BORDWELL + THOMPSON

Theories of editing

THEIR THEORY

Bordwell and Thompson noticed how the shots

within films could link in different way. They

identified four different relations between shots in the

editing, they are:

Graphic

Spatial

Temporal

Rhythmic

GRAPHIC

This is how the shots link through a common colour, shape,

movement or object. Here are some graphic editing that is used :

Graphic discontinuity: Contrasts in colour and footage type,

movement and stillness, placement/shapes of focus figures.

Graphic continuity: Centre of interest is constant through the cuts,

maintaining the lighting level and avoiding strong colour contrast.

Graphic match: Link between the shots due to graphic matches

such as, shapes, objects and movement.

EXAMPLES OF GRAPHIC EDITING IN MUSIC V IDEOS

In this example from ‘Kill lies’ by reform the resistance, we are shown a graphic match. The same positions, lighting and facial features are the same in both shot but the person in the shot has changed.

TEMPORAL

Temporal editing concerns the time of the action and contributes to the plots manipulation of

story time’ order, duration and frequency.

The order of presentation of events can be manipulated, this changes the story plot relations

which interrupt ‘temporal order’. Examples of this are flashbacks- this increases story knowledge

and flash-forwards create an enigma.

There are techniques used within temporal editing such as: An ellipsis (taking out certain parts

which are of no interest to the audience), effects (dissolves, wipes and fade signals)theses can

show time changing, ‘Empty frames’ (when a character walks into a frame from another) and

lastly a cutaway (shot of another event elsewhere that does not last as long as the omitted

action).

The frequency of events in continuity editing tend to be shown only once.

Repetition can provide a powerful ‘tool’ for building tension and expectation often to

show ‘explosive’ action.

EXAMPLES OF TEMPORAL EDITING IN MUSIC V IDEOS

Temporal editing isn’t commonly found in music videos, apart from videos that have a narrative and story plot. An example I found from ‘payphone’ form Maroon 5 shows the use of temporal editing through a cutaway. This brief cutaway(the character at the payphone) allows the story plot to continue in the previous scene (car chase) creating an ellipsis of the un-needed long car chase scene.

SPATIAL

It concerns the space (setting/location) and relation between.

Also the manipulation of different points through similarity,

difference and development. (How to relate to create

space)Relative sense of space through editing.

Continuity editing produces analytical’ space via an establishing

shot (extreme long shot followed by smaller range (mid) shots.)

Crosscutting (parallel editing) can emphasis action taking pace

in separate places. Showing the distance between characters.

EXAMPLE OF SPATIAL EDITING IN MUSIC V IDEOS

This example shows the space between the characters within the scene in the music video. Using long shots and mid shots, the audience are able to establish the position and space between the characters, and recognise the things the characters are looking and laughing at; the dancers.

RHYTHMIC

This involves the editing being in time with the music cutting to the

beat.

The rhythm of the scene has a direct impact on the rhythm of the pace

of editing, such as in a trailer the beginning in slow in rhythm but steadily

speeds up until its fast at the end, the editing is in time with this rhythm.

A steady rhythm, will have all the shots with the same approx. same

length.

Longer shots give the audience a greater for reflection. Whereas,

shorter shots give the audience no time to think.

EXAMPLES OF RHYTHMIC EDITING IN MUSIC V IDEO

Slow motion is used in these shots, this elongates the shots making the shots more dramatic and allowing the audience to reflect on what is happening.

The long shots also sync with the slow beat of the song, which helps cut of the shots with the rhythm of the music.