As we continue to work on our creative self portrait the class has become oriented around the techniques and effects of editing in media. Next week our second project brief is due and it is helpful to understand what message can be conveyed or implied through the editing of film media. An interesting read about just how important the space is between two frames is Scott McCloud’s “Blood in the Gutter” (1993). It discusses comic strips and how most of the action happens in “the gutter” the place between frames as the reader perceives the passing of time or the happening of an action. While not as prominent in other mediums of multimedia, what is left out is often just as important as what is shown.
In the making of film there are various staples, whether concrete or abstract happenings that often act as a signal for a greater meaning. For example the sound of a church bell could be used to signal the start or the end of something, when that is matched with an image of somebody stressed the viewer instinctively reads that they are late. Sound bridges can be used to signify two separate scenes occurring simultaneously or immediately after. One feature used in many films that is riddled with cliches of structure, texture and technique is a montage. Here’s a satirical take on a montage that makes it just how apparent the effects of editing are:
(You may have to click the link to take you to youtube if it doesn’t work)