book

Grammar of the Edit, 5th Edition

by Christopher Bowen

August 2023

Intermediate to advanced

302 pages

9h 20m

English

Routledge

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A Very Brief History of Film EditingWhat Is Editing?Key Factors Affecting Editorial ChoicesToolsProject Type and GenreDegree of Audience ManipulationOther FactorsStages of the Editing ProcessAcquisitionOrganizationReview and SelectionAssemblyRough CutFine CutPicture LockFinishingMastering and DeliveryTraditional Motion Picture TransitionsChapter One – Final Thoughts: Editing Purpose and ProcessChapter One – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Pay Careful Attention to Media and Project OrganizationPIP #2 Learn and Use Keyboard ShortcutsPIP #3 Organize Your Timeline Tracks and Maintain Consistency Across ProjectsPIP #4 Keep Your Rough Cut LongPIP #5 Review Each Edit or Series of Edits as You Make ThemPIP #6 Seek Feedback While Editing Your Motion PicturePIP #7 Put Aside Your Edited Sequence for a While and Watch It Again With Fresh EyesPIP #8 Duplicate Your Sequence before Making Major ChangesChapter One – ReviewChapter One – ExercisesChapter One – Quiz Yourself
The Basic Shot TypesShot DescriptionsThe Extreme Close-Up (XCU/ECU)The Big Close-Up (BCU) (UK)/“Choker” (US)The Close-Up (CU)The Medium Close-Up (MCU)/Bust ShotThe Medium Shot (MS)/Mid-ShotThe Medium Long Shot (MLS)/Medium Wide Shot (MWS)The Long Shot (LS)/Wide Shot (WS)The Very Long Shot (VLS)/Very Wide Shot (VWS)The Extreme Long Shot (XLS/ELS)/Extreme Wide Shot (XWS/EWS)The Two-Shot (2-Shot/2S)The Over-the-Shoulder Shot (OTS/OSS)Shot Categories: The Increasing Complexity of Motion ImagerySimple ShotsComplex ShotsDeveloping ShotsChapter Two – Final Thoughts: Camera Shots Are Your Building BlocksChapter Two – Principles in PracticePIP #1 In a Three-Person Dialogue, Beware of Cutting from a Two-Shot to Another Two-ShotPIP #2 Edit in a Wide Shot as Soon as Possible after a Series of Close-Up Shots in a Group ScenePIP #3 Cut to a Close Shot of a New Subject as They Enter a ScenePIP #4 Use an Establishing Shot to Set Up a New Scene's LocationPIP #5 Use Close-Ups of Subjects in a Scene for the Greatest Emotional EffectPIP #6 When Cutting to a Close-Up of an Action, Select a Version of the Close-Up Where the Action Is SlowerPIP #7 Understand the Visual Differences between a Dolly-In and a ZoomPIP #8 Beware of Shots That Dolly Out Without MotivationPIP #9 Select the Best Version of a Pan or Crab Dolly ShotPIP #10 Begin and End Each Pan, Tilt, or Dolly Shot on a Static FramePIP #11 Avoid Cutting Pans and Tilts That Reverse Direction at the Cut PointChapter Two – ReviewChapter Two – ExercisesChapter Two – Quiz Yourself
Sound as an Element of Motion MediaSounds Acquired During ProductionDialogueRoom Tone/Natural Sounds (NATS)/AmbienceWild SoundsSoundtracks (Musical)Sounds Acquired During Post-ProductionNarration/Voice-OverAutomated Dialogue Replacement (ADR)/LoopingAmbience/Tonal TracksSound Effects (SFX)/Spot EffectsFoley EffectsSoundtracks (Music)Stings/StingersScoreAudio Terms You May EncounterSync SoundDiegetic SoundsNon-Diegetic SoundsSound DesignSound MotifsChapter Three – Final Thoughts: Sound as Emotional and Physiological ManipulationChapter Three – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Consider Using a Sound Element Before Active Picture at the Start of a ProgramPIP #2 Do Not Leave Holes in Your Audio TracksPIP #3 When Editing Dialogue, Avoid Automatically Removing a Performer's PausesPIP #4 In Documentary Programming, Edit Out “Ums” and “Ahs” in Interviewee SpeechPIP #5 Use a Character's Cleanly Recorded Dialogue under Their Off-Screen or Over-the-Shoulder Line DeliveryPIP #6 Do Not Allow Dialogue Delivery to Restrict Cut Point PlacementPIP #7 Hold Off on Adding Music to Dialogue ScenesPIP #8 During the Audio Mix, Make Sure Music Track Levels Do Not Overpower DialoguePIP #9 When Appropriate, Edit Video Tracks to the Beats of Music in Your SequencePIP #10 If Appropriate for Your Story, Make a Cut at a Loud Sound on the Audio TrackPIP #11 For the End of a Program, Use the End of the MusicChapter Three – ReviewChapter Three – ExercisesChapter Three – Quiz Yourself

Criteria for Shot AssessmentFocusFraming and CompositionExposure and Color BalanceScreen DirectionThe 180-Degree Rule/Axis of ActionThe 30-Degree RuleMatching AnglesMatching Eye-LineContinuity of ActionPerformanceContinuity of Dialogue/Spoken WordsAudio QualityBe Familiar with All of the FootageChapter Four – Final Thoughts: Judge, Jury, and EditorChapter Four – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Avoid Shots Where Distracting Objects Are Too Near the Subject's HeadPIP #2 Avoid Shots Where the Subject Gets Awkwardly Cut Off at the Edge of the FramePIP #3 Cut Matched Shots in a Back-and-Forth Dialogue ScenePIP #4 Ensure That Subjects Talking on the Telephone Appear to Look Across the Screen at One AnotherPIP #5 With a Single Subject, Try to Avoid Cutting to the Same Camera AnglePIP #6 Beware of Screen Placement Issues With an Object of InterestPIP #7 Use Shots With Matching Headroom When Cutting a Dialogue ScenePIP #8 Avoid Crossing the Action Line or the Screen Direction Will Be ReversedPIP #9 Maintain Screen Direction Across an Action EditChapter Four – ReviewChapter Four – ExercisesChapter Four – Quiz Yourself
InformationMotivationPicture MotivationsSound MotivationsTime MotivationsShot CompositionCamera AngleContinuityContinuity of ContentContinuity of MovementContinuity of PositionSoundChapter Five – Final Thoughts: Is There a Right or Wrong Reason for a Cut?Chapter Five – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Cut Away from Subjects Soon after Their Look Rests upon Their Object of InterestPIP #2 Cut to Reaction Shots during Spoken Phrases or Sentences Rather than at Their EndPIP #3 Avoid Cutting an Action Edit from a Two-Shot to Another Two-Shot of the Same SubjectsPIP #4 Cover Continuity, Time, or Information “Gaps” with an Insert ShotPIP #5 Allow a Subject to Exit the Frame Completely Prior to Showing them Entering the Next ShotChapter Five – ReviewChapter Five – ExercisesChapter Five – Quiz Yourself
Heads, Tails, and HandlesThe Four Major Categories of Transition TypesThe CutThe DissolveThe WipeThe FadeThe Five Major Categories of Edit TypesThe Action EditThe Screen Position EditThe Form EditThe Concept EditThe Combined EditChapter Six – Final Thoughts: Apply Reasoning, Don’t Memorize ItChapter Six – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Beware of Editing a Cut-to-Black Followed by a Cut-to-Full-PicturePIP #2 Take Advantage of the Transition Point That Natural Wipes OfferPIP #3 Take Advantage of the Transition Point That Whip Pans OfferPIP #4 Do Not Use Video Track Dissolves during a Dialogue ScenePIP #5 Use a “Soft Cut” or Mini-Dissolve to Mask a Cut in Interview FootagePIP #6 Use a Dissolve between Simile ShotsPIP #7 Create Continuous Motion Action Edits by Matching Physical MovementsChapter Six – ReviewChapter Six – ExercisesChapter Six – Quiz Yourself
Editing TermsTimecodeMontageParallel EditingMulti-Camera EditingComposite EditingTitles and GraphicsRenderingGreen Screen ChromakeyVideo ResolutionEditing TopicsSound EditingColor Correction/Color GradingImporting Still ImagesDigital WorkflowTechnology Versus CreativityChapter Seven – Final Thoughts: Old Techniques Done With New TechnologiesChapter Seven – Principles in PracticePIP #1 Make Appropriate Typeface/Font Choices for Your TitlesPIP #2 Be Aware of Proper On-Screen Durations for Inter-Title and Lower-Third GraphicsPIP #3 Use Imported Digital Photographs With Appropriate Size and ResolutionPIP #4 Use J-Cuts and L-Cuts to Smooth Over TransitionsPIP #5 If Working for a Client, Complete Rudimentary Color Correction before Showing a Rough CutPIP #6 When Color Grading, Work through Shots, Then Scenes, Then Overall LookChapter Seven – ReviewChapter Seven – ExercisesChapter Seven – Quiz Yourself
The Better the Edit, the Less It Is NoticedSound and Vision Are PartnersA New Shot Should Contain New InformationThere Should Be a Reason for Every EditPacing Has a PurposeObserve the Action LineSelect the Appropriate Form of Edit TransitionEditing Is ManipulationThe Role of an Assistant EditorEditing Is CreatingChapter Eight – Final Thoughts: Key TakeawaysChapter Eight – ReviewChapter Eight – ExercisesChapter Eight – Quiz Yourself

Overview

This new edition of Grammar of the Edit will teach anyone who uses video as a communication tool how to show effective visual stories. This book presents traditional and cutting-edge methodologies that teaches principles behind when to cut and why, selecting the best shots, cutting for continuity, pacing, editing sound, and more.