EDITORIAL ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

Due by 9AM 2/25/10. Email completed assignments to bhinton@gmail.com

Choose a scene from a film of your choice. The scene must have a minimum of seven cuts.

First, watch the scene without thinking about the editing. . Notice how it effects you, the shape over time of your attention and emotional engagement, and any thoughts that come to mind as you watch.

Next, break the scene down into its component shots. You will need to watch and pause the scene to get a good sense of what is happening in each shot. For purposes of this exercise, a shot refers not to a single camera angle, but a fragment of film between two cuts. Write down a description of each shot, noting image, sound, composition, and other content. If you are already comfortable with some of the shooting and editing terminology we have covered in class, use it – if not, just use your own words in their place.

Watch the scene again, more than once if you wish.

Now go through the scene, cut by cut, and analyze how every single cut is creating and changing the meaning, feeling, and flow of the scene. Think not just about how the viewer’s point of view, emotional identification, attention and knowledge change, but what in the editorial and compositional choices CAUSES the change. Again, use terminology we’ve covered in class if you are comfortable with it.