hard cut changes both audio and video at the same time.

[10:30] A split edit changes either the sound or image before the other. This is either a J cut or an L cut.

[10:44] They get their names from what they look like in an editing timeline. A J-Cut is when audio from a shot begins to play before we see it.

[11:04] For an L-Cut, the audio from a shot plays after we've already cut away.

[11:18] You're not scared, are you, Happy? Pa. Pa. No, Pa. That's okay, too.

[11:31] The technique is often used during dialogue scenes, allowing editors to create a more natural conversation, control the rhythm of dialogue, as well as catching reaction shots of someone listening.

[11:44] You know anything, Mongeau? Well, I can't say one, because they're anyway. So? Tell me. It's corny. Don't be that way. Tell me. No, you wouldn't like it not being there.

[11:58] You told us just to name people, and you can't tell me? I promise I won't laugh. But there are more creative ways to use a J or L cut. For example, when characters outline a plan, like in Mission Impossible Rogue Nation.

[12:15] So why hasn't Rain just sent someone to steal it? Oh, he has. He sent me. And I can tell you. It's impossible.

[12:28] To reach the terminal you will need to pass the main gate. We use an L-cut to show the security measures they mention. And open three separate combination locks.

[12:45] I see that you just impersonate the agent who stole the ledger in the first place. I get to wear a mask. This makes their plan more clear to the audience, especially when it eventually goes wrong.

[13:02] Okay, I don't get to wear a mask. Seeing the plan in action is more visually interesting than simply hearing it, and additional J and L cuts within their dialogue ensures the sequence moves swiftly.

[13:15] But what if we want to make a cut more noticeable, not less? Intellectual montage. Intellectual montage puts seemingly unrelated images together in order to create a certain feeling or idea.

[13:37] This type of montage makes use of the Kuleshov effect, which refers to creating meaning out of a cinematic juxtaposition. We take this man's expression to mean different things based on the image intercut with him.

[13:52] In this scene from Lucy, as her boyfriend tries to convince her to deliver a briefcase, I can deliver the case myself I had a little falling out with the guy It nothing major but it a true problem solver We get the shot Look it an easy piece of inspection from here

[14:13] Two separate scenes combine to create a single idea. She is walking into a trap. I'm here for, uh, Mr. James. As the scene plays out, you get another series of juxtaposing imagery.

[14:27] Lucy is being stalked unaware of just how much danger she is in in Don't Look Up intellectual montage is used to emphasize

[14:40] the global scale of an impending disaster a comet is going to wipe out life on Earth we're all 100% for sure going to die

[14:54] But Randall and Kate's warning is falling on deaf ears. Then we get this series of shots.

[15:13] Isolated, these shots would have a neutral connotation. But placed in this context, we are asked to make the connections ourselves. From massive city-scapes to microscopic organisms, everything will be affected by the impending

[15:27] disaster. By using intellectual montage, director Adam McKay is able to visually reiterate larger themes in the film.

[15:41] This experimental technique is a great way to evoke emotion and meaning out of shots that individually wouldn't have them. Moving on to our final technique, Cut on Action.

[15:55] F*** off Hitler! Cutting on Action refers to cutting during a character or object's movement.

[16:08] When the out point of shot A corresponds directly to the in point of shot B, it creates a more seamless transition. This technique can be used for simple actions like taking a drink or shaking hands.

[16:29] Most editors working in any genre will use cutting on action to create smoother cuts that feel more natural to the audience. And it is often found in fight scenes because it lends itself to fast-paced rhythm and quick

[16:44] movement. a fight between Neo and Morpheus in the Matrix Resurrections.

[17:04] A very common cut on action in fight sequences is the cut on impact. This gives each punch and kick extra force. Notice how the cuts in this fight are placed in the middle of one character's move.

[17:32] Clunching in from a wide to a dramatic close-up. By cutting on action throughout this scene, director Lana Wachowski is able to keep up the pace, strengthen stunts and create a more epic feeling to the fight.

[17:52] So, these are the six essential ways editors use the cut. But we haven't covered everything. There are also freeze frames, invisible cuts, subliminal frames, double cuts, and check

[18:20] the description for our video dedicated to jump cuts. Be sure to tell us any techniques we haven't mentioned in the comments. Hit subscribe and click the bell to stay up to date on all our filmmaking videos.

[18:35] Until next time, get chopping!