Video Editing
- Editing - The process of combining shots of video into a whole or comprehensive piece.
- Shot - An individual unit of video.
- Cut - A technique of editing video by separating a shot.
The Principles of Editing
The principles of connecting shots together are governed by:
- Graphics - The continuity of the shots.
- Rhythm - The length of the shots. (shorter is more energetic and longer is contemplative).
- Spaced - stub
- Temporal - stub
Kuleshov’s Effect
The Kuleshov Effect is the mental phenomena promulgated by Lev Kuleshov where by an audience would derive more meaning from the two sequential shots rather than a single shot in isolation.
“The viewers response depends less on the individual shot and more on the juxtaposition of the shoets.” – Lev Kuleshov
Uses of Editing
Editing is used to present the plot of a comprehensive collection of video.
Techniques of plot presentation
- Flashback - An interruption in the chronological plot time to display a plot’s past.
- Flashforward - An interruption in the chronological plot time to display plot’s future.
- Ellipsis - An omission of plot time in order to proceed at a later point in time.
- Montage - A series of quick shots used to show a passage of time.
Types of Shots
Shot-Reverse shot - This type of shot technique takes turn trading shots of the subject of focus in the foreground and the listening subject in the background.
Types of Cuts
Cross Cut - Cutting between things happening at the same place and time.
Inter Cut - Cutting between things happening in the same scene.
Rhythm
A rhythm of a section of video can be altered by changing the length of its shots.
Rules for Shooting Video
The 180 degree rule
A line that indicates what people are viewing. When recording video, the camera shouldn’t produce shots that alter the sides that a subject matter is on. For a single subject this rule is better used to indicate the attention of the subject and for more than one subject this is used to imply who the subject is regarding. This rule prescribes the camera not cross a half-circle arc around the subject(s) as doing so is jarring and confusing to the view when they see that the subject has swapped sides in separate shots of the subject(s). Unless this is shown in a shot, then it is less jarring to the viewer.