L O S T F O R M A T

Walter Murch's Rule of Editing

2011-11-27T05:26:00.008+07:00

Editing "RULES"

I believe that in the cutting room, you should follow your heart and create the cut that you feel impelled to create. I also believe though, that there are some aspects of film editing theory that you may want to consider while in the process. In case you ever have the opportunity to do some film editing, you may want to be at least familiar with the ‘do’s and don’ts’ of the process. Even if you’re not film editing, you may want to consider these criteria in your future viewing of films.

Walter Murch, editor of great films like The Godfather III, and Apocalypse Now, wrote a wonderful and very informative text called The Blink of an Eye. He discusses his experience in editing, and gives great advice for aspiring editors. My favorite chapter out of the text, “The Rule of Six,” lays out a set of criteria that Murch believes should be at the top of an editors list when working.

His list is as follows (in descending order by importance):

1) Emotion (51%) — Does the cut reflect what the editor believes the audience should be feeling at that moment?

2) Story (23%) — Does the cut advance the story?

3) Rhythm (10%) — Does the cut occur "at a moment that is rhythmically interesting and 'right'"?

4) Eye-trace (7%) — Does the cut pay respect to "the location and movement of the audience's focus of interest within the frame"

5) Two-dimensional plane of Screen (5%) — Does the cut respect the 180 degree rule?

6) Three-dimensional space of action (4%) — Is the cut true to the physical/spatial relationships within the diegesis?

What I like most about Murch’s list is that he puts “Emotion” as the most important. That should say something to you. The audience is always first in an editor's mind.

In my experience with film production, I have found that in the cutting room, I often have to choose between continuity and emotion. Although I believe that creating a seamless edit is an art within itself, what is also wonderful about editing is our ability to heighten and emphasize emotion and emotional moments. Therefore, I agree with Murch that emotion the most important. Without the emotion of the film, what do you really have?

The next important thing is story. You have to make sure that the scene you are working on helps to progress your overarching story.

Rhythm plays a huge role when you're editing. The rhythm of the shots, meaning how long each shot is and how quickly you cut between shots, can increase or decrease tension in the scene. You may think that quick cuts equal tension, but a very long take can increase tension in the viewers eyes as well. Many people think that when you edit you have to constantly switch shots. This is not true. You are actively editing when you choose to cut, and you also actively editing when you are choosing not to cut. When you are working and decide to run a take for a long time, without switching to another shot, you are still actively editing.

Walter Murch believes that eye-trace is important because it directs the audience's attention to what's important in the scene. It emphasizes what you really want the audienc to apy attention to.

By two-dimensional plane of screen, Murch refers to a planarity. He emphasizes, however,with rule number 6 that you should make clear the relationship between the objects within the three dimensional space of the action.

The last three rules are more focused on continuity. These are important, and Murch says it's definitely possible to fulfill all six rules. A lot of them are dependent on one another. If you have one, it's easy to make another work. But if you prioritize continuity, the most important aspects of your cut, emotion and story, will be out the window, and you'll be unsuccessful.

Becoming A Professional Film & Video Editor

2011-08-06T02:07:00.000+07:00

5 Tips to Think About When Getting Started as an Editor

By Lawrence Jordan

Editing Pioneer Sergei Eisen

The craft of the film and video editor is one which combines both technical proficiency and the eye and ear of an artist. The explosion of inexpensive digital editing tools, along with a growing demand for media for a variety of new and emerging platforms has made this once mysterious craft more desirable to creative people than ever. But there are some important things to consider before going out and attempting to land your first editing gig. In this short article, I’ll point out some things you should keep in mind, some of the pitfalls to avoid and a few concrete action steps you can take to get yourself started.

1. What do you want to edit?

The first decision you need to make before embarking on this journey is what kind of editing work would you like to do? Seems pretty obvious right? But you’d be surprised how many people look at the editing suite as just a stepping stone on their way to another craft. If you ultimately want to be a writer or director that’s fine, but I would advise finding some kind of work that will more directly lead to one of those jobs. There’s a saying in the film business; “writers write, directors direct.” The same goes for editors. They want to hire people who are in the craft for the “long-haul” and you’re much more likely to land a job if your prospective employer gets the sense that you are dedicated and committed to becoming an editor. Sure, people transition from one craft to another and have since the dawn of cinema, but in today’s ultra-competitive atmosphere, you’ll serve yourself better by deciding which path you want to pursue and making a focused movement in that direction.

Once you’ve determined that editing is indeed your goal, next will be the decision about which area of the editing world you want to stake your claim in. There are as many types of editing niches and post production specialties as there are types and styles of programming.

Many of us are interested in dramatic narrative editing, the type required for traditional movies and television, and this is an admirable goal. But It’s important to understand that this world is decidedly different from that of commercial or music video editing. And it doesn’t stop there. There’s also documentary editing, corporate and industrial editing, event and instructional editing. All these require a slightly different skill set, but more importantly, a different set of employment contacts. Yes, you can transition from one area to another and many people do, but the longer you’ve been practicing in any one particular niche, the longer your list of contacts will be there and the more likelihood that you will find work in that domain.

2. What’s Your 20?

Where you are located geographically is another factor in determining the kind of editing work that will be available to you. While there are growing hubs of long-format production work in many cities around the US, the majority of editing and other post-production work is still done in Los Angeles and to a lesser extent New York. This is where the studios and networks who

Editing on Film

finance higher dollar projects are based, as well as the producers and directors who oversee the post process. You can find editing work In the secondary US markets such as Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and Miami, but you will be more limited to local and or regional commercials, corporate, non-profit and educational work. All these project areas can be interesting, challenging and gratifying but unless you have a friend from school who writes the next world shaking script, don’t be fooled in to believing that you’ll be able to launch a career as a feature film editor from here.

So if long-form is where you’ve got your heart set, don’t wait too long before you make the jump to NY or LA. Yes, learn your skills and hone your chops wherever. Just don’t wait too long before you start building your network in the place you want to establish your life-long career connections and where you plan on being for the long haul.

3. No Pay, But You Get to Play

So you really want to be an editor some day? Great, but are you willing to work for little or no pay while building your network and putting in the time to gain experience? In any business starting out as a low or unpaid intern is a time tested method to get your foot in the door. This is also a good way to ingratiate yourself with a potential employer in the film and video business. The big reason for this is because fundamentally, it is an incredibly competitive industry and many people starting out are willing to work for nothing.

Even in these tough economic times people still flock to the media creation industries and crafts such as editing because they are well suited to the creative personality type. Many people loath the idea of getting dressed in a suit and tie every day and working in a corporate environment. And while often indirectly working for major corporations and clients, editors are not required to wear the uniform of business and will often find themselves at several different locations throughout the year working on different, ad-hoc projects.

While working for little or no money during the early period of an editors career isn’t the most appealing idea to most of us, it does present an opportunity to start building a collection of work and credits, more commonly referred to as one’s “reel.” Your reel is your C.V., resume and will often be considered by prospective employers to hold far more weight than other factors including where you’ve worked or where you were trained or went to school. Let’s face it, raw talent is what get’s people noticed in our business and when one has a reel which displays spectacular, or just really exceptional talent, it’s hard for people not to take notice. Of course I’ll qualify this by saying yes, other factors do matter and if you’ve burned a bunch of bridges or have a reputation for being lazy, crazy, difficult or all of the above, those factors will most likely hinder you, but all things being equal a quality reel with a variety of different examples of what you can do on a project will be a deciding factor with most creative employers.

4. Get Some Cred

Modern Digital Editing Suite

But we’re jumping ahead of ourselves. The aspiring editor often starts out by serving a certain amount of time in an assistant or apprenticeship position. Even those with masters degrees in film will often start out working as a P.A. (production assistant) “gopher” or “schlepper,” (a yiddish term from the earliest days of film for one who used to carry the heavy cans of film from one office or studio location to another). For those just starting out, don’t fret. I imagine if you are anything like I was, you’re chomping at the bit to get behind a keyboard and start cutting. But the fact is, much knowledge and information on how an editing room works including the politics of the cutting room, the equipment and logistics of the craft, and the way to conduct yourself with co-workers and clients will be learned during this initiation period. If you keep your eyes and ears peeled and your mouth zipped, you will pick up tips, insights, skills and techniques that will last you a lifetime.

5. Taking Action

The next step is to take all the things we’ve talked about here and to get them straight in your head. Take some time and answer the questions for yourself. What kind of projects and material do you want to edit? Where you want to edit? What can/are you willing to sacrifice (at lease at the beginning) to get a foothold in the editing business? What is your specific plan to build your reel and establish your credits?

In conclusion, my advice is to “go forth and edit media creator”! Whether it be in a tiny one person shop or a studio with 1000’s of co-workers, decide where you want to be. Make a plan and go out and pursue your dream. Editing is storytelling and while the ascent up the ladder can be frustrating and difficult at times the goal you are aiming for, to be a professional editor who helps people communicate their ideas, messages and vision in a multitude of areas can be incredibly rewarding. Creatively, financially but most importantly, being an editor can be rewarding to the soul.

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What makes a good film editor?

2011-02-13T04:50:00.003+07:00

"Film Editing brings films to agreeable length, coherent narrative and appropriate pacing so as to engage the audience in accordance with the director’s vision."

As a client you work with many different personalities in the production and post-production phases of a project. While the director and director of photography have a significant impact on the production, the editor will often be the one that molds the final look of a piece. The post- production phase is sometimes even longer than the shooting, so it is important that the editor and client not only see “eye-to-eye” but also feel that the experience was enjoyable.

Chemistry is very important. So, what are the marks of a “good” editor? I’ve boiled it down to a few points.

Congenial

A good editor should be a good “people-person”. He or she should be able to adapt to many situations and be able to smooth the waters when a session gets tense. Though there may be creative differences, politeness should never be lost.

Receptive

A good editor should be open to new ideas and various options suggested by the client. Most ideas are valid and should be given a fair chance. Knowledgeable editors can certainly help the client decide what is the best alternative – but it is always that client’s final choice and a good editor won’t have a problem with this.

Fast

A good editor is fast. This doesn’t necessarily mean that he or she is the speediest person on a keyboard, but rather, that the overall session time progresses quickly and the editor doesn’t get bogged down in one or two single aspects or the project.

Knows the gear

A good editor knows the equipment in the room inside and out. This means they know the capabilities and options and don’t have to think about what to do when something is asked for. By knowing the keystrokes like a typist or pianist, a good editor can pay better attention to details, quality control and creative ideas offered during the session.

Creative

Though creativity isn’t essential, good editors will generally have a few creative suggestions that can be “added to the pot”. These often come from past techniques tried on other session or from ideas that evolve during a session. A good editor will be happy to offer these as part of the session – or not – depending on the feeling of the client!

Best Editing Category

2011-02-13T04:21:00.003+07:00

The role of the editor is a key element in film production production, the best editing is often relatively invisible. Designed to keep the audience in the story, the craft is often referred to as the “Invisible Art.”

“The Editor creates the first cut as the film is being shot, which requires skills in storytelling, performance and shot selection, structure, rhythm, pace, length, taste and talent. This first viewing of the film is often the most important, as a first impression is formed and it helps the filmmakers to define the task ahead. The Director and Editor are collaborators in the process of refining and trimming, working closely together through completion and delivery of the final film.”

“They help shape the story using storyboards, building a temp track, working with the Director on script issues, pacing and characters well before the actual production begins. Performance selection, storytelling, pace, rhythm, shot selection, cutting patterns, length are all elements that are common to both live action and animated film editing.”

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