The Art and Craft of Cinematic Editing: Theory, Practice, and Global Perspectives
Course Title: The Art and Craft of Cinematic Editing: Theory, Practice, and Global Perspectives
Course Description: This course integrates the fundamental theories, historical evolution, and diverse cultural applications of film editing with practical, hands-on training in Adobe Premiere Pro. Students will learn to analyze editing techniques from global cinema while developing the technical skills to craft compelling narratives, ultimately becoming thoughtful and proficient beginner editors.
Weekly Structure (3 hours total):
Approx. 1 hour 15 mins - Seminar/Discussion: Based on readings, screenings, and theoretical concepts.
Approx. 1 hour 45 mins - Practical Lab: Premiere Pro instruction, guided exercises, and application of seminar concepts.
Core Readings (Selections assigned weekly):
Murch, Walter. In the Blink of an Eye (Revised 2nd Edition).
Eisenstein, Sergei. Film Form: Essays in Film Theory.
Dmytryk, Edward. On Film Editing: An Introduction to the Art of Film Construction.
Oldham, Gabriella. First Cut: Conversations with Film Editors (and First Cut 2 for contemporary views).
Pearlman, Karen. Cutting Rhythms: Intuitive Film Editing.
Crittenden, Roger (Ed.). Fine Cuts: The Art of European Film Editing.
Billinge, Sam. The Practical Guide to Documentary Editing.
Additional articles/chapters for specific global cinema studies.
Weekly Outline:
Week 1: Introduction – The Editor's Vision & The Digital Workspace
Seminar: What is editing? The editor's role beyond technical execution. The power of juxtaposition and choice. Course overview.
Reading: Murch, In the Blink of an Eye (Preface, Ch 1: "The Cut - and 'The Blink'").
Screening: Clips demonstrating dramatic editing choices (e.g., iconic film openings, reveal scenes).
Practical Lab: Introduction to Non-Linear Editing (NLE). Overview of Adobe Premiere Pro interface (workspaces, key panels). Project creation, settings, importing & organizing media (bins, labels).
Exercise: Setting up a project, importing diverse media, basic media organization.
Week 2: The Foundations – Continuity & Assembling the Narrative
Seminar: Early cinema and the development of continuity editing (Porter, Griffith). The "grammar" of film: 180-degree rule, match-on-action, eyeline match. Why continuity matters (and when it can be broken).
Reading: Dmytryk, On Film Editing (Ch 1-3: The Editor, The Picture, The Cut).
Screening: Clips from early narrative films; scenes demonstrating strong classical continuity.
Practical Lab: Sequence creation and settings. Source vs. Program monitors. Basic timeline tools (Selection, Razor). In/Out points, Insert & Overwrite edits. Building a simple assembly cut.
Exercise: Assembling a short, continuous sequence from provided footage.
Week 3: Soviet Montage & The Power of Juxtaposition
Seminar: Eisenstein, Kuleshov, Pudovkin. The Kuleshov Effect. Intellectual, metric, rhythmic, tonal, overtonal montage. Editing as a tool for meaning-making and persuasion.
Reading: Eisenstein, Film Form (e.g., "A Dialectic Approach to Film Form," "Methods of Montage").
Screening: Battleship Potemkin (Odessa Steps), Man with a Movie Camera clips, Kuleshov experiment recreations.
Practical Lab: Refining edits: Trimming tools (Ripple, Rolling, Slip, Slide). Applying basic video transitions (cuts, dissolves) and understanding their impact. J-cuts and L-cuts.
Exercise: Creating a short montage sequence to convey an idea or emotion; re-editing a scene to change its meaning through juxtaposition.
Week 4: Classical Hollywood – Seamless Storytelling & Dialogue Editing
Seminar: The "invisible" style of Classical Hollywood. Pacing and rhythm for narrative clarity. Editing dialogue scenes: coverage, shot-reverse-shot, reaction shots, performance.
Reading: Dmytryk, On Film Editing (Ch 4-6: The Dialogue Scene, Action, Comedy). Selections from Oldham's First Cut focusing on classical editors.
Screening: Dialogue scenes from Classical Hollywood (e.g., Casablanca, His Girl Friday).
Practical Lab: Editing a dialogue scene from provided rushes. Working with multiple audio/video tracks. Syncing audio. Initial look at the Essential Sound panel for dialogue clarity.
Exercise: Cutting a two-person dialogue scene for clarity, rhythm, and performance.
Week 5: Soundscapes – The Art of Audio Editing
Seminar: The crucial role of sound in film. Diegetic and non-diegetic sound. Sound design as a narrative tool. The editor's role in shaping the soundscape.
Reading: Murch, In the Blink of an Eye (Ch 5: "Sound Design: The Aural Environment").
Screening: Scenes with impactful sound design (e.g., The Conversation, action scenes with layered sound).
Practical Lab: Deeper dive into Premiere Pro's Essential Sound panel (Dialogue, Music, SFX, Ambience). Adjusting levels, keyframing audio, basic audio effects (EQ, DeNoise). Sourcing and adding music & SFX.
Exercise: Adding and mixing sound elements (dialogue, SFX, music) to a previously edited scene.
Week 6: European Art Cinema & Challenging Conventions – Titles & Effects
Seminar: Post-WWII European cinema. Italian Neorealism, French New Wave (Godard, Truffaut). Breaking continuity, jump cuts, long takes, self-reflexivity.
Reading: Crittenden, Fine Cuts (selections on French New Wave, Italian Neorealism).
Screening: Clips from Breathless, Bicycle Thieves, The 400 Blows.
Practical Lab: Introduction to the Essential Graphics panel for titles and basic graphics. Creating text, shapes. Introduction to video effects via Effect Controls panel (Motion, Opacity, basic blurs/stylize). Keyframing effects.
Exercise: Creating opening/closing titles; experimenting with basic effects to alter mood or convey information.
Week 7: Cutting Rhythms & Intuition – Color Correction Basics
Seminar: The "feel" of editing – musicality, intuition, and organic pacing. How editors connect with material viscerally.
Reading: Pearlman, Cutting Rhythms (Introduction, selected chapters). Murch, In the Blink of an Eye (Ch 2: "The Rule of Six").
Screening: Sequences notable for their unique rhythms (e.g., action, dance, or meditative sequences).
Practical Lab: Introduction to the Lumetri Color panel. Basic color correction (white balance, exposure, contrast). Understanding scopes (Waveform, Vectorscope). Applying creative LUTs and Looks.
Exercise: Performing basic color correction on several clips; applying LUTs to achieve different moods.
Week 8: Documentary Editing – Shaping Reality & Advanced Techniques
Seminar: Ethics and practices of documentary editing. Structuring narratives from unscripted footage. The editor as co-storyteller.
Reading: Billinge, The Practical Guide to Documentary Editing (selected chapters).
Screening: Clips from diverse documentary styles (observational, expository, participatory).
Practical Lab: Working with mixed media. Time remapping (variable speed changes). Frame Hold options. Introduction to Nested Sequences.
Exercise: Editing a short documentary-style piece from provided interviews and b-roll, using speed changes.
Week 9: Global Perspectives 1 – Editing in (e.g.) East Asian Cinema
Seminar: Exploring editing aesthetics from a specific non-Western region (e.g., Japan – Ozu's static compositions vs. Kurosawa's dynamic movement; or contemporary Korean cinema). Cultural influences on pacing and visual storytelling.
Reading: Scholarly articles/book chapters on the chosen region's cinema and editing styles.
Screening: Clips from Ozu, Kurosawa, or relevant contemporary filmmakers.
Practical Lab: Masking and basic compositing (picture-in-picture, simple VFX). Blend modes.
Exercise: Creating a simple composite shot; using masks for creative effect.
Week 10: The Editor-Director Relationship & Workflow – Global Perspectives 2
Seminar: The collaborative dynamic. Insights from professional editors. Exploring editing styles from another global region (e.g., African cinema, Latin American "Third Cinema," or Middle Eastern cinema).
Reading: Oldham, First Cut or First Cut 2 (relevant interviews). Articles on the chosen global cinema.
Screening: Clips from films discussed, showcasing distinct editing styles.
Practical Lab: Efficient workflows: Proxies for high-res footage. Advanced media management (Project Manager). Customizing keyboard shortcuts. Multi-camera editing basics.
Exercise: Setting up a multi-camera sequence; creating and using proxies.
Week 11: Contemporary Editing – The Digital Age & Final Project Workshop
Seminar: Influence of digital technology, music videos, online content on editing aesthetics. "Preditors." The future of editing.
Reading: Contemporary articles on editing trends.
Screening: Examples of modern editing styles, commercials, or music videos.
Practical Lab: Basic integration with Adobe Audition (sending audio for repair/mix). Further work on final projects with instructor guidance. Troubleshooting.
Exercise: Focus on refining final projects, applying advanced techniques as needed.
Week 12: Final Project Showcase, Export & Future Paths
Seminar: Screening of student final projects. Constructive peer and instructor feedback. Discussion: What makes "good" editing? The editor as author.
Practical Lab: Exporting using Adobe Media Encoder. Understanding formats, codecs, presets for different platforms (web, festival). Archiving projects. Final Q&A.
Exercise: Exporting final projects in multiple formats.
Assignments:
Weekly Reading Responses/Discussion Prompts.
Short Weekly Practical Exercises: Applying the week's Premiere Pro skills to small, focused tasks.
Mid-Term Project: Edit a 1-2 minute scene incorporating dialogue, basic sound design, and demonstrates understanding of continuity or montage, with a short written justification of choices.
Final Project: Edit a 3-5 minute short film, documentary segment, or experimental piece, demonstrating a range of technical skills and a clear understanding of editing principles. Accompanied by an "Editor's Statement" explaining their conceptual approach and key choices, referencing course readings where appropriate.
Clip Analysis Presentation: Students briefly present and analyze the editing in a chosen film clip during one of the seminar sessions.