6 coillPoglNo sHors:SPATIAT CONNEGTIONS

IIII shor si'el c s w e a l l k n o w , t h e u n i v e r s a l u n i t s o f c o m p o s i t i o n a r e t h € l o n g ' h o t , t h eI -edium sho! and the close-up. These shots are a develoPment oI theI "onhnuitv svstem insolar as they are overlapPing Portions of a singleI "pace and onlY make sense in relation to one another' That is' they areI t;ed tosetherio crcate a consistent sPatial/t€mPoral order' Though they

I .an be rlsed lo de', ribe 'paces as large ds lhe solar 5ystem or a' 'mall asI the head of a pin, we alwayi Lnow appro\ imately how ldrte an area rsI teine framed when these terms ale us€d That's because the shots areI .cale"d to the subiect and related to one another proPortionatelyI a lons shot oI the world Trade Center frames all of the twin towercI und a eenirous piece of Manhattan; a medium shot of the building wouldI top ofisome of the lower floors Moving in for a close-uP' a single win-I d;w misht fill the flame. There are no absolute rules in the use of theseI terms anld €ven the terms themselves vary' In Figur€ 6 1 on page 122 theI ba\i. iraminS heighls are 'hown for the human fiELLreI The change ol size from shot to shot varies but is determined by theI fimits ot id€ntification. As lont as we recognize that each shot is an over-I lappins portton of the wide shot, the change in scale is Permissibl€'I AirualLv, even this definition must take into accormt the chante in editingI styles over several decades. The move from wide shot to close-up wasI considered too mdical a jumP for audiences during the first fiwe decadesI of motion pichrr€s unless a medium shot was used in between Holly-I woor:i edrtois were lorbidden to juxtapose a wide shot with a close-uP lestI thev conJuse the audience as to where the close-up was taking PlaceI Todav, after several decades of famitiadty with Holly-wood convenhons'I audiences easily accept €xtreme changes in scale lf anythinS' it is likelyI that the conservativt editing rules of the Past lagS€d behind aDdienceI unde$ianding.I visual recognition between shots, however, is only half the stratetyI ofthe continuity style. Most often the relationshiP between shots is one ofI implication or inference. For examPle, we see a wide shot of a man

I aPProaching a door. This is followed by a cut to an extreme close-up otI thi mant hana turning the doorknob. Even if the doorknob was tooI small to attract our altention in the wide shot, we sirPe'f that ii is con-I nected to the Prcvious shot since it makes logical smse, even though weI could be looking at another doorway in a different place and time Nana-I tive logic and the visual connection between shots coopente to create a

I Composing S/rots: Spofiol Connections l2l

I

Froming Heighrs

Exfreme Close-upMedium Close-upFull Close-upWide Close-up

Close Shor

Medium Close Shot

Medium Shot

Medium Full Shor

Full ShotFigure 6.l: Bosic Froming h"igho fo;;;A;122 Shot By Shol

;;qnr:*ti*$l,+ffi*iil:'l$$tffi;*-*****-lg*tt*t*$i**,**:*:':,-r; jrji:r;The €lose-up

fr,h"$*;T11f-i.Tffi q:itl#*rix5.*""rffii+stq*$F'nT#rffi*-**Ar**n'r6*:r$tnn;:",1;;q.";;1E1p *r***t""$m*ffi*+eti*;rlH*[;:;*+["*+*,ru*:ifi t,tr *It?I;,[i,x -gffi*ffi,i5i+,*#$#*,ro**r;,';,j,,;*,i{illiitr:*l*d:r*li,:-,,1[:','f]ffi

Composing Shots; Spotrb I Connectons 123

mNql;*g*w.;+-w

ffN*ffiffii::i.ffi t' j'ii-":i,*:',*:,*fi +;;li:.*,+;Figure 6.2: Close-ups in drree osped rolios.

I

2

; / -

i lq€\ ,rt\ r y

#ilNfll/il.{ Galt!l1

l*i'hiln/ l'*t'

124 Shot By Shot

' :

$aa--_:"th

#,(*'Jt?r.. *a>

/rrAlil/ Ar G!\'{,*v3

l;:"nH,T:":1:1..ff iT:.;:ltT:,.-,.ibecomes more comnon asmrmr.:x;:l;*mffi ffi:tn j#f H*1x*lxneme use of screen width is possible as shown in Figure 6.3, illus_

Composing Slrohj Spotio I Conn*tions 125

i:ffi#frJ;::?,:::1,x,"*il,:$J:f i:ff "1!i'i:i,,:lT:H::+ii:;ffi i'i#::il*$"n:.;-ktHgi::l;=:,*:;.:}l*jff.l"":'Tl,:T ff t""il::;;_lll;.ll,H ;:"b,," ;h;;; #';l"" J:ill:.:":;; il,"]i,:i:"1;#g*i ?'J;T,f; T:;,ffi:TiilLi'*,i T:';fiJ:T :rHl*#l;:jr; :lxu :];xIit:",1,",T,.;;11*"""'t*';'tr"il?T;l'.,i"J:::";g;:l;.j'"::ilffi *TJ::."i#ffi""ilT:"::tg:;: nir*t i.,:fr :til"t:page 128. In alt cases, rhe viee?oint was fro; the front or siaeil the face

Figure 6.3

3\"- +\* =fil' i

126 Shor By Shot

4

5

favoring the features. This is just one mor€ convention that need not limityour individual style. Unconventional viewpoints, fran{ng and shot sizecan be us€d to explorc portraiture throuth texture, litht and the infinitevarieties of form. This does not mean that you have to $ve up traditionalmethods. They are by no means exhausted and can be as communicative,startling and moving as more experimental techniques.

The Medium ShotBefore television b€gan emphasizing the use of the close-up and extremeclose-up, the medium shot was the workhorse for dialoSue scenes throuth-out the sound pedod. CombininS valuable qualities o{ the tull shot andthe close-up, it is stjll widely employed in television and featue filns.Like the tull shot, the medium shot captures an actols testurcs and bodylanguage, but is still tight enough to include subtle va aiions in facial

The medium shot is also the geneml mnge in which group shots are

Conrying Shols: Spoliol Connxtions 127

\

\'-:1- ..'-t

Figure 6.4

::Tp:":] r..'d'jl?sr" \cenes. rhe rwo_shor. rrx.ee_chor. fourshor or rive.

$,T11t':f#f*t1i#I{#:J':;:#*-t#,:;,"fr;?iTJ'LT I'ill}"J i;i;yi:t""ij'''r'" p*'*,r'"J"iTa4 .:iup,or d'."; i';;u ;;:: ;i"i:':#il:T*.J::,fr jff,l';lhr.ksecUon and corer lhem in deptl Iater in lhe worlshop section ot the

The Full ShorThe full shot ab an altematrve to tfie medildjsuse in the rd\, rwen; i:;"'. ;;;",* illil il*::";:?.,T:.[l;l#;:i:lT,TJ jil".'ilil ji:".T.tX;H;T,,"1**:1*ru;i;ln Shot By Shot

or medium shot can be substituted. One of the rcasons the full shot is;ili::i":xi::ii:Hi"';J'T"f ii'??:i*":: t' o" or"v"a in r'ns'uk""::il;;ltgi;"T$t#JITil'',#:s=XX":':::i;'";'T:":H:::"1fl+i: -xlxt*H :di rr l:trTs":.f; r"::t",llr:iwithout resorting ro orher shots to tutfill the ni."rr"" " "f""*"p g#il:1', l , I i" o" accompanied by orher cto.e_ups. medrL,m or turt shors torutrul lhe narrdtive requirement_ or a .rene

. unc ol the ful l 5hot. mo\t al irdcl i \e quatjLie_ i. that i t dl low. lhe

i:{i,+i;! il*'q"ffi "t$:"ffi ".:,i*,';.:**i:l t";and iight-fisred produceE are to biame sr#.I"H:.ii:;";:ffi Iiiii:::##t".L.i*:r,f trCompositionall, the long shor of a l;p;a{,iq6;ruiu##l;xrTgd;Lirff :rd*:*:prttcm. prrf icutar ly in {he \a ide, to;ndt, .nture b.5 on page 130 features two tu

shors ilusharint frame bal-*+*?*i:'1":1;".H,llx'l*u:;?u:1.33y",,rs:*#",lhe line oI Action

p6ry*m: il: i :';:il,,, J;.,;i:::::""1: ;5,,1i;1ir"J: ;'lilril,iir!!!i*?."",1:il:;.:,1:'r,:'"*;'*.:i:xi:l;;ilii:i!:: xi* ;.^:f riJ:n*::il::.'"T"#il:a1T'*T1"trsystem obseFes: the line of action.

:r:,r:i:,ff '":"::'.li;,,i'fii'"::'"':l:::Jff 'li.i";,,:"::qll:i..nil1f:::';:J:":'Ji;:T,:"i"'"1,;,,';l i::i" -, r,"-L u".,,, ", *,,,.":,'iiliT"lxf i*#:Xiilmlim" ;ill;ill'l':y:y!1 yTi:;i;;qi;iilr' ;';":#.:: l;::il,ijil i.iii.::I:[;:;::T;i1-"lJl,'"ff lgi";"I"l;X:iT..,',1;1.i.#.+::i"#JHJi:ljff':L:'J,'":Hfff+i:'iT::? "."." is a,so cal,ed the ,.180_ff-J::#l:'**:";il:il"*i::;"1,$,?:':, - r's:* or." f"g" i5i,r." _"r""ity "y"i"* i..-pJffi il"il;llff ilil:","j.Tf it'$i:';

Composmg Slrofsi Spotd I Connecrions i29

Figure 6.5: Frone bolonce.

:;.1-T-" jh:T lh" ,l{gction of rhe rine can be any\4r'herc the filmmaker(noose<..but it is usudljy Lhe line of sight fr"m""n .uO;".r, r"nrur"Jin'u;::i';"nT.fi i::'fi"JllT;:"Y".'."* 'p"" "i iiio i"f"". iii.lposiHon: *'trrin, the es";il;;r';;,ii..1""::TJ[LT: il"t ::ff l:lij ;::il:"J1ffffl.J"$ :il":i"+il:?:T* i'"'. .'"'ia" "r',r," ri#shoh 5 rhe <hors obrained ;,;;;;;. #lili"j,?,Jfy;":.'a:J:::Iil:ili:[i"li":1,#J ::,T;#THr,:?;:"1?t,"*,tri;iril:T,";nfl llilff [":,i;:;:JI";;::;H*r' A ;'r i - il;:.;; ;The Triongle Sysbm

fu:1;ii."{irli:t:$,$nTffi :1T:tf,?}:"*i",i:"#:17;::eT:-*:'&'ff #Iff :",:f;r:Tin:"$*tr#""fi ""1#deSree workint space. Connecting the three pomts, we trave a trianqle of130 SSot By Shol

I E L

# F hComero

w","B

Figure 6.6

,ii:5lfttffi1lTi;{lt*1*i:fx[#;ff ;n#?: j$iii?,"yr"i,"1Fr'il.tffi ?:d["s;::,:;l#*:r"l#jil;tff ):11f lr t:j*. l*i:urs;*f ;.1;; :li* H*j;:

ComlJE

"#tigure 6.7

A

-/1,/

t 1/{,

1Figure 6.8

Conposing Shas: Spotial Connections l3l

mg't,pm$$ggWxgi,n#f td$-i*iln+;'*ff #'l,;.*."-li*:l"Tds" j::H1J:TJ;"T,1 jilJij j5:*i1?*.J:

A

Figure 6.9

ci1

132 Shot By Shol

B alway. obtains the two^hol a' in Figure o o dnd so i' nol mcluded in the

'rb 'eqrenr erample' Variat ions are onlv ohLained wi lh the oul- ide or

wing c;mera Positions.

OVER-THE-SHOUTDER sHOTS

@HCqmero

--z M@t

Cqmero C

Figure 6.10

ln the \etLrP Picrured in Fi ture b l l ' cameras A and ( hi \e been

rffd;ilifiiiY{x"l ;i:n: m: r:::i:il"J:;i[Hi"i].i:I; ; : i l ; ; . t 'ubpcr" pointor view rn thi> ca>e rhe -ubFCL not

POINT Ot vlEw ctosE'uPs

.6'

Figure 6.1I

Conposing Shols: Spoliol Connections | 33

being photograph€d would be moved out of the way to place the camemin po.ition. Thir is indndted by the broken line.

.figure 6.12 shows the last possibl€ setup within th€ triangte method_pJofile shots using cameras A and C. Naturall, the exact'angle of theshot, composition and shot size are infinitety vaitable wittrin th"e triangleas long as the line of action is noi violared.

PROFITE 5HOT5

(,41

c

c

Figure 6.12

Esbblishing o New Line of Action Wifh o New Sighr LineThe only time the camera is pemitted to cross the line of action is when anew i ine i5 estabh"hed. One sdy lo do {hi5 i" shown in f igure b. t3. tn rhi .e\dmple, ihe old l ine is estabt ished beiween the coupte.el ted at the rable.A second man approaches the table and the seated man tums his atten,hon to him. fhir new l ine of s ighr estdbl ishe. a new l ine of o. t ion ,nJacorrespondinS t8o-degree laorUng 5pace for the camera. This is indi_

134 Shot By Shol

1i!,a

ESTABI.ISHING A NEW IINE

old r;

X Axisre

\\ul

Figure 6.13

cated by the Sray semicircle. The establishment of a new line is usually setup with a shotola personwho tums his atteniion to a newarea or personwithin the frame. This pi?roi s/mf ioins the two lines ofaction.

Once the new line of a{tion has been set up, the camera can moveacross the old line of aciion an].where within the new working space dslong as the sight line rcmains with the tua men. You will notice that thisspace also includes the woman. Even thouth ii is permissible under the180 degree rule, a camera will not be placed in quadrant X to photographthe woman. The next time she is seen in a shoi, the camera will be locaiedaccording to the old line af action. This is call€d a reestablishing shot.Conventional wisdom advocates reusinS iines of action and the colle-sponding camera setups so that a consistent sense of space is reinforcedihrouSh repetition. Once the basic editing pattem (and shot geography)has been established, a return to an old line of aciion does not have to bemotivated by the pivot shoi since ihe viewer has a general sense of thespaiial relationships between aciom.

The business of changing lines is considerably less complicated inpractice. The shooting plan is arranged so that all the shots from a givenanSle are consolidated even iI dialogue is shot out of order. Laier, theshots are edited into the proper dmmatic sequence. On screen, ihe changing line of action may appear io follow a f more complex scheme thanwas actually the case.

Estoblishing o New Line When o Ployer Crosses the LineA second m€thod of esiablishing a new line is to have one of the players ina scene cross his own line ofaction. This is shown in Fi8ure 6.14 on page136. As before, ihe line oI action is beiween the seated couple; thervorkingspace for the camera is on the near side of the line (A). In Siep One, theactor gets up fiom the table and moves to a new position over the lin€ into

composrng JnoB: Jpoflor Lonnecflons ,JJ

Step One

Figure 6.14

rDace B. As soon d< the mdn reeslabli\hes eye conla(t wilh the womdn inSieo Two. the new lire o| a, fion is eslablished lhe netl line overrllles theoti Lne, which is no longer in effect. Again, a working space of 180deErees i5 created. The onJy requirement for this slraiegy i' thal lheac61' relocarion mu't be seen cledrlv in d 5hol t]|at permits lhe viewer Loreodent himselJ.

Another factor to consider when establishing any new line is whichside to use for the camem. Fi$re 6.15 on paSe 137 illustrates an alterna'tive setup to the one in FiSure 6.14. This time the working space for thecamera ii on the opposite ;ide of the line Either choice is pernissible as longas the nan space agiies with the pioot shot takm from the prmious line of.action'This is shown in Figure 6.16. PaIt One shows the line o{ action and core-soondins.emirircular working 'pace lor the cdmera The line bisectinSiile semi;ircle i' the new line of action Lhdt will be eslabbhed when lhe

t36 Shot By Shot

AI.TERNATTVE WORKING SPACE

Port One

@B

Figu.e 6. | 6

Hrtil rl: :h{?i-,ffi ,T :Ti:$rn.iil:,;:f ::.,:il;;;.iru;.i"r:f ..?:.t*.:i::*g:"T,.*ri*",,,"1Conposing Shots: Sporiol Connections lj7

Figu'e 6. ts

Port Three

for the pivot shot. Part Three shows the 180-degree working spac€ ifcamera posifion A were used lor the pivol shot.

As a rule. L]|e horkinp, drea cho.en for each new line of aclion leeP'the camera in the center o1 the group when shooting dialogue situalionsat a table or in a conJined sPace.

Moving lhe Comero Over the lineNot only can a player cross the line and establish a new one, but thecameta .utr patt, doily or make a crane move to a new sPace and a newfine of action. This is easily accomplished as lont as th€ calnela move-ment is uninterrupted. ln this situation, an eyeline does not have to be€stablished aJlld the carnen can move from one side of the line of siShtbetween two plavets to the other without confusion. Figure 517 shows

tig'.rre 6,17

one veGion of this shategy with a cuNed camera Path (black dotted line)crossing the line of action.

Cutowqys ond Bridge ShotsAnother way to cross the line to another Part of the scene is to interruptthe seoeraphy of a \equence with a 5hot thdt is cledrly related to lheactlo'n, biut noi the geogiaphy ot the scme For hstance, let s 'dy that wehave established the line of achon in a scene in the classroom o{ a school'We want to cross the line, but none of the strate$es we have looked at inDrevious examples will work within the action o{ the scene. In this case,we photograph a closeup of a studmt's notebook or other Pertinentdetail. This cutaway serves ihe same PurPose as the Pivot shot lvhen weretum to the main action, the camem can be moved over the line and a

138 Shot By Shol

Ene of oction lollows direaion

new line established. This solution is genemlly usedas a quick fix in the editing process when problemsof continuity adse.

The Line of Action for Moving Subiects ondActionIn my opinion, the line of action is most useful whenused to organize th€ photogaphy of mu ltiPle-Playerdialogue sequences. Though screen direction wouldseem to be crucial to underctandint the relationshiPof fast movinS subjects-for instance, cals in a chasesequence unquestioning observance oI the line ofaction may actually stand in the way of more inter-esting arrangements of shots. For one thin8, continuity editing is not the only way of organizing Iilrnimates: Other methods, such as kjnetic or anallticalediting, may be in conflict with strict continuity andyet provide better solutions to creative problems.For another, today's viewers are so visually soPhisticated that they are able to "read" unconv€ntionaleditint pattems with relative eaBe. Be awar€ thaimore dlnamic results may be obtained in some se-quences iJ the line is crossed and screen dilection isreversed. Lat€I we 1l be looking at other q?es ofediting more closely, but for now, as we continue to

action, keep in mind that there are altemative ways ofexplore the line oforganizing shots.

Action SequencesIn action sequences ihere is frequently no line oI sight to establish the lineof action. [n this case, the line of action follows lhe dominant motion 01the subject of the shot. If one car is pursuing another, the line is the pathoI the cars, as sholvn in Figure 6.18. If the two cals are alongside eachother, al] additionalli^e o{ action can be established between the cals Icallthis the implied sight line because even when the drivers of the cam are noiprominent in the shoi, the cars become the symbols of the ddvels andtheir line o{ sight. This situation is peculiar to cars, boats, planes or anyother conveyance that llas a driver. Both lines are shown in Fiture 6.19.Shots photographed from both sides of the line of motion (camera Posi.tions A, C and B, D) will result in a reversal of screen direction when cuttogether, as shown in the accompanying storyboard panels. The imPliedsight line is a special case and only overrides the line of motion iempomr_ily. Otherwise, the line oI motion is the prevailing rul€. While this mayseem like the type of situation thai the 18o-degree rul€ was devised toFev€nt, it is actually a common €diiing pattem even in dialogue sceneswhere there is a line of motion and an implied sitht line.

This is the case in ?re Godfother Pan Il w}].el]. the young Vito Corleone

Composing Shotsi Spofiol Conneaions 139

figure 6.19, Port l: Two porsible lines of odion.c s

SHOT FROM CAMERAPOS|T|ON C

SHOT FROM CAMERAPOS]TON A

Figure 6. I 9, Parl 2

is driving a srnall truck along crowded New York streets. Fanucci, theIocal crime lord, is seated next to Vito, and they have a convetsation as thecar moves along. Two trackint shots are used, one on each side of thecar, ftaming a good deal of the car aJrld the moving backgiound. Cut

l4O Shot By Shot

l l t

:#.l::jl;'i:,H*::ii:f :'.:,ii"#iii'""*-h'u'de^h'sLdchI1#$il;il-.;i:.gifl ;***Utfi,*l'J,+"ry,i*Crossing the Line in Action Sequences

fr::;;:q,{f td}if ",:*''*.ff m;*rni:";:H,nlr:dil,1'J.;",,?.X: T:JilI; ",.*lj jff ",i:.:"." p;r h;;. ",; :' il;:","*:il#ii:1l"tr l:Tiii.:Tii,fi *il#::: rhe,ine estab,ishinr a new

I,i*"":*::;t"::rJ1:1ffi*x j:,':"il.T: :""*?",:l;"1i:. **"

*i;a[Tit*ir":::':x[yi.'#i:1{:":f;*^"l:;d}flF:iCrossing the line While on the Line

fil: l+t[*]i''.".mi$; :ti'+ ;r,l' 3Ti1'i ; j:f li*l.'f-',,llip['"';""ii,','ft .#liih{,T,i}ili,#iir+**l*f f ru-l,*rH#iil:f ;llilffi ffHtr 1;F$.i:jgft :..;'g.ii'',p*n;1ii{ ;hr;;,;;g$l"r*r;*il$iT-:l:iii.lr.:i"T*i jlli: jRConclusionTh€ 18odegree .ute is only a rule if you accepr it withour question. My

Conposing Shots: Sporiol Connectionst4t

) r\q\\:??

r Ba.TA\s

Figure 6.20, Porr I : The line of cdion. When ediledlogedFr, ihotr otrtoied wi*r onrercs A ond Brwerse xreen diectim.

own feeling is that nany of its assumptions are ovetstated. Audienceshave turned out to be far more astute in understandins the sDatial rela-tion hips in filin. thdn lhev are tenerauy Sivm credir r"or. Dre*ors LiteOzu, Bresson and Dreyer developed nanative techniques that ftequentlyviolate the conventions of continuity filmrnaking to achieve their aims.While demanding in other respects, the viewer is not contused by theirvisudl styles. Unli(e Coddrd and lhe radi(al fllm mo!ement, Lhese direc-

142 Shot By Shot

Figurc 6.20, Port 2: Ifie line of oaion. Any of ilrs <onreo positiolr: shornobore con he edired rogerlrer w hourdiroiienriq ,h.;"dr:-"'- '- -'--"

[.1i.T'i:tr"1ilH'""HT**:.:.tSsTgTt1,11TJj"#::,:Tmannered style of the left.Ten years ago a defense of the line of action would have been consid,ered reactrondrv. dismi.5ed out of hdnd bv virfulf, *.ry rifln .", "m"irout"ide of mainsfredm fedtures. tt i5 probabl) .ril {"" ".." frr; i;;;reevaluation of the continuity sryl€. But;fter fou r decades of concentratedcriticism on the teft analyzing the limitations of truaifiorrat ,,u.rutt,rei"ctr_mque, it might restore some balance to tlv;ew rhar no,ryre of f irrn;i;;;i;;n",'f;l;::,i, ; j:",JI,ff :

tj j*.yi,-. j!::- (ombindrio; or siies. i. dpp,op,idre io your worr,ffft:.:."i:i,TL,l""j.,o expe menr. rf anythins iitrue of the arts, it is

Composing Shots; Spotio I Connections 143

7GONNEGTIONS

EDITING: TEIIIPORAI

n 1920 the Soviei filnrmaker and theorist Lev Kuleshov perfomed a

,'o* tu*oo" "*p.ti-""t demonstlating that-the rnl'lTC,d th:t",i,"q,..f"-.," oi.'*'"d entirerl, lhrou;h editilqt i!-::i^":^::"1 iG*,i J.i Jir'" n"'.ia n actor Mo-zhukiin' :'pT*r'1J:'- 11,:"j.',1

t"".if"i "L.im tft*" aiJJerent sequences The actor is seen "reacting" to. r"*r"i """p, . *.-"" in a cofiin aid a child 4"{'lg :,!1th 1.P. tb:1,+rai".."' "iit"i"g lhe <cene' mdrveled 'ri MoszhuUrin ' "en'itivei" .-" t ' *- ' " each". i tuatron thouSh in every in ' tance i l wa' lhe

t '" ' i t iXi" ,r . ." oo' " ' .or,heedir int Prore55 to shaPe mednint i ' undeniable

this h De ol s hole-ale in\ ent ion i ' a special ca5e ln mosl ndrral lve l l rms'

' i " ,J i ." r" i*r t neurral bui ldmg blocL ds Kuleshov u'ed them' but havei.." ."-"o."i ro "to.e.' an iJea and lell a slorv a' cordrng lo the sLriPL

i". t , i . i l , "*"** * i , t ' LheaccomPanvingsoundtrdcl ' contain' narrdt ive,"a ","on.

"iJrll.t-r*n Lhdt Predelermines key editing decision' 5Lrch a'

thel ;neihand orderol 'hol ' lh is\ iewof edir inSemPhasr/estneoue<ror.sand I he'wri te/b role<in.haping lheslorytel l int loBic lhat provrde5 Lheba'rs

for any decision the editor makes''- ilt"" *" "o*l "f storytelling logic, we are actually referring to ihe

str,.rcture of shdts, sequences andicenes Structure controls ihe order in

;;the .i;t f#"tion is Siven to the viewer' It is as impofiant to th€

' rorvtel t ine pr;ce.sa' rhe a.tu; informal ion beint Pre-enled Sin'eslruc-ture'in ritii can be pre<ented in a slorvboard in $74) ' thdt a ccreenPrdy

cannot convey, the ;isualization Prccess can be considered Part of thewritinq and, ultimately, the editing process'

The Norrolive lmPulseNovelist E. M. Forste/s often quoted definition of Ploi is a tood Place tot"nb una"r.ronaing the kind of c lru(turdl loSn lhdt mol i \alec edi l ing.hXi.e'. For'rer beein bv des(ribinga 'eriesofeventc lhdi were nota plot::ii" u'" a*a ""i,r,"n the Queeridied. But. as I or'ler ob>en cd, iJ we

"* ;ii"?i"* al"a ""a the Queen died of 8rief," we have descdbed a Plotbelause therJ is a causal connection'---

f" ift" 1""t"" of any story this cause and effect rehtionship is theunderlvinq scheme that involv;s the read€r' It does this by asking the readerto becomJ involved in making the logical connections between eventsiorsier."ra'npl" i' 'i- pliJred t malea Poml and doesn l chow usho\ an,'ir... ^i.frt ie\eal the reldtionshiP between lhe King and Qtreen lor

Edifng:Tenprol Conneclas 145

instance, in the early chapters the Queen miSht be Porhay€d as indifferentto the King's death: As ihe story Progresses, however, the author rnitht.eved "mil d"tails thut would expiain that the Queen, havint assumed t}lethrcne takes care not to rcveal her fe€Iings for fear o{ being seen as weak byher 'uble.ts. Or we miP,ht learn in chaPterone ihal lhe Queen has died andnot disior er until the lj"t Page of the cton lhaL the cause of her lne's wasthe Kins's death. In both cases, the reader is Provoked into sPeculation bythe ordlr and manner in which the plot is revealed even ihough the samebasic events are beint related in each vercion of the story'

In fiction, cause and effect is frequently set up as a queshon anct answerscheme that €ncourages ihe reade/s Participation The cliff-hanger endingin a serialized story, ;here the answer to the question of what will haPPennext is withheld t; create suspense, is an examPle of th€ most exaggemtedexDloitation of thls device

Stories thdt use d qlreltion and answer 'ftalegy may be 'el uP in manywavs. A question maYte answered through the accumulation of detail overseveral dozen pages or it niShi be answered succlnctly shordj aJtd it hasbeen Dord. In foct, the quesLion and answer Prebentation of informdhonu"ualiy occur. on every plge ofa,tory opera Lint on qeveral le\ el' simulta-neou'i\ . Ihis i- ds true for a screenPlay or hln ds il is for a novel or shorl'iorv. aonhnuitv ediling is based on lhese lyPes of quesrion dnd ansberstlatesies thoueh se usiuatlyspealof thema'connechons Listed beloware th! three mJst ba.k t'vr:e' of conledion' found in conlinuiw editing:

Temoorol connecfions: We cd lrom o mon dropPing his drinkinggloss in one shot to the gloss breoking on the floor in fie secondshot

Spofiol connections: We cd from o wide shol of theWhite Houseto o recoonizoble detoil of the White House in o closer shoF-forexomple,lhe po*ico ond hont door'

Looicol connections: We cut from o wide shot of the Whie Houseroi Joiofrh. Presld"nr seod inonoffice No temporolor spotiolconnection is necessory in this combinolion lf we recognize theWh e Hor.rse ond -e recoqnize 6e President, then we moke lheloqicol conneciion thothe's seoted in on office in the White House'evin thouqh there is no octuol inbrmation Presend io tiellusweore in the White House.

As vou can <ee, lhese tvpes of connecfions create the illusi()n of a real'oh v.ica] world . W e ca;r probably I h in I of lhem as backSround connectionsihar e*aOlish tne enviro;ment of a film, bul ihey also cdn be used to "hdPethe plot and dramatic content as well

Nqrrotive MolionTo advance the narrative it is necessary not oily to ask queshons but to setup expectations. For instance, in the exampl€ oI the two shots used to

t46 ShotByShol

showthemandroppinr*lq*rrt"*1"{:x,:,:"_tfff Hf*"'*;!"'#.iitr{ift ::.""'-:#[is]

iT--ili :Ji:i''"H'J::1*;:l'ff :T' i;::l'"#tfi *r ittit'-' ft*l#rfl ti *ill:';,"';: :l'J;'i;:t " T'*"Hi i: ;L:#i#l-*a**gpig;1eqqgsl'51s1;g;:*:)iTliff H fl ff iril :{#rihiq;m ffi 1;#lii:iT:i:iil:i:li:ffiliJ.,T.,}.'.il*'":.nl**i[t'*Hollv'wood continuity cuttinS are not Poral""irlJ o.i""ipf" .f q*]"tion and answer strategies

Q&A Potlerns';;,Hiirltl;.'Flil+i;+1:;:;-i-f *-tfrti'#'ffi;:1iJ::.1"iil"*'l;iii.,:" ?T,i.i:: #;i:ili*tim::,:,""t u:'lffi :'#fr l+iilffi iliiuti*i::*1**m[*f iirmlenge tfie viewer'

Conl,exl

H".il::"'ff :;il;?",",: :"1f.1,r:'.il",':l'T # Hi :;:"":T";::x!*nn*$qq"i}"":lltri*:sirlnill,.:":.,ffim#f #:#, T"iliiJlil*""Ts m{-* *u*'yJ:'' :*:

7. I : Quedion ond onswer relotionship beween shots links them int'o on overlopping choin'

Edi ng:TenPoralconn$tions 147

types of naEative elements was crucial to the way Alfred Hitchcock createdsuspense or Buster Keaton consbucted a gag.

Using the Po emsFor m€, the main concem {or the visualizer is not the pictorial elements ofa shot or sequence, but the structure of the sequmce-,{r, to put it anotherwa, what the viewer knows and when. As it turns out interestingcompositional ideas are usually th€ result of narrative invention rather thandarint pictodal experimentation.

This first series of examples illustrates how the narative context andquestion and answer pattem determine how we read a scene.

Example OneNanative contexl Our scene takes place in the woods on a summer day.Laura, a teenag€r, is looking for her older hother Tom. At this point in thestory we have not yet seen Tom and so we do not know what he look like.

Shot A: Louro enters ihe woods.Queslion: 'aVhere is Tom?"

Shot B: touro stops short o few yords from o cleoring.New Question: 'lVhot hos she found?"

Shot C: Tom ond o girl lying noled on o blonka in o cleoring.Answer: "touro hoifound h'er. brortrer.

This is a stnightforward qu€stion and answer editing pattern, and theviewercan easily anticipat€ the outcome. It in the next example, we changethe context sl*htly so that we know what Tom looks like, then shot Cbecomes an answer to shot A and simultaneously mises a new question.

Example Two

ShotA: touro enters fie woods.Question: t here is Tom?"

Shot C: Tom ond o gnl lying noked on o blonka in o cleoring.Answer' "Tom is here."New Question: a/Vill Louro find Tom?

Shot B: Louro stops short o few yords Fom $e cleoring.Answer: 'louro hos found Toml'

Now, if we w€re to prclong th€ time beforc t aura's arrival in shot B, theviewer would share a secret with the filmmalff by knowing that Tom isnearby in a compromising situation- This editing pattem plac€s an answetbefore the question. thereby creating suspense. We can do this by changintthe order of the shots aJrld adjustint the context.

Example ThreeLefs change the narative context again. This time w€ know that Ton s

148 ShotByshot

'. I J-S\1.G' " 17.\-Ya.-)

l:r:r*:$1i*il"#*:*i"#I*:n?iT.t*i#il;a"rr::J j*:i!;, .l.H::|;r.;, ryins noked on o bronker in o cleorins.

Shoi A: A girlenters tfie woods.!]uestion: "ls rhis Louro?"

*".i:;,L4if ;H.*9"o rewvords rrom the creorins.

#:'{:jgll:l [ir#r'"t*:' rFi.#]xi,r * jli ffiT;1d*Tlli#;,"!'.f,#+*,T:1,f #t[;1ttrilff {;",":f#r,if l+'::"ffi{tn:m*l:;r*:,+fi :ii1fl'*lT:'#tr*t;}*:T{*'il1}',1'{;tif ::ffiili[+:ij*nnir,n::[n;f.,*r:1fi "i;"h:,iT,:xt"r]trnm'"W:l;;+F:*y$,ff :u'#;il.tj":i.lii:H;,.",iJl[T:?li j]:'.'j*if:1:::1t: r'"v..q tv kirins off the percon

t;;;:ili,Etl,f#1,:-#:ilifl$*;t",,q#,1;l$;;1,Tft$''.f"".':.#r"i,i,."t:il$#,*;l*t*l:MoreQondAVoriofions

iti$t#-nltl*ii{*+f r$ll*.*.+ltil,ffiEditing: Tenporol Connections I 49

single shot or combined within a shot. Using a mini-noir scenario we canIook at a few examples:

. A question can be mised in one shot aJrld answered several shots Iaterrather than in the following shot.

S€quenae A

In this case the look in the tust shot would ordinarity be answered bya shot ofthe tun. However, the answer has been postponed while shots 2and 3 show the man turning on the litht.

. An answer can be given in a shot and the question 6ised later.Sequence B

In this version the cut on the look has been reversed so that w€ see theobject of attention before the look.

. A question can be mised and elaborated on in a series of shots beforebein8 answered in a sintle shot or in a series of shots.

Sequence C

The question in these shots, oI cou$e, is who is the person comingthiough the door and why. The partial answer is that it ij a man, and iiframe 3 we see ihat he has one finger missing. In frame 4 we tearn rhat heis there to find the gun.

. There can be more thdn one question raised in a <hot or shots.Consequenlly, morc lhan one dnlwer cdn be given in a shot or shol5.Sequenae D

I

bl\l..l

r-ir.rri-

Qsr-

l5O ShotBy S>hot

tn {mme 1 two questions are raised: Who is comint through the doorand whose hand emerses ftom behind th€ door? \ ahen the percon entercthe room in frame 2 we .eceive a Partial answer, leaminS that the Pe6on isa man. But frame 2 also mises the question of the significance of the Pool ofblackink on the floor. In frame 3 the man Puts his hand on the sheet olPaperon the table. This answers ihe question of the man s identity since we nowknow it is the man with the missing finSer, but a new question is raised:Why has part of the letter been caretully removed? Finally, in frame 3, welearn that the gun is on the floor. However, a new question is raised: Whois the woman standing over the 8un?

Cohpa red with the previous €xamPles, this lasi series includ es far moreinformation in the same number of shots This is an cxaSSeration of Q andA pdttem., but the)ubl leu-eofthe.e(dme rfralegies $ a.e\PlortYd byBcrg-min, Luro'awa, Dreyerdnd minyolher f t lmmaker- lo\haPep\vcholo8icdlh. t ion and impl icale lhe vreser in lhe moral di lemma' lhe) Pre'enled

ff we try to imagine a graphic rePresentation ofthe question and answerrelationships we have been looking at, the shots do not aPPear conn€ctedend-to-end as the editor a anges the actual film slock, but mther theyresemble a series of overlapping panels like a deck of cards that has b€enfanned out. Figure 7.1 on page 147 shows th€ narahve relationshiPbetween shots in a series. Each is connected io the next by some cause andeflect relationshiP. Some shots are more Prominent narmtively than others,while some shots remain in lhe background without answering questionsor rajsing new ones, simply supporting existing infomation with addi-tional detail.

The limits of ClorityBecause question and answer storytelling techniques frequently felateinformati;n in a roundabout way, this indirectness may apPear confusingto th€ uninitiated when d€scribed in a screenPlay, shot list or storyboard.Screenwdters, dircctors and editors may be encouraged to avoid unusual Qand A Dattems because it is mistakenlv believed ihat the results will beclearer io an audience. An examPle of ihis is the classic establishing shot atthe oDenins of a scene. For instance, a scene ends as we l€arn that anundeistudy in a play is on her way to the theater to rePlace the ailint leadIn the opening shot of the next scene we s€e the th€ater' This familiarpattern merely shows us what we alrcady expect and does litile to raise;xpectations or contribute to narrative motion. If, however, ihe iniroduc-tion oI ihe theater is comPosed of sePamte shots that raise questions, thenthe viewer is engaged in connecting these Pieces to form a meaningtulstatement. Consider this sequence of shots as a way of iniioducinS thetheater location:

A CL of a lew crumPled lhedter program- or lhe Sround.+ A CU of stage flats in a Earbate dumpster'+ A CU of an empty marquee with most of the lette$ taken down.= A closed show.

This is a storyteltinS aliemative to an establishing shot showing the ftont ofa theater with a banner across the lobbv doors with ihe word "closed"

Ediling:Tenporal Conneclions | 5l

orinted acros\ il in big letters Bot]| \ersionsare tamil Lar stra I eSies' a nd theiesson is not the speJ;fic solution, bul Llte overall nolion thal storylellingshould enSate the viewer at every Point

As naiaiive editing pattems beaome more comPler and syncoPate4.itis increasingly difficult:i; execute them without considerable Planning Aswe have seen, challmginS Pattems often mean that questions and answelsov€rlao from shol toihot .|-h;s preci"e inteftelationshiP between shotstends to I irnit the cu fting oPtion Iod carefully desiSned plan On theolherhand, the ruttinq ophons lhdt are etimindted are nearly dlways stocr'oh,rion'. I n a se-nse, business-as-usudl edilint straleSies are easily inter-chaneeable precisely because they lacl Lhe conneclive relalionshiPs ot.o^oi"" ou"'rion ona answer .tritegies lhis brinSs us to lhe \ubiect ofcovelage oI actlon.

€omero Culling vs. CoverogeTheoretically, a tully developed storyboard can show a director all the shotshe needs foia scene. If the Airector and cinematograPher shoot the boardse\actlv as ther appedr on paper even the lenSths ol shots can be eslimdted'Later,'the ediior onJy has to trim shots here aJrld there to male them all fitneatly together. Thi; method oI shootint is called cuttlnS in the camera andoresupposet u p"tfect ..rrpt perfecl qtoryboard dnd t he Perfecl execu tionof eacir 'shol. Opt imismm;vbea vir tue, bul lodisregard thethinSsthal canso wrong in ftiinrrlaLins ;nd Ihey aremdnv-is foohardy Cuftint in lheLmera i' like working on a hjgh wire without a net'

The altemative view supposes that perfection is unobtainable and,therefore, not worth pursuint in the filst Place Directors who believe this,and who are unsure of how to visualize, shoot sequences by resoftint to aprogrammed formula olcamera letuPs This system, usually bdsed on theLioigte.y"t"m ol camera PLacement, is called coverate and employs""n"i"l "u-"t^ ""top" Iot every action, ensurinS that a losical sequence canbe cut toeeLher in lhe edjting proce" A formulaic selection of wide'medium a"nd close-up shots is ucuall! sulricrenl ford basic rendition of anys(eneand placesa gr;aldedlof emPhasison theedjlor'scontribution VVhile.ouerae" ir an e"ti"-elv safe way to shool, it is also uninspired, be(ausevi.udl ;tralegies desiBn;d for the sPecfic needs ofa scene are d i'couraBedunless all thJcoveraei shots have been obtained fiIst. Unfoftrnately, thereis often only enough time within the shooting sch€dule for the covemgewith the result that many interesting visual approaches are never at-tempted.

tach method, camera cutting and (overage, has advantdtes and di'ad_vantaees and r" rarely u'ed e\ilusively in feature ftlnrnaling for thisreasoi, "setLinR coueiage" can reier not oniy to a system of camera pldLe-ment bui al"J Lo shooring ertra bdckup qhot< ( in dddit ion to thosestorvboarded) if time permits or if the director has tambled on an unusualaooioach to a scene. Once a set is Iit and block€d and the essential shotsneeded to convey the story have bem PhotogaPhed, the attitude of directorand cinematogipher is generally "We're here, so we might as well Setsomebackup shots juslin case." Any filmmaker will know how Practical this is,

152 ShorByshot

since moving the camem to pickup exha angles can be done fairly rapidlyin comparison with the time it takes to light a set and block a scene. Oncethe tecfurical and dramatic needs of a siene are set, directors are oftentempted to get as maJrly shots as possible before tearing down lights aJlldmoyint on to the next scen€. Besides, film stock is relatively inexDensivecompdred v\ i ththelotalproduct ioncoslford ful lday sshoot inq. Lvenwhenu(in8 a stoD board, thesdmedtt i tudesdredt work, and iusthoiv manv e;. t rashot)are t iJned dependson theconf idenceand e\perimce ot thedirector.And f iJrdUy lhere 15 theenthu(iasm fdcLor. \4dny directors ju<t l iLeiotakepichu'e.. Fven dlter alj the necessaD .hots dre in the (an, il lhe wedL}ler isdght or the lighting and set are grear, it can be very hard to call it a wrap.

_ One of the more useful a5pe. rs of (o\ eraSe is thar dct ion i5 ptdyed ourin full fo{ most setups even if the director expeits to use only a snall portionola paticulartake. Thisis mostuseful when filmintdialogue. For instance,d sceneLonsi.fingofd father"peaking to his ch ild_ren i\slorybodrded so rhatLhe fatherdoeiall the tailint. tn lhe storyboard. the fath;ri"pictured in athfee-shot that dollies past the kids and ends up in close-up;n Dad. Theentire scene is played in one long Lake. Tlough ereryone on the creativeteam might agree that this is the way the scene should be photoSraphed, irwould be unwise to rely on this one shor and not set reaation sho6 o{ thechildren dt Lhe same time. I he d i rector wou id then be (overed in case thereis a probl€m with the trackinS shot that doesn,t become clear until rhe fitmis seen in dailies._ Nowlet's suppose that imtead oI using the lon8 dolly shot indicat€d in

the storyboard, the director elects to ust camera coveraee msteact. Hewould probably shool a medium shot and ctose-up of th; falher dnd lhesame setups oI the kids. That would be six shots. He would Drobablv also.hool a three-shot OTS of the tuds dnd a reverse OTS of Dad. Thdr wouldbe a total of eight setups. The amount of time it would take to lisht andphotosraph dU the"eshotscould edciiy medn that rhedoUy >hot wouid har eto be sacrificed. That is th€ practical ahoice berween coverage and cameracuttine.

ll ;hould be cledr tron tlus e\ample Lhat the batance between the twomelhod.depend"on the5itudt ion. Some5cenesdreobviouslV easier to f i jmLhanothers lordramaticortechnical rea>on<. Sometimesit s possible loeetconsid em ble co\ erage drd com pie\ d oil ! mo\ es or other I ime-consu miltsetups. Be assured, however, that many o{ the shots will noi be used in th;edited vercion. PaIt oJ Ieaming your cra{t as a visualizer is having a toodsenseof whatwillworkbeforethecamerarolls. Aldirectorsteave;m;rsinfor error and co\er themsel\es, but lnowing what workq in advaicelransldtes into d high azrelrgp of usdble shot". The pal of r i" not the monevsaved by shootmg fewer retup<. bul lhe e\tra lime that can be u-ed to talegreatff artistic chances with more ambitious stagin& shois and pe or-

Composing Action for EditingSo far .this chapter has focused on editing for the visualizer, shessingstorytelling and nanative motion. A IuI discussion of editinS technique;

Edifing: Tenporol Connedions I 53

for the 6lm editor as well as editing room procedures can be found in sevemlexcellent books listed in the recommended reading section in the back ofthisbook. How€ver, a brief overview oI these techniques is of value to anyfilmmaker visualizing a sequence.

Cutling On MovemenfAs mentioned at the beginning oI the chapter, edii points are "placed" in theshot or at least anticipated by the dir€ctor in the stagint of action. There arethree ways in which an edit can be made to preserue the continuity of actionwhen tr /o or more views ofa subjectare being combined. Suppose we havea shot oI a boy running across the front lawn of his home and jumping over

Cutting RongesFor Action

r1l iI l lL l r -J

I)

AMid-Jump AfterJump

t______________ l t_____________- 1'Before Jump

tigure 7.2: Cuning ronges for oclion.

a hedge onto the sidewalk, as shor.n in Figure 7.2. The firsi shot runs theentirelengthofiheaction. Now we decide to cut to a new angle somewhereintothetustshot. Herearethethreeoptions: 1)Wecancuttothenewshotat the pointwher€ the boy reaches the hedge and beSins tojump. 2) We cancut to the new shot while the boy is in midtump. 3) We can cui to the newshot after he lands on the ground.

These are all acceptable edit points, but the cornmon practice in thecontinuity style would locate the cui somewhere into the action rather thanbelore or aner fte boy has left the Sround. This tends to hide the cut andmake the tansition to a new shoi invisible. The exact point of the cut isdependent on the subject and the editor's sense of movement.

Cuttint on the action is found in virtualy all t}?es of sequenceswheiher the subject of the shot is lifting a drink to his or her lips or merelytuning his h€ad or moving his ey€s. Filnmakers mindtul oI this essential

154 ShotByshot

__1rP

o l @ l oDl tuo l N l .o l 7 q .

5hold]99 :T,lqy will state action so thar it wilt overtap ananticipated edit point between camem antles_

Exits ond EntroncesWhen the subject of a shot moves into or out ot a lrame it iscommon pnctice to make the cut while the subj€ct is stillpar l ia y within the t idme. f iSure7.Jshoh.thepori t ionofdsuoF(r ln an outSoinS and dn incomine shoL. The effect onscreen is to make the cut smoother and to speed up the flow of

€leoring $e Frome

diagram the last frame is symbolic of whatwould be 24 or more actual filrn ftames).

There are several options Ior cutting to iheincoming shoi after ctearing the frame, depend-ing on how long rhe clear frame is held in theoxltoing.hot. One opfion rs for Lhe jncomin8shot (A) to open without rhe subiect in rh;frame. This opening canvaryin lengihdepend_Int on ihe a(t ion in the shot beiore the mainsubiect arrives. If we open on a busy park c,r atrickling stream in the woods the openins ser,esthe purpose ofan establjshing shoi and could teheld for severdJ se(ond s. A sicond option rs rorlhe incoming shot rB) ro open with ahe suble(already in the frame. Thls is not a commonpractice in the continuity style since it is some_

< Splice Point

Incoming Shot

Outgoing Shot

< This ComposirionHeld for i-2 sends

Thi. i - an_altemdl ive sfrategy lo (utf ing on morement whenpln$8 drt terent angles of the \ jme subrect. In. tedd of cul l inewhile the subjecr is within the ftame, the ;ubiecr is al lowed o exifthe fnme before the cut ro a new shot is m;de. It is custo;rv. in this stratety to hold on the empty trame of the outeoine shor,9r l .nlol1nt: t - igrreT.4showsan e\ampteof ihiostraregy. tn thiout"eoins<nor brrds rr \_rnto Lhe frame, t^ hi(ht ivesusadion ro view s h i le holdi ie rh!cjear Rdme ror a minimum oI l_2 second5 at the end of the "hot ( in"our

ShotA -In_. i ,o *huto?*p!. A third dtterndrive woutd be toShor B' cur on the\ubie(parr id y in frnme.a5"hown rn

the previous figure (7.3).Clearing the frame can be looked at in two

ways. First, it is a merhod for joining shots ofthe same subtect in different backgrounds. Inthis case it serves a fiDction similar to that of thedissolve and indicates a passage of time. TIesecond use forclearing the frame is as a substitutetor the cut on action so that an ingoint shot andoutgomg shot rep.esent continuous time. In

7.4

Editing: Tenporol Connections I 55

t:

geneml, clearing the frame is an easy out for directo$ who arc timid aboutpreseffing continuity, since it is almost impossible to make a continuitymistakewiththistechnique. Infact,itissuchaflexiblecutthatitcanbeusedto join shots on opposite sides of the line of action.

One last strategy is shorm in Figure 7 5 In this version the outgoinSshot ends with the subject clearly within the {mne The incom-ing shot beSirs before the subject aPpears and holds on a clearfiame for at least a second b€{ore the subject enters (again theclear frame in the diagram is slanbolic of many morc clearframes).

Editing ond VisuolizotionOne o{ the values of knowint convenhonal editint Practices isthat it gives the filmmaker a point of deParture when he isvisualizing. Stating, in particular, is made easier by an aware-ness of the types oI movement that provide opportunities forcutting. In any given scene the filmmaker will visualize howlong certain actions should be viewed beforc moving to anothershot. He v/ill then try to plan action at that Point so that editintis motivated visually.

Thismaysoundfarmoremechanicaltllanitreallyis. I{theserules sound overly restrictive it should be remembered that theycan be broken at any time in Iavor of a better idea. The value ofunderstanding editint practices is that it enables the director tovisualize an overview oI required camera setuPs fol an entiresequence, allowing him to tuIn his attention to th€ dramaticneeds of the scene. Figure 7.5

lJuEprng Jnor

Incorning Shot

Cleor Frome HeldAt Opening

156 ShotByshor