Editing

Editing is the post-production stage in which the sequencing or joining together of camera shots, sound and/or text is performed, it is basically how the individual shots are put together. There are two main types of editing continuity editing and montage.

Continuity editing is when the sequence is edited so that time seems to flow, uninterrupted, from shot to shot, this is achieve by using only straight cuts. This can also involve cross-cutting which is where a sequence cuts between to different settings to make it appear as if the action is occurring simultaneously. This editing technique is used to make the film seem as real as possible and allow the audience to be fully immersed in whats happening on screen and even forget that they are in fact watching a film. Some techniques commonly used in continuity editing are establishing shots, match on action, eyeline matches, point of view shots, shot-reverse-shot, and parallel editing.

Establishing shot is a way to set up the scene and location so that the audience are given context and are aware of where the action is taking place.These are generally cityscapes or just general long shots. Here is a video with a few examples.



Match on action is where a cut is made on the action, for example, one shot showing a person opening a door and then the next shot shows the person walking through on the other side. This technique helps to create a sense of fluidity to the film and helps to make it seem more real as it seems like a continuous flow of expected and matched shots, even though they may be happening in completely different places, the audience would be unable to tell. In the example below you see the woman pushing the scrabble board on one side and then match on action is used as the next shot is showing the woman from the other side and it is the continued action of pushing the scrabble board creating the effect of one continuous, real action.



An eyeline match is when a character is looking at something off screen and then the next shot shows what the character is looking at matching the their eyeline with the correct angle and shot. This technique is commonly used in conversations as well as the technique of shot-reverse-shot which shows a character looking at and talking to someone off screen, which is then matched with another character looking back at the first character who is now off screen. 



Point of view shot is where the camera is used to show what the character is doing and seeing, as if we were looking through the eyes of the character. This helps to connect us to the character because we are doing and seeing exactly what they are therefore provoking us to feel the same emotions as the character.


Parallel editing is achieved by the use of cross-cutting which creates a link between two different events or actions and makes it seem as if they are happening simultaneously. This can help to create tension as you are waiting for the two scenes to join. The example below from The Silence of the Lambs is an interesting example of parallel editing because it is used to mislead the audience making them think that the police are outside his door when in fact they are in the wrong place.



Montage is when a collection of different or random images are used to build up an impression. This is frequently used in title sequences or to show the compression of time (in modern films when this technique is used it generally features a sound track over the top).


Here is a mind-map I created showing all of the aspects of editing:

Romantic Film

The most common editing style in the romantic genre is continuity editing. This is most likely because romantic films are extremely focused on telling the story and making it seem as if it is real, therefore they must make it flow smoothly and keep the editing unnoticeable.

Another technique frequently used in romantic films is cross-cutting. This helps to create a link between two characters or, for example, in Legally Blonde it helps to create suspense between the main character and action between other characters relating to her (all signing the letter), this gives some variance in the way the film is edited, showing different aspects of the story from different points of view and making it more interesting, rather than just the usual linear editing style common in the romantic genre.



Our Film

For our film we are going to mainly use continuity editing to stick to the codes and conventions of the genre and to help keep our story linear and easy to understand, as this is what the target audience wants. We are, however going to use a lot of cross-cutting between the two main characters to help create a link between them and help to immediately portray that something is going to happen between them. We are also going a few interesting edits, such as a graphic match, to try to give some variance to our film and make it a little more visually interesting for the audience.