book

Grammar of the Edit, 4th Edition

by Christopher Bowen

July 2017

Beginner

308 pages

8h 4m

English

Routledge

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A Very Brief History of Film EditingWhat Is Editing?What Basic Factors May Affect Your Editing Choices?ToolsProject Type and GenreDegree of Audience ManipulationOther FactorsStages of the Editing ProcessAcquisitionOrganizationReview and SelectionAssemblyRough CutFine CutPicture LockFinishingMastering and DeliveryThe Basic Motion Picture TransitionsChapter One – Final Thoughts: Editing Purpose and ProcessRelated Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter One – ReviewChapter One – ExercisesChapter One – Quiz Yourself
The Basic Shot TypesShot DescriptionsThe Extreme Close-UpThe Big Close-Up/ChokerThe Close-UpThe Medium Close-Up/Bust ShotThe Medium Shot/Waist Shot/Mid-ShotThe Medium Long Shot/Medium Wide ShotThe Long Shot/Wide ShotThe Very Long Shot/Very Wide ShotThe Extreme Long Shot/Extreme Wide ShotThe Two-ShotThe Over-the-Shoulder ShotShot Categories: The Increasing Complexity of Motion ImagerySimple ShotsComplex ShotsDeveloping ShotsChapter Two – Final Thoughts: Camera Shots Are Your Building BlocksRelated Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter Two – ReviewChapter Two – ExercisesChapter Two – Quiz Yourself
SoundSounds Gathered During ProductionDialogueRoom Tone/Natural Sound (NATS)/AmbienceWild SoundsSoundtracks (Musical)Sounds Gathered During Post-ProductionNarration/Voice-OverAutomated Dialogue Replacement (ADR)/LoopingAmbience/Tonal TracksSound Effects (SFX)/Spot EffectsFoley EffectsSoundtracks (Music)Stings/StingersScoreAudio Terms that You May EncounterSync SoundDiegetic SoundsNon-Diegetic SoundsSound DesignSound MotifsChapter Three – Final Thoughts: Sound as Emotional and Physiological ManipulationRelated Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter 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: So How Does All of This Help You?Related Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter Four – ReviewChapter Four – ExercisesChapter Four – Quiz Yourself
InformationMotivationShot CompositionCamera AngleContinuityContinuity of ContentContinuity of MovementContinuity of PositionSoundChapter Five – Final Thoughts: Is There a Right or Wrong Reason for a Cut?Related Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter Five – ReviewChapter Five – ExercisesChapter Five – Quiz Yourself
Transition and Edit TermsThe 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: Does Everything Always Apply?Related Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter Six – ReviewChapter Six – ExercisesChapter Six – Quiz Yourself
Additional Editing TermsTimecodeMontageParallel EditingMulti-Camera EditingComposite EditingRenderingChromakeyVideo ResolutionAdditional Editing TopicsSound EditingColor Correction/Color GradingImporting Still ImagesDigital WorkflowTechnology vs. CreativityChapter Seven – Final Thoughts: Old Techniques Done with New TechnologiesRelated Material Found in Chapter Eight – Working PracticesChapter Seven – ReviewChapter Seven – ExercisesChapter Seven – Quiz Yourself
1. Pay Careful Attention to Media and Project Organization2. Learn and Use Keyboard Shortcuts3. Organize Your Timeline Tracks and Maintain Consistency Across Projects4. Keep Your Rough Cut Long5. Review Each Edit or Series of Edits as You Make Them6. Duplicate Your Sequence Before Making Major Changes7. Seek Feedback While Editing Your Motion Picture8. Put Aside Your Edited Sequence for a While and Watch It Again with Fresh Eyes9. Use Shots with Matching Headroom When Cutting a Dialogue Scene10. Avoid Shots Where Distracting Objects Are Too Near to the Subject’s Head11. Avoid Shots Where the Subject Gets Awkwardly Cut Off at the Edge of the Frame12. Cut Matched Shots in a Back-and-Forth Dialogue Scene13. Ensure that Subjects Talking on the Telephone Appear to Be Looking Across the Screen at One Another14. In a Three-Person Dialogue, Beware of Cutting from a Two-Shot to Another Two-Shot15. With a Single Subject, Try to Avoid Cutting to the Same Camera Angle16. Beware of Screen Placement Issues with an Object of Interest17. Edit in a Wide Shot as Soon as Possible After a Series of Close-Up Shots in a Group Scene18. Cut to a Close Shot of a New Subject Soon After He or She Enters a Scene19. Use an Establishing Shot to Set Up a New Scene’s Location20. Use Close-Ups of Subjects in a Scene for the Greatest Emotional Effect21. Cut Away from Subjects Soon After Their Look Rests upon Their Object of Interest22. Use J-Cuts and L-Cuts to Smooth Over Transitions23. Create Continuous Motion Action Edits by Matching Physical Movements24. When Cutting a Rise as an Action Edit, Cut Before the Subject’s Eyes Leave the Frame25. When Cutting to a Close-Up of an Action, Select a Version of the Close-Up Where the Action Is Slower26. Understand the Visual Differences Between a Dolly-In and a Zoom27. Beware of Shots that Dolly Out without Motivation28. Select the Best Version of a Pan or Crab Dolly Shot29. Begin and End Each Pan, Tilt, or Dolly Shot on a Static Frame30. Avoid Editing a Stationary Simple Shot After a Moving Complex Shot of the Same Subject31. Avoid Cutting Pans and Tilts that Reverse Direction at the Cut Point32. Avoid Crossing the Action Line or the Screen Direction Will Be Reversed33. Avoid Cutting an Action Edit from a Two-Shot to Another Two-Shot of the Same Subjects34. Allow a Subject to Exit the Frame Completely Prior to Showing Him or Her Entering the Next Shot35. Maintain Screen Direction Across an Action Edit36. Avoid Making an Action Edit from a Long Shot of a Subject to a Close-Up of the Same Subject37. Beware of Editing a Cut-to-Black Followed by a Cut-to-Full-Picture38. Take Advantage of the Transition Point that Natural Wipes Offer39. Take Advantage of the Transition Point that Whip Pans Offer40. Do Not Use Video Track Dissolves During a Dialogue Scene41. Use a “Soft Cut” or Mini-Dissolve to Mask a Cut in Interview Footage42. Use a Dissolve Between Simile Shots43. Handle Continuity, Time, or Information “Gaps” with an Insert Shot44. Cut to Reaction Shots During Phrases or Sentences Rather than at the End45. When Editing Dialogue, Avoid Automatically Removing a Performer’s Pauses46. In Documentary Programming, Edit Out “Ums” and “Ahs” in Interviewee Speech47. Use a Character’s Cleanly Recorded Dialogue under His or Her Off-Screen or Over-the-Shoulder Line Delivery48. Do Not Be Too Bound by Dialogue When Looking for a Cut Point49. Do Not Leave Any Holes in Your Audio Tracks50. When Appropriate, Edit Video Tracks to the Beats of Music in Your Sequence51. If Appropriate for Your Story, Make a Cut at a Loud Sound on the Audio Track52. Hold Off on Adding Music to Dialogue Scenes53. During the Audio Mix, Make Sure that Music Track Levels Do Not Overpower Dialogue54. Consider Using a Sound Element Before Active Picture at the Start of a Program55. For the End of a Program, Use the End of the Music56. Make Appropriate Font Choices for Your Titles57. Be Aware of Proper On-Screen Durations for Inter-Title and Lower-Third Graphics58. Use Still Digital Photographs Whose Image Resolution Is as Large as or Larger than the Project Format’s Pixel Resolution59. If Working for a Client, Complete Rudimentary Color Correction Before Showing a Rough Cut60. When Color Grading, Work Through Shots, Then Scenes, Then Overall LookChapter Eight – ReviewChapter Eight – ExercisesChapter Eight – Quiz Yourself
Sound 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 EditThe Better the Edit, the Less It Is NoticedEditing Is ManipulationThe Role of an Assistant EditorEditing Is CreatingChapter Nine – Final Thoughts: Key Take-AwaysChapter Nine – ReviewChapter Nine – ExercisesChapter Nine – Quiz Yourself

Content preview from Grammar of the Edit, 4th Edition

Appendix C Practice Script

The following is a very simple short fiction sample script that you may use to practice recording coverage of dialogue and action using the shot types (found in Chapter Two) and all of the editing techniques presented throughout the book. It is referred to as a “contentless scene,” meaning that it is purposefully vague and does not follow strict screenplay formatting so that you may interpret freely and maximize your creativity. It may be helpful if you first read the script, then make some decisions about who these characters are, what their story is, and where and when it should take place. Those decisions will then inform how you approach recording and editing the two brief scenes. Have fun.

CHARACTER A

Hey.