Whilst watching 'The Magic of Editing', I collated notes that would help build towards my understanding of what the main objective of editing within film is, how editing was established and what my group and I should consider when editing our virus sub-genre teaser trailer.
Originally, individuals would photograph or film whatever interested or amused them. They would hold a shot of something or someone until there was nothing more to film or the film ran out.
Lumier - 'cinema was an invention without a future'
Edwin Porter (One of Thomas Edison's employees) - Established the idea of cutting separate shots to create a story or sequence of events. This process allowed the spectator to be transported to different environments, bridge vast time scales, slow or quicken the speed of action and create relationships with the individuals onscreen. His first production was 'Life of an American fireman' (1903).
Timing is the key to startling audiences or amusing them.
D.W. Griffith understood the psychological importance of editing. His first production was silent film 'Unseen Enemy' (1912) which was released one decade after Porter's discovery of editing clips together. Griffiths production popularise melodramas by allowing the audience to have an insight into the emotional world of the characters.
Griffith's main objective was to make the audience emotionally invested in the story.
The original way of editing film consisted of holding film up to a source of light then checking where the film has been cut by running it through a project to then make the necessary adjustments.
An Editor is the key collaborator to the Director. No other crew member spends as much time with the Director. No other crew member spends as much time with the director then the editor.
The Russian revolution was one of the main catalyst of film editing due to film being the perfect medium to persuade the nation to join the revolution.
Dziga Vertor - a documentary film maker who took his camera into the streets of Moscow, Russia to present to an audience a 'typical day'. His first production was 'Man with a Movie Camera' (1920). This production celebrated revolution as well as the role of the cameraman.
Kuleshov effect allowed the audience to create a third meaning and established the power of montage and juxtaposition; the meaning wasn't in each individual shot, it was amongst the combination of shots. Many orthodox techniques have had an effect on productions that are exhibited nowadays.
To accentuate suspense and action within a scene, the rhythm of shots must be considered. Our ancestors were survivors therefore we can relate to the feeling of being pursued and escaping from danger whether this being someone or something.
F.W. Murnau 'Nosferatu' (1922) played upon the idea of fearing the unknown.
