Course Content (Syllabus)
An introduction to the basic principles of editing is offered together with an overview of its historical evolution. The «discovery» of continuity editing, the contribution of pioneers such as Porter and Griffith to film narration. The Soviet montage theorists (Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, Pudovkin, Kuleshov) and the heritage of their experimentation in today’s cinematic language.
Basic “cuts”, types of match cuts, usual ways of maintaining or breaking the continuity relation between two shots. Ways of creating temporal ellipsis within a scene. The narrative function of basic and advanced visual effects. Analysis of typical scenes (exposition, flashback, montage sequences, parallel action etc).
Overall the course intends to develop a critical understanding of the function of individual editing «tools» and provide an insight into the main concepts of the «engineering» of film narration by exploring a wide variety of examples drawn from different genres and historical periods.
Additional bibliography for study
Chandler, Gael. Film Editing: Great Cuts Every Filmmaker Must Know. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 2009
Murch, Walter. In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing. Los Angeles: Silman-James, 2001
Reisz, Karel, and Gavin Millar. The Technique of Film Editing. New York: Hastings House, 1968