AICE Media Studies - Editing Vocab

Editing

the process by which the editor combines and coordinates individual shots into a cinematic whole

Cutting

the actual joining together of two shots

Film editor

the primary person responsible for editing decisions in a film

Flashback

a device in which the action cuts from the narrative present to a past event

Flash-foward

a device in which the action cuts from the narrative present to a future time

Ellipsis

an omission of time between one shot and another that creates dramatic or comedic impact

montage

a sequence of shots, often with superimpositions and optical effects, showing a condensed series of events

Rhythm

the pace at which a film moves forward

Duration

the length of a shot

Content curve

an arc that measures information in a shot; at the curve's peak, the viewer has absorbed the information from a shot and is ready to move on to the next shot

Continuity editing

a style of editing that seeks to achieve logic, smoothness, sequential flow, and temporal and spatial orientation to what is seen on the screen

Discontinuity editing

a style of editing, often used in experimental films, that joins Shots A and B to produce an effect not hinted at by either shot alone

Master shot

also known as an establishing shot or cover shot, a shot that serves as the foundation for a sequence and orients the ensuing action

Screen direction

the direction of a figure's movement on the screen

180-degree system

the fundamental means by which filmmakers maintain consistent screen direction

Reverse shot

crosscutting between shots of different characters, usually in a conversation or confrontation

Match cut

a cut that preserves continuity between two shots

Match-on-action cut

a match cut in which the action continues seamlessly from one shot to the next

Graphic match cut

a match cut in which the similarity between Shots A and B is in the shape and form of what we see

Eye-line match cut

a match cut that joins Shot A (a character looking offscreen in one direction) with Shot B (the figure the character is seeing)

Parallel editing

cutting two or more lines of action occurring at the same time in

DIFFERENT locations

Crosscutting

cutting two or more lines of action occurring at the same time in the

SAME location

Point-of-view editing

an eye-line match cut that includes a POV shot of what a character is looking at

Jump cut

the removal of a portion of a film, resulting in an instantaneous advance in the action

Fade

a transitional device in which a shot fades out to a black, white, or color screen, or vice versa

Dissolve

a transitional device in which Shot B, superimposed, gradually appears over Shot A and begins to replace it at midpoint in the transition

Wipe

a transitional device between shots in which Shot B wipes across Shot A, either vertically or horizontally, to replace it

Iris-in/iris-out

wipe transition in which the wipe shape is a circle

Freeze-frame

a still image within a movie

Split screen

a method of telling two stories at the same time by dividing the screen into different parts

Cutaway

a shot that interrupts a continuously filmed action by inserting a view of something else

Insert

a shot of part of a scene as filmed from a different angle and/or focal length from the master shot

Superimposition

when two or more images are placed over each other in the frame

Post-production

the third stage of the production process, consisting of editing, preparing the final print, marketing, and distributing a film

Smash cut

film editing technique that abruptly transitions one scene to another

Invisible cut

joins two scenes together with similar frames to create a smooth, nearly unnoticeable transition.

J cut

The audio for the next scene plays before the scene begins

L cut

Audio from a previous scene keeps going into the next scene - creates a smoother transition