Editing Techniques and their importance in Film (Orson Welles)

Editing is incredibly important in making a successful film. Even if the rushes are superb, if the editing is not done well - it can ruin the film.


Orson Welles stressed the importance of editing when he said: "For my vision of the cinema, editing is not simply one aspect; it's the aspect".

Before I started to edit, I wanted to research the different editing techniques that are used in films so I could use these techniques as I edit our footage:



1) Continuity editing is used to allow the audience be drawn into the thriller and not be distracted by 'obvious editing'.

2) Parallel editing is used to allow the the audience to see that two story lines are progressing at the same time throughout the film.

3) Cross cutting is used to allow the audience to allow the audience to see that two groups/events or characters are converging/coming together, to show a link between the two.

4) An editor would use match cuts to allow the audience to see the events on screen from a variety of positions; this helps hold their interest.

5) A shot reverse shot is used to allow the audience to see a conversation or conflict from both sides, alternating between viewpoints.

6) An eye line match is used to see what the main character was looking at (the object was out of the frame at the the time).

7) An editor would use a cross fade transition to show that time is passing; it can create atmosphere and smoothly take the audience from one shot to the next.

8) Slow motion is used in thriller films to understand that the action onscreen is significant, dramatic and powerful.

9) CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) is used to create something that would be extremely difficult/expensive to create in reality so instead it is created in the editing suite.