On Film Editing

8

Trying a Little Harder

So far we have been considering action cuts made under perfect or nearly perfect conditions. But conditions are rarely perfect and not too often nearly perfect. A number of problems can raise their unattractive heads. Two scenes which ultimately will be cut together will often be shot on different days—sometimes weeks apart. Actors will have forgotten levels of intensity and the nature and speed of their movments.

For instance, in scenes shot for the exit-entrance cut, the actor may leave the first scene at a brisk pace and saunter into the next one, especially if the entrance scene has been filmed first. If an actor smokes a cigarette in the master shot, he will also smoke a cigarette in all the matching shots. However, ...