From the week 4 lecture describe at least two reasons why we ‘shoot to edit’?
We shoot to edit because it is efficient. Shooting in story order is generally unrealistic and unworkable. Shooting to edit allows us more control over the shots.
Shooting to edit entails a carefully calculated shooting schedule.
All shots in one location are filmed first, before moving onto the next location.
Shooting to edit allows better control of lighting:
Each shot often needs to be individually lit. Even if the shots are from the same scene, the lighting setup from the previous shot usually won’t also afford adequate lighting for the subsequent shot. Each shot normally requires adjustment in the lighting setup.
Similarly, production design can be better controlled:
The production design needs to be considered for each individual shot. A painting hung on the wall that was also in a previous shot may need to be moved for a new shot purely because it looks odd being half out of frame. Tight shots on characters show more detail in terms of M/U (and perhaps also W/R). Plus, crew often have no choice but to stand in areas of the set in order to get the desired framing and sound for a certain shot. This means that props or parts of the set have to be temporarily moved (and then reset afterwards with the help of the continuity person).
Also, shooting to edit affords greater attention to individual performances:
For example, in a conversation scene, all shots of one character talking/responding will usually be collected in one go. This allows the director to focus his/her attention on one actor and one performance at a time. It is also logistically preferable to alternating between shot types and actors. It is best to group shots which require similar mise-en-scène and shoot them all at once, before moving onto the next group of similar shots. It is easiest for narrative point to change, rather than the camera setup.
Essentially, we want the minimal amount of changes to the setup (camera, lighting, prod. design, sound, etc.).
Continuity needs to be controlled in all of these circumstances. Because each shot is usually being filmed out of narrative context, things like eye-line and the 180-degree line need to be attended to.