Evidence of Editing: Rain Man
Due: Saturday, March 6, 2021 at 11:59 pm
I don’t see anything except hard cuts, its nothing interesting but i like looking at a movie that’s not hailed as great for its directing
There were basic hard cuts to show Raymond’s character, and his detachment to what neurotypical people think is normal. He doesn’t make eye contact but the camera is always on him.
I learned that you don’t have to use crazy editing to make a compelling scene. This scene is very interesting to me and i love it, but its very bland in editing
Resources
Watch Walter Murch explain the following rules
- Rule 1. EMOTION – Cut for emotion. Does the shot you cut continue the emotion/feeling? How will this cut affect the audience emotionally at this point in the film? Why is this the MOST important rule according to Walter Murch?
- Rule 2. STORY – Advancing the story cuts. Do you understand what is happening? Does this edit move the story forward in a meaningful way?
- Rule 3. RHYTHM – Cutting with rhythm. Does the cut happen at the RIGHT POINT? Is the cut at a point that makes rhythmic sense? Like music, editing has a beat. Timing is everything. If the rhythm is off, your edit will look sloppy, a bad cut can be ‘jarring’ to an audience. Try to keep the cut tight and interesting.
- Rule 4. EYE TRACE – Lead with eye trace. Where is the viewer’s eye (not the actor’s eyes!) when you cut to the next shot? How does the cut affect the location and movement of the audience’s focus?
- Rule 5. TWO DIMENSIONAL PLACE OF SCREEN / 180 DEGREE RULE / 2D place of the camera – Recreate reality on screen. Is your cut logical to where the actors are? Follow the axis 180-degree line.
- Rule 6. THREE DIMENSIONAL SPACE / CONTINUITY OF SPACE / 3D space – Physical space in a scene. Do the actors make sense in their space? Is the cut TRUE to established physical and spatial relationships? Similar to the 180-degree rule. Break this rule when you want to disorient your audience (The Shining).
- Extra Rule 7. BREATHING SPACE – Allow your viewers time to ‘digest’ what they’ve seen before you move on to the next scene. When shooting a scene allow film / actor / interviewer time before and after / 5 second countdown / silent for 2,1