Zettl, H 2012, Sight, Sound, Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics, 7th Edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston MA, pp. 303- 311.
One thought on “Zettl, H 2012, Sight, Sound, Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics, 7th Edn, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Boston MA, pp. 303- 311.”
This source notes that the cut itself does not technically exist in a way; we cannot measure it, and rather understand it by the shots previous and afterwards. The source states, therefore, that it is the footage that decides the nature of the cut; a smooth cut where the adjacent footage has a level of continuity, and a jump cut, where said footage is much different, and therefore time or distance are perceived as being altered.
While these facts may not be revolutionary, Zettl articulates them well and the notion of the cut being ‘invisible’ is quite interesting, as conversation over cuts often values them as a sort of tangible feature when, literally, they are not (at least not in the digital age). Furthermore, this lead me to the understanding that montage, where the cut is glorified in much the research I have read, is actually all about the shot. While the cut in montage is a necessary evil, the shot is where the narrative actually progresses; the cut is invisible, a point where one shot ends and another one starts.
This source notes that the cut itself does not technically exist in a way; we cannot measure it, and rather understand it by the shots previous and afterwards. The source states, therefore, that it is the footage that decides the nature of the cut; a smooth cut where the adjacent footage has a level of continuity, and a jump cut, where said footage is much different, and therefore time or distance are perceived as being altered.
While these facts may not be revolutionary, Zettl articulates them well and the notion of the cut being ‘invisible’ is quite interesting, as conversation over cuts often values them as a sort of tangible feature when, literally, they are not (at least not in the digital age). Furthermore, this lead me to the understanding that montage, where the cut is glorified in much the research I have read, is actually all about the shot. While the cut in montage is a necessary evil, the shot is where the narrative actually progresses; the cut is invisible, a point where one shot ends and another one starts.