Knowing When to Cut … And When to Let It Run: Reasons to Make and ‘Not Make’ an Edit by Daniel Gaucher

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Reference: StudentFilmmakers Magazine, September 2007. Knowing When to Cut … And When to Let It Run: Reasons to Make and ‘Not Make’ an Edit by Daniel Gaucher. Artis. Pages 46 & 47.

There is a term often tossed around, but many editors misunderstand a “motivated cut.” The basis of this idea stems from the origins of editing itself. Basically, when a cut is made in a film, the audience is searching for a connection between the outgoing shot and the incoming shot. This relationship, or juxtaposition, should add another level of meaning beyond just the visuals. The sum of the whole is greater than its parts.

Often a cut is called for to cover technical issues. Perhaps a shot falls out of focus or an actor flubs up a line. More often, a cut is “motivated” by an artistic need. Perhaps we as editors can move the story forward, or cut to an alternate shot which better illustrates the message we are trying to convey at that moment.

One of the first rules editors learn is to start loose, then cut tighter as emotions heighten. Your establishing shot (wide shot) sets a geographic map, but as the scene progresses we begin to cut to medium shots and eventually close-ups. As we push into the actor’s personal space, we feel involved in their conversations and actions, not just mere observers from far away. Remember, if you cut to close-ups too fast, you have reached the climax too quickly, and have nowhere to go for the rest of the scene. A motivated cut means waiting for the moment to make that edit, searching for a plot point or character action that dictates a need to get tighter and more personal. The same goes for cutting wider as the emotions cool down. Once you begin to fall back, the tension will lift. Too soon, and you have an anti-climax and the scene deflates. The rare exception is to go to a wider shot during a scene if the actors move. This allows us to reestablish a new geographical mental map of where the actors are. Then, we’re right back into the tighter shots. The choices of shots (loose to tight and tight to loose) are “motivated” cuts, executed to manipulate emotions and help an artistic statement.

Sometimes cuts are “motivated” by a need for pacing. If the current shot is too long, it may become boring, leaving us wanting more information and new perspectives. You can use pacing to arouse emotion by cutting faster to heighten tension, cutting evenly and rhythmically to lull, or cutting off beat and staccato to create discomfort. Mastering a sense of rhythm is one of the most important skills an editor should have. Play a scene and tap your toes, search for the natural beats, then add your own melody in the form of where you place your edits. Look for a climax moment and make the music build up, till it hits with a big music sting. Experiment with your gut feelings. There’s a running joke: the “undo” button is the second most used button next to “play.” Editing is a lot of trial and error.

One of the major things motivating cuts is motion in the frame. Maintaining continuity requires that flow of action match from shot to shot (objects moving in one direction before a cut should be moving in the same direction after a cut.) Cuts are needed to move the camera with the action, but more so the edits add to the action by creating excitement, highlighting obstacles and reflecting the character’s emotions which otherwise may have been missed in the activity. Once again, cutting to motion takes a bit of finesse. Amazingly, people will notice if a cut is off by 3 or 4 frames (approximately 1/10 of a second). Make your edit and undo it if it doesn’t fall right. Try again.

Want a simple rule of thumb? After an actor or objects exit the frame, make your cut, but leave a 5-frame buffer on the incoming shot before the actor re-enters the frame. Why? Eyeballs, that’s why. Just like a painter steers eyeballs with color and perspective, an editor is manipulating the audience’s eyeballs also. Viewers need time to move their gaze from the exiting motion, then across the screen, and finally to the entering motion. In this day and age of the giant plasma screen, you may want to round up to 6 or 7 frames. There’s a lot of real estate to cover now.

Similar to maintaining continuity of motion is maintaining the other physical laws of the universe that help create the illusion that a story is unfolding in real time. The content of a shot needs to be preserved, meaning objects and actors do not blip out then reappear in another location at another moment. The same goes for soundscape. A jet in the background of the outgoing shot needs to carry over the cut to the following shot, creating a consistency found in the real world. If the engine sounds suddenly cease we have at best a distracting discontinuity, or at worst an impending aeronautical disaster.

So we’ve covered some of the reasons to make an edit, including intensity, pacing, motion and continuity. There are also a few reasons one should not cut. The first, and most obvious, is just because it was shot. Although each cut may feel like a painful slice to the director or cinematographer, the editor must rely on their relatively objective vision, bringing a fresh perspective to the production. Blood, sweat and tears often go into capturing that amazing sunset shot, or lots of money are usually spent planning that death defying stunt sequence. Yet, it really comes down to a simple question: does this shot advance the story? Aesthetically beautiful footage can quickly become boring or pointless if the story is not served. The reality is that capturing good footage is inherently difficult… And, that is part of the job, with apologies to the production crew.

Another common problem that gets in the editor’s way is often the editor himself. Do not cut a piece to make it “artsy,” especially if you are not in complete control of the tools. With a few exceptions, most major progressions in style come from artists who are masters of the established style, then grow bored with it. Master the rules before you break them. If people recognize the established capabilities of the artist/editor, they will accept broken and bent rules as artistic expression and not amateurism. People need confidence you are firmly at the controls before they will open their minds to your experiments.

Lastly, since time immemorial, there has been that tenuous relationship between the director and the editor. By the time a story reaches the editor, the director has been on a harrowing journey from elation to anguish to acceptance as their artistic vision has come to life, teetered near collapse, evolved and then adapted to become the footage you now have before you. Of course, the director is going to try to hold onto some things, refusing to let them go no matter how much you know they will not work. At this point, the editor becomes part psychologist. Don’t be afraid to take constructive advice from others, but remember you as the editor are responsible for pacing and story flow. If the director won’t budge then cut it their way, if only to show it doesn’t work… Or to discover that mad genius may still lurk in the shell of that person called the director. In the end, the best decisions will prevail, and together you will have made the piece all it can be. Good luck!

Daniel Gaucher is an Assistant Professor of Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College. He established himself in the production world as one of the original editors for the hit series, Blind Date. Since then, he’s crafted a series of successes including 5th Wheel, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Extreme Engineering. His work has aired worldwide on NBC, MTV, Bravo, A&E, UPN, Spike, VH-1, TLC, Discovery, PBS and the National Geographic Channel.

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