Style of Editing

Style of editing

Style of editing consists of how shots are linked together. The movement from one shot to the next is called a transition. 

The Straight Cut- Is the most common and "invisible" form of transition. One shot moves instantly to the next without attracting the audiences attention to anything else. Straight cuts help to retain reality. They do not break the viewers suspension of disbelief. 

Dissolves- This is fading one shot of the screen while another shot is fading in. The audience will be able to see both shots on the screen at the mid-point of the dissolve. It is used if the film maker wants to show a connection between two characters,places or objects. 

Fades- A gradual darkening or lighting of an image until it becomes black or white. One shot will fade until only a black or white screen can be seen. This is commonly used to indicate the end of a particular section of time within the narrative. It can also show the passing of time. 

Wipes- One image is pushed off the screen by another.Images can be pushed left or right. It is more common for the image to be pushed off the left hand side as this movement is more consistent with the sense of time moving forward. It is used to signal a movement between different locations that are experiencing the same time. 

Jump Cut- A jump cut is where the audiences attention is brought into focus on something very suddenly. This occurs by breaking the continuity editing. This is known as discontinuity. It appears as if a section of the sequence has been removed. The gap in action is emphasised by the use of a jump cut. It is used to startle the viewer and draw attention to something. 

Graphic Match- The filmmaker can choose to place shots in a certain order so as to create a smooth visual transfer from one frame to the next. When two consecutive shots are matched in terms of the way they look this is called a graphic match. For example: in Psycho. The circular image of the plug hole with the next image of Marion's eye.