Editing & Cinematography Skills
- Geri Cheng
- Mar 16, 2016
- 2 min read
The Psychology of Film Editing
Every shot shown has to have a purpose or meaning
Each shot shouldn't last too long (unless purposefully to put emphasis on something) – the attention span of the audience equals to 5 seconds
Timing is important – must leave enough time for the audience to understand what is going on
Either subject or object of importance must be present in the shot
Usually start with master shot, then moving in closer and closer – e.g. master shot to wide shot to medium close-up to close-up
Cutting on action (when the subject is moving) makes the editing more invisible and transparent
Need lots of angles and shots in order to have a variety of editing and images
Factors that contribute to a powerful shot:
Distance between subject and camera
Movement of the camera
Height of the camera in relations to eye-level of the subject
Eye trace in real time - where the next subject the editor cuts to has to be within the same area of the previous subject to convey a sense of 'naturalness'
Tips for Editing Films
https://wipster.io/ - to playback videos and insert comments
Top 10 Most Effective Editing Moments of All Time
Juxtaposition between shots (e.g. the Godfather)
When image fades out into another similar image, showing the connection between two subject (e.g Psycho)
Linking shots
The Psychology of Cinematography
Zoom VS. push-in
Zoom is the camera lens slowly zooming in on the subject and increasing its size – this is more 2 dimensional
Push-in is the camera physically moving towards the subject, creating a more 3 dimensional space for the audience
Speed of camera movement
Smooth dolly motion VS. handheld shot
Smooth dolly motion - allows the audience to connect with the subject
Handheld shot - provides an 'external observer' feel, as if the audience is standing next to the subject
Composition + Framing
Depth - 3 dimensional
Framing - look for things that provide a natural frame for the shot
Big difference between foreground, midground and background
Look for perspective lines
The significance of flat images
Lack of depth can create feelings of loneliness, detachment, or entrapment
Can also convey a character's boring lifestyle
Size within the frame
Size of something within a frame directly reflects its importance and significance
Contrasting colours
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