Lecture notes for Ch. 2 from "The Technique of Film Editing."

1. Chapter 2: Editing and the Sound Film
THE TECHNIQUE OF FILM EDITING

2. o “The development of film technique… has been primarily the development of
editing.” –Ernest Lindgren
o The introduction of sound lead to a regression.
 All dramatic effects derived from soundtrack.
 Picture was simply a background.
 Resulted in a dull and unimaginative presentation.
 Microphones had to be static on the set.
o Despite much resistance, sound in synch with the picture survived by giving the
director yet another means to deliver the message.
 Inessentials can be communicated without wasting shots.
 Subtle hints in the dialogue or soundtrack.
o Two main changes that sound has brought.
 Greater economy in story-telling.
 High standard in realistic presentation.

3. WHO EDITS A FILM?
o The Order of Shots
 In silent films, Director and Editor worked with much freedom.
 In sound films, the picture is often locked to the dialogue or sound effects.
• Because of this, order of shots must be planned early in production.
• In a sense the script controls the order of shots.
o Selection of Camera Set-ups: Emphasis
 Much the same since Griffith first applied it.
 Outlined in script by Writer.
 Director has input during production.
 With a lot of coverage the Editor will assemble how they deem fit.
 Although planning is the best course of action.

4. o Timing
 In silent films, controlled by the rate of cutting; timing determined by their visual content.
 In sound films, the Editor can achieve effects not inherent in the picture or soundtrack
individually.
• Use L-cuts to carry sound from one shot to another; i.e. reaction shots in a dialogue scene.
• Play sound and picture in parallel or in counterpoint.
• Often minute adjustments that are tough to pre-plan before the material is shot.
o Presentation: Smoothness
 There is an inherent abruptness in cutting between shots.
 German-filmmakers the first to attempt cutting on movement in a shot.
 Constructing a smoothly flowing continuity is the main preoccupation of the modern Editor.
 Most duties are now shared between Writer, Director, and Editor.

5. THE CONTRIBUTION OF EDITING
o Ultimately, who contributes to the edit will vary from production-to-production.
 British productions, the Director is the key figure.
• Collaborates on shooting script.
• Supervises editing.
• Final continuity rests with Director and Editor.
 Hollywood productions, Director follows the writer’s directions in the script.
• The Producer is more concerned with the creative process.
• Producer supervises editing process.
 Not always the case, there are exceptions.
• Preston Sturges, John Huston; writes and directs.
• Charlie Chaplin; writes, produces, and directs.
• John Ford; produces.
• Orson Welles; solely responsible for Citizen Kane.

6. o Who should ideally be responsible for writing?
 Thorold Dickinson presents a strong case that the Director should control the script.
 Others propose a Director/Writer/Editor partnership.
 The Director should normally be in charge.
• Responsible for planning the visual continuity during shooting.
• Implies control over the edit so it matches the vision on the floor.
 Most Directors want control but do not insist on writing.
• Writing dialogue takes a special skillset.
• Writer must have a talent for imaginative visual treatment.
 When a Director is made to shoot a tight script, film can be static and wordy.
 In Hollywood, script is written for the star; not necessarily for the story.
• Exploit the star’s drawing power at the box office.
• Sometimes good films emerge, but not often the case.
• Too many creative concessions have to be made in the name of screen time.

7.  Some films do not owe primary appeal to the Director.
• Preston Sturges films; work of a brilliant dialogue writer.
 Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
 The Lady Eve (1941)
• Good musicals often recognize the Dance Director.
• Cecil B. deMille epics; Set Designer is a key figure.
 The Ten Commandments (1956)
 Cleopatra (1934)
• These films tend to indulge in their own stylistic distortion and do not focus on reality.
• When authenticity and realism is the goal the Director must be mainly in charge.

8. SPECIAL STYLES OF EDITING
o Actual sound created an issue in editing.
 Action sequences are problematic.
 Visuals are not connected physically, the actual sound of each shot can become a
meaningless jumble of sounds when cut in rapid succession.
 Must have a unifying soundtrack; music or sound effects.
o Early filmmakers in the sound period used symbolism for effect.
 Alfred Hitchcock, Blackmail (1929)
• Uses a painting of a laughing clown.
 Rouben Mamoulian, City Streets (1931)
• Ornamental cats as a sign of jealousy.
• Shot of birds in flight outside a prison to symbolize freedom beyond the bars.
• Snuffing a match to allude to a murder.

9. o Introduction of sound caused filmmakers to focus on realistic narrative and resulted
in a discarding of silent film techniques of indirect visual allusion by choice not by
limitations of technology.
 Ernest Lindgren argues that there was no need to abandon these techniques.
• Subjective commentary should always be a natural part of the story’s setting.
 The Russians broke this convention in some of their best works.
 In October, Eisenstein satires religious ceremonies by using images from religious locations from
around the world, completely ignoring the story’s natural locale.
o British documentaries of the 1930’s further developed Eisenstein’s theory.
 Relational Editing, editing to an idea
o With Relational Editing and Compilations, the Editor assumes an important role;
similar to the silent era.
o “At present, one can only hopefully anticipate the films of some future
Director, working in the sound medium, but with the freedom of a Griffith, an
Eisenstein, or a Dovzhenko.”