Research Into Editing Techniques

There are many different editing techniques that are used in films that create different effects / atmospheres.


Elliptical Editing 

This is the process of cutting out the unnecessary parts in a sequence, showing the audience the parts of the scene that they need to know.
For example, if you were to show somebody getting ready and going to work, it would take a long time. You would have to show the man waking up, getting ready, leaving the house, locking the house, getting in his car, driving all the way to work, parking his car, walking to work and arriving at work.
If you were to use elliptical editing to show this process, you could use a series of cuts and transitions to speed up this process. For example, you could show a quick shot of the man waking up, followed by a quick shot of him getting ready, leaving the house and getting in his car followed by a fade out and then a fade in transition and then him arriving at work in his car.

This is an example of elliptical editing that takes place in Batman Begins. This scene is shortened into a short sequence.

Continuity Editing

Continuity Editing is the editing style that is most frequently used in western films. It is used to smoothen the narrative progression between shots.

There are several ways in which a film achieves this.

Firstly a film can obey the 180 degree line rule so that an audience isn't disorientated between shots. The 180 degree line is the prevention of a camera from 'crossing an imaginary line' that establishes the positions of the subjects in a scene.

Another way in which continuity editing can be achieved is by using an eyeline match. An eyeline match shows a character looking at something out of shot, followed by a shot of the thing that they're looking at.


Cross-Cutting

Cross-Cutting is the process of establishing different events occurring simultaneously. It helps to create suspense by building up to an event. This technique is normally achieved by cutting from one piece of action to another.
The most famous scene that utilized this editing technique is in The Godfather during the baptism scene. Cross-cutting helps to juxtapose the two events.