Your Editing Shows

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"I keep telling my editors, if you win an award for editing, I won't work with you anymore. Your editing shows." - Louis Malle, Director

 I really like this quote because it concisely describes that purpose of an editor. An editor is to make edits that don't show, that are purely behind the scenes. Their job is to make the film flow, and, if done correctly, no one will even notice that edits had been made. That's the point that Director Malle was making by saying this. He wants his editors to be so good that they go unnoticed. 

I've always thoroughly enjoyed making video projects because they challenge me to creatively arrange footage in a way that effectively tells a story and makes a point. I always learn new techniques by playing around with the editing software. Most importantly though, I try my best to imitate other videos that I have seen. I try to use those transitions and those shots and those sound effects because I know they worked. I've made it a long way from my first video project that I had to make for my seventh grade reading/science teacher. Honestly, I don't entirely remember what the topic was, but my best friend and I put in hours of hard work only to have it not play in class on the day that it was due. Because I didn't hit a button to "Save the Final Project." I'd just been hitting "Save" on the file bar, which doesn't finalize it. So keep that in mind if you're making a video, and don't experience my heartache. 

Psychology of Editing
When reading the psychology of editing section in Visual Storytelling  by Ronald J. Osgood and M. Joseph Hinshaw, I realized that had never considered all of the decisions that an editor has to make. Sure, I've made videos before, but I'm not sure that I could justify why I made each cut or truly understood how video should flow together. I think that Osgood and Hinshaw have a point though. For a video to be effective, each decision is critical and should be well thought out. An editor can't just hit "Delete." Why do you think that editors make the cuts that they do? What kind of video do they most frequently cut out?

I also liked the discussion of b-roll. B-roll is footage that "visually describes the story." This is generally the footage that is rolling while narration is occurring, providing a visual representation of what is being described. B-roll truly adds a depth to the story that viewers wouldn't get otherwise, and by having narration over the top, the editor is directly connecting dots for viewers. Instead of having footage and interview separate, viewers can easily make the connection between the two. 



After the opening song, the documentary "Supersize Me" immediately goes into effective B-roll as the narrator sets up the premise of the movie. Throughout this documentary, you can see examples of effective B-roll usage.

Transitions
Transitions are probably the second most important aspect of editing in my opinion, the first being the footage that you choose to show. Without an effective transition from topic to topic, viewers won't be able to follow your message. Osgood and Hinshaw discuss the idea of the "Cut." For me, this is probably the most natural transition because it immediately takes the viewer to the next topic, but you have to be careful when using it so that it doesn't get choppy. There are dialogue cuts, where the scene cuts back and forth between actors so that viewers see each actor deliver their line. There's also cuts that are timed with music. This is effective because they viewer can anticipate the cut and be prepared for a transition. What is your favorite transition and why?

Parallel Editing
I believe that my favorite technique is parallel editing where the footage cuts between two different story angles. It helps to show simultaneous action, draws the viewers in, and builds suspense as viewers wait to see how the story lines connect. A prime example of this is the movie "Crazy, Stupid Love." The whole movie follows the stories of 5 different people and in the end, their lives are all interconnected. 



The movie "Valentine's Day" uses this technique as well. I personally like surprises so I like when movies catch me off guard or throw in a plot twist, which can easily be done with this type of edit.