9
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The First Edit: Moviola
Did you know the first motion picture editing device was created by Iwan Serrurier in 1924? Serrurier's Moviola was originally built as a home movie projector. It was later redesigned to cut
raw film over a tabletop.
Factoid for thought
The First Moviola?, J&R Moviola, Dec. 2002. en.wikipedia.org
"It is
what it
is..."
What are 'edits'?
Transition
Cut
Cutaway
*Jump cut
J-Cut
L-Cut
Now, that we've come to better grips with understanding video, think about the line above and ask yourself if you've ever felt limited in creating something that would look a certain way. "I really like this one idea, but I don't know how to make it work. I wish I could spend more time on this. I can't figure out how to make this work." These thoughts paint very familiar scenarios in my head where I've been faced with inevitable mental or physical roadblocks. But that's not new to me or to anyone else in the world. Time, money, resources, knowledge and patience are as precious as they are mismatched with our ability to create something when we start from scratch on a project. Video editing will test all of these, especially patience. Think about your favorite documentary/movie of all time. Was it simple? How was it filmed? Did it have an absolutely ridiculous amoung of computer-generated (CG) imagery? If you're like me, you're curious. It won't suffice just hearing simple answers. You want details that hold proof and meaning behind why certain things look a certain way. Let's poke and prod the concept of video editing until we see it for what its worth. Don't sell yourself short by saying, "It is what it is." Patience will help us combat this. If we need to take time to learn more about a certain visual concept or maybe gain more field knowledge, we have to teach ourselves. Time will allow us the chance to save up our money for bigger and better gear, software and chances to expand our knowledge inventory. In the meantime, all we can do is learn the basics before us and believe that we'll put them to good use. This lesson will teach us those basic editing concepts, while laying the bedrock for learning more advanced techniques. Don't worry about what edit software you have right now. There's always better software, so don't pick your pants before you know what the weather is. Looks aren't important quite yet.
A cut is any placed separation between two clips. Clips A and B separate at 1 second.
A
B
0- - - - -.5- - - - 1 (seconds)
Remember when I said cutaways were a must-have for editors? True story. Clip C takes attention away from A and B. Your playback ticker (|) will screen the clip on the "most top", which is Clip C (.5–1.5 sec.).
A
B
C
0- - - - -.5- - - - 1 - - - - 1.5
A
B
Oh, the dreaded jump cut...If used effectively, this can be a creative shift of change in a person's field of view. If not, it's an abrupt change that misplaces timing. Clip A is a ball moving forward. Clip B is the same ball rolling at a different position. The "jump" to Clip B alters the timing of the ball's true forward motion.
B
A j-cut teases or previews audio of a different clip, Clip B, before the previous clip, Clip A, is finished. This is a useful technique to connect clips through audio, despite visual separation.
An l-cut is the exact opposite of a j-cut. Instead of teasing audio, Clip B skips ahead with Clip A audio. A good example of this is cutting from a tight-shot of two people talking to a wide-shot with their audio still tracking on time.
A transition is a pre-generated transfer between two clips. A good example is a dissolve.
A
B
A-audio
B-audio
B
A
B
A-audio
B-audio
(here's a few)