Editing and the 180 degree rule.

Learning outcome:

To explore the 180 degree editing rule then study clips from the films Goodfellas and Leon before discussing the effect the camera work has on the audience.

Key words: 

Post production. 

Edit. 

Sound Effects. 
Line of action.

Below is a basic camera set up for conversation between two people.

Task 1:

Watch this to help you get a grasp of the 180 degree rule.

Task 2: Watch how this clip from Leon The Professional breaks the 180 degree rule and consider how the audience decodes the message of the sequence. What is the director trying to convey?
Write a paragraph in your orange books.

Editing Pace

Picture an action scene... Do you see: A gunfight? A car chase? A battle?

The above is a prime example of an action scene, which has one ma­jor defining characteristic: A fast pace. But who sets a scene's pace? While the director, actors and cinematographer affect the timing within each shot, it is the editor who ultimately creates the rhythm of a scene.

SETTING THE PACE

An editor establishes pace through his or her selection of static and moving shots, as well as the length and placement of those shots. Long shots and wide shots contain more information, so they are usually held on the screen longer, allowing the audience to register everything they're seeing. Since the audience grasps close-ups and medium shots mare quickly, they don't need to be on-screen far as long as a wide shot, making them perfect for action scenes. Short shots can heighten the dramatic tension of a scene and keep an audience an the edge of their seats.

The cuts in action scenes tend to get shorter and the angles closer until the edi­tor pulls back for the next big moment, For example, the notorious shower scene in Al­fred Hitchcock's Psycho (see the first clip) spreads a whopping 50 cuts over three minutes before ending with a still shot of the murdered Marian Crane. But it's not the number of quick cuts that makes an action scene effective, it's the juxtaposition of these shots = short and close, long and wide this is what sets the pace of a sequence.

REPEATING THE ACTION

A common tactic when cutting action scenes is to repeat the same action in two or more shots. This is done to milk the dra­matic impact of same incredible event, be it an explosion, bridge collapse or car crash. By intercutting different angles and slow motion shots, an editor can prolong the ac­tion far as long as it sustains the story.

Editors also regularly repeat frames when cutting between shots. Since view­ers' eyes don't instantly catch up when watching fast-paced sequences, repeating a few frames of the action both at the tail of a long shot and the head of a close shot results in a smooth cut that the audience will perceive as one, continu­ous action.

Frequently, the repeating of action is obvious due to the editor's duplication of longer portions of the action over a series of shots, frequently from different angles. This over­ lapping amplifies the action far dramatic or comic impact and expands time. In the three frames below from "Burn Notice," the hero's descent from a helicopter repeats over three cuts to increase the drama.

IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING

The way you pace shots renders the action either shorter or longer than it occurs in real time. In the former case, making short, quick cuts, employing jump cuts or using a dissolve compresses time and moves the story along. In the scene below, from Zhang Yimou's Hero, the editors em­ployed both short and slow motion shots to speed up time while still giving the scene a feeling of timelessness.

FINAL APPROACH

There's a lot more that goes into editing satisfying action scenes than just cutting shots, together. 

If you are still unnerved about cutting an action se­quence, remember this: An action scene is a mini-story, and each cut-no matter how long or short-must advance that story. If you're buried in a ton of footage (which is normal  for action scenes shot. using multiple cameras), organize the shots meticulously on your digital system and become thoroughly familiar with the script or outline. Most importantly, familiar­ize yourself with the footage and know all the angles, literally. With knowledge and organiza­tion you can access a clip instantly and not lose your train of thought in the heat of editing. 

Task 2: watch the clip from Goodfellas then write a short paragraph on what you think the director was trying to convey to the audience.

Task 3: 

Using digital SLR cameras, shoot a conversation between two people 

A) without crossing the 180 degree line of action 

B) break the 180 degree rule

Paste the images into your orange books and write a paragraph explains the 180 degree rule in your own words.