Editing Techniques

(Reference: https://filmanalysis.coursepress.yale.edu/editing)

JUMP CUT

"An elliptical cut that appears to be an interruption of a single shot. Either the figures seem to change instantly against a constant background, or the background changes instantly while the figures remain constant. Jump cuts are anathema to Classical Hollywood continuity editing, but feature prominently in avant-garde and radical film-making."

I have chosen to use the jump-cut as my go-to transition in order to maintain the flow of the visuals from one-shot to another, and so as not to distract from the most important elements of each shot- e.g, a characters response to a situation. The jump-cut itself, however, is also a subtle way to express certain details that one might miss through the actual story-telling, and so strategic placement of the cuts- for example, several in rapid succession, or a few that are widely distributed- will play a role in my piece of film.

ESTABLISHING SHOT/REESTABLISHING SHOT

"A shot, usually involving a distant framing, that shows the spatial relations among the important figures, objects, and setting in a scene. Usually, the first few shots in a scene are establishing shots, as they introduces us to a location and the space relationships inside it."

I also plan to use establishing/re-establishing shots, which I will use to set the scene and give the audience a clear idea of where certain events may occur/have occurred. These types of shot- with clever shot selection- will again, contribute layers to my section of the plot that might not otherwise be there as in this short film, my intention will not be to give each and every element away, but to allow the viewer's imagination to create other potential scenarios.

EXAMPLE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axt0nETgEXo

CUT-IN SHOT

"An instantaneous shift from a distant framing to a closer view of some portion of the same space, and vice versa." 

Combined with the re-/establishing shot, I believe the cut-in shot would be effective in a similar way to the Kuleshov effect. For example, in the scene where the older brother/boyfriend calls his girlfriend from a phone box to update her on his arrest (with much difficulty), jump-cut to a wide, (re-establishing) shot with deep focus-that allows the audience to see his frustration in a small section of the bigger picture- will somewhat remind the audience that he is not currently where he is for a good reason.

CAMERA-SPLIT The camera-split is a rather extraordinary editing effect, as it allows the audience to see at least one other potential outcome of a situation, or even to further emphasize a character's reaction or the atmosphere of a situation by portraying the scene in such a way that "...ruptures the illusion that the screen's frame is a seamless view of reality." -Wikipedia My intention in using this effect is to highlight that sense of disruption and imbalance that the teenage boy would be feeling after having been attacked and left alone to deal with the aftermath.  EXAMPLE @ 1 min:25 secs: (Spacebound, Eminem) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JByDbPn6A1o

---