Understanding Pace
In a film, each sequence relates to the pace of the film. An example of this would be to create an action packed film. When editing scenes, they would have to be quick. A scene may last for a few seconds depending on the genre itself. The speed of editing determines what takes place on the screen. The length of a sequence establishes the pace of the film moving along the action sequence.
Creating Pace:
Filmmakers want the audience to feel anxious and have suspense - therefore editing will be quick. The scenes and shots will change frequently due to this. This is seen in the film; "The Bourne Ultimatum".
During a relaxing mood, scenes last longer and change less frequently. For example, this is represented in a romantic comedy. An example of this would be seen in the film; "The Notebook".
Gunfight Scene
During this scene from 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' we see a very slow build up towards a a gunfight scene. The pace is slow at first as the tension rises. We see the three men all stare at each other closely to see who is going to draw their gun first. Suddenly the pace rapidly increased and one man drew his gun and shot the other man. The pace shown in this scene demonstrates how the pace increases.
Russian Ark:
Throughout this film, only one edit was produced. The film was a continuous long shot throughout the entire. One scene was filmed continuously, using a 'Steadicam' and digital camera. To do this, split second timing and precise organisation would be required. If the shot was disrupted, then the scene would have to be filmed again. Shown below is the ballroom scene from Russian Ark.
The Hunger Games Trailer:
A trailer involves a lot of editing and will be made to look very fast. Trailers will only include major parts of the film to create suspense through the action.
Scenes may become shorter when the film progresses due to the editing cuts. This is achieved through illustrating two or more storylines at once.
Psycho:
In this film we see the character, Marion step into the shower. There are numerous edits made during the lead up to her attack. I personally counted a total of 12 edits. This creates suspense for the audience as it leaves them in the process of establishing what is bound to happen next.
The scenes at the start of any film should be long enough to be able to gather an understanding of what is actually happening. It's also a slow process trying to introduce the protagonist, however.
Cross Cutting:
This is the process of editing two sequences together that present a connection to the audience. An event occurs at the exact same time in different locations and it demonstrates how a character is reliving a memory.
Developing Drama:
Cross Cutting is also used for effective drama development. We see this in the horror film; "Scream" when character, Casey, is demonstrated dramatically by cross cutting to her parents approaching the house and almost saving her in time before her death.
