Key Concepts

• The first movies consisted of single shots, but filmmakers soon developed the technique known as editing to coordinate a series of shots into a coherent whole.
• Movies generally are shot out of continuity (in other words, very much out of chronological order), often in many takes. The resulting footage must later be organized into a form that will be comprehensible to the audience, create meaning, and perhaps evoke specific emotional and intellectual responses.
• This chapter describes editing conventions:
• establishing shot
• match cut
• point-of-view editing
• parallel editing
• shot/reverse shot
• jump cut
• transitional devices (fade-in and fade-out, dissolve, wipe)
• iris-in and iris-out
• flashback and flashforward
• freeze frame
• split-screen
• montage

Learning Objectives

Once you have read this chapter, you should be able to

• explain how the technique, the craft, and the art of editing differ.
• analyze how postproduction editing can shape an actor's performance.
• describe the difference between continuity editing and discontinuity editing.
• describe the responsibilities of the editor and how they affect the film as a whole.
• describe the editor's role during postproduction and explain why it is desirable that the editor also collaborate during preproduction.
• cite examples of how editing helps create meaning.