Putting the Shots Together
The editor juxtaposes a variety of shots so that the interrelationships between them are made obvious. For example, consider cause and effect: the action in the first shot A is concluded in the second shot B. Or perhaps the action is drawn out in a series of B, C and D shots. The editing must show clearly that A causes B or that B logically follows A. Of course, when viewers see a collection of images they will automatically try to construct a cause and effect relationship on their own even if the images are not obviously related.
Read more about how Editing mimics the way we see the world.
When
we shoot a series of shots that relate to the same activity, we call it
a Sequence. The sequence is really the foundation of visual
storytelling. Sequences not only offer visual variety, but they can also
compress real time into dramatic time, helping editors develop better
pacing to the story. Additionally, the shots in the sequence advance new
information to help move the story more efficiently. Viewers who see
sequences of Wide, Medium and Close-up shots get more information with
each progressive shot.
Many
still photographers can find the story in a single picture. But when we
do broadcast news, there simply isn't enough time for our audience to
let their eyes linger over the image until they see the detail that is
important; they can only take in so much information at a time. As
videographers, our job is to think in terms of multiple images that can
be used to add interest, provide more detail and understanding and
effectively direct viewers to the detail in the image that we deem
important. That's where Sequences come in.
Essentially,
we're doing what our brains do naturally, using the camera, like the
eye, to collect a number of images. The brain does the job of assembling
the images to convey meaning. So as a photographer, think like an
editor. How will you edit from one image to the next? To accomplish
this, get a variety of shots. When professionals shoot a Sequence, they
always think in terms of getting wide shots followed by several tight
shots. We call it:
WIDE SHOT, TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT
Wide
shots convey the entire area and are good for establishing the scene;
medium shots show characters from the waist up and their proximity to
one another; close-ups show a particular part of the character, usually
their face.
Why so many close-up shots?
There's
a reason why we shoot so many tight shots. Photographers need to think
like editors. Cutting close-ups back-to-back reads more naturally. It's
the way we might view a conversation between two people. Our brain
perceives close-ups of each person as our eyes volley back and forth.
But when we edit adjacent wide shots, the effect can be jarring. We see a
jump cut because the framing and distance are so much the same that it
looks like the subject often shifts, or jumps abruptly.
Another
reason to consider getting mostly close-ups concerns the fact that many
of us consume media using our smart phones. We watch videos from a
small screen device, too small to really see the details in a wide shot.
So to avoid editing wide shots back-to-back and to make sure the audience doesn't miss the important details in the activity, photographers will use a certain shooting ratio:
25:25:50
That's 25 percent wide shots, 25 percent medium shots and 50 percent close-ups.
Below
is a sequence of shots taken at CU's Varsity Pond. These shots are
among some 15 that were taken during a 10-minute period. What you get
out of a variety of shots is s a sequence that adds visual interest and
helps tell a story. You can also use the variety of shots to write more
creatively. Remember, always write to your visuals. And when you sit
down to edit, the shots will simply fall in place.
Editing Patterns - Learn more about them in The Rules of Editing
The
example below shows a conventional approach to editing where the first
shot is often a wide shot that establishes the location. The next shots
provide further detail within the wide shot, directing our eyes to the
detail that we need to know about.
Another
pattern of editing involves The Reveal. Start with a tight shot and
then use progressively wider shots to supply context. Make
sure that you get a variety of angles by moving the camera around the
subject so that there's at least a 45 degree difference in angle between
each shot. But if you can't move readily, you can still use the
telephoto.
