Editing style

Editing Style

The style of editing means how scenes are strung together. This is done through transitions. Transition means the moving from one shot to another. There are numerous types of transitions which are used to convey different meanings and moods. Below are some popular editing transitions.

Straight cut:

A straight cut is the most common cut used within editing. It is simply moving from one shot to another almost invisibly. This is done to keep realism in the scenes.

Dissolve:

Dissolves are where a shot fades out and another fades in. Usually in the middle where the shot is still fading out and the other begins to fade in a relationship between the shots can be made. For example:

Fades:

Fades are where the shot fades to either black or white. They are usually used at the end of a scene or film. They help to convey the end of something eg. a relationship, and the passing of time.

The opening to the movie Citizen Kane uses these types of transitions multiple times:

Wipe:

A wipe is where the scene is pushed off the screen by another shot. This usually helps to signal situations occurring at the same time at different places. For example in Star Wars (episode 4) Wipes are used greatly.

Jump cut:

Jump cuts are where the camera jumps from one angle to another whilst the same scene is still occurring. This is usually done to disorientate the audience and being the audiences attention to something suddenly. It breaks continuity editing. For example in the film Breathless:

I aim to use some of these transitions in my Thriller opening.