AS MEDIALESSON 9 – GENRE EDITING – ACTION AND SUSPENSE

EDITING TECHNIQUESTalk through a list of the different transitions and techniques you have been taught.

You should get:

• Cut

• Wipe

• Dissolve

• Fade to/from black or white

• Shot-reverse shot

• Match on action

• Graphic match (or match cut)

EDITING TECHNIQUESTalk through a list of the different transitions and techniques you have been taught.

You should get:

• Cut

• Wipe

• Dissolve

• Fade to/from black or white

• Shot-reverse shot

• Match on action

• Graphic match (or match cut)

Which ones work best in terms of action codes -

creating suspense and/or shocks in a

thriller?

EDITING TECHNIQUESTalk through a list of the different transitions and techniques you have been taught.

You should get:

• Cut

• Wipe

• Dissolve

• Fade to/from black or white

• Shot-reverse shot

• Match on action

• Graphic match (or match cut)

Which ones could be used to create enigma codes or

signalling the action has ended?

EDITING TECHNIQUESIn addition to these basics, we also need to consider other types of editing:

• Smash cut (or contrast cut) – a sudden cut to a completely opposite scene, action or piece of dialogue, often to create a shock

• L-cut (or sound bridge) – when the sound and vision cut out of sync, e.g. sounds from the next shot are heard before the visual cut

• Parallel cutting (or cross cutting) – allows the director to show perspectives of different characters (i.e. person being chased and their pursuer) without having to have both in frame at once

EXAMPLE 1In Sicario, a scene in a traffic jam becomes a masterpiece of tension as we realise police are about to be attacked by a drugs gang.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhHwgDAM8uU

Try to keep track of the different kinds of shots, but pay special attention to the way in which the editing creates a connection between the cop cars and the criminal cars, then the rise in tension between them.

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

Technique?

EXAMPLE 2In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (genre – political thriller), a large group of men attempts to capture Steve Rogers in a lift.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC7U8C2X1Uw

Similar techniques are used to Sicario, so this time watch for ways in which we are moved inside and outside the action, so that we are both in it and observing it. How does this create tension?

We’ll watch this one twice but you need to notice for yourselves what the editing is doing.

EXAMPLE 3The mystery film – arguably one of the best action scenes for editing and cinematography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g4bpb8fxcE

Notice the ways the director draws our focus and attention to various threats within the scene – you know what will happen with each one, but the getting there is the fun part. And, yes, slow motion and other effects of that nature count as ‘editing’.