Film Editing from a Production Perspective

Subject guarantor:

Michal LÁNSKÝ

Name of lecturer(s):

Michal LÁNSKÝ

Learning outcomes of the course unit:

The course aim is to orient the students in what is ;possible in editing. That which is simple and, contrarily difficult or unresolvable and possibly expensive. Both of these from the narrative and technological aspects. Illustrative examples and their analysis are used with a warning of, not only the technical, but also the financial limits of digital technology.

Mode of study:

A cycle of 6 two-hour lectures, one in the classroom and the other in the editing room.

Since it is a production cycle, all steps stress the financial results of the selected decision. Therefore, we, logically, begin with editing in the screenplay and analysis of what may be removed and corrected. Work on ten or more versions of a screenplay. Script doctoring which after two weeks is as much work as the original screenplay. Similarly another 2 months in the editing room and with editors and less than one shooting day.

Therefore, with unlimited trust in the potential of digital post-production, I attempt to streamline this trust in the omnipotence of special effects. Time, and financial challenges and coordination of elements, incomplete effects timing in the editing phase, where we try to estimate the space for the effect in the final editing. The pitfalls in the perceiving of the whole arrangement of the dialogue scenes, which represent almost 100% of the results in connection with effects sequences, which are difficult to imagine.

Example: Star Wars 1 preview.

Prerequisites and co-requisites:

Active, informal collaboration in classes. Application of the issues covered to student personal experience. Greater than 50% attendance.

Recommended optional programme components:

Course contents:

A series of six two-hour lectures, one in the classroom and one is the editing room.

Since this is a series for production, all steps emphasize also the financial consequences of the selection. Therefore, we logically begin with editing in the screenplay and analysis what can be cleaned out of the screenplay and how to correct it. Working on 10 or more different version of the screenplay. Script doctoring, which is two-weeks of work on the orginal screenplay, and another 2 months in the editing room and the editor less than a shooting day.

Because of unlimited faith in the potential of digital post-production, I try to rationalize this faith in the multiplicity of special effects. With the time and financial challenges and the coordination of elements and the timing for incomplete effects in the editing phase, space for effects is found in the final editing. Perception pitfalls in the whole of the dialogue scenes, which represents almost 100% of the final result in connection with effects sequences, are hard to imagine. An example: Star Wars 1 preview.

1. Lecture - the screenplay as the cheapest phase of production - direct relations with the writer and editor where they are both treated the same. In the editing more concretely and tangibly, but less flexibly.

2. Lecture - editing room - examples of various editing versions of advertisements for their shortness and explicity. Analysis of change mechanisms. Temos and narration. Examples of the function of music on the overall sound.

3. Lecture - shooting for digital post-production, green screen, plates, rotoscope, hand masking, Everything is possible, really. What to look out for.

4. Lecture - editing room - repetition of examples of various image formats, graphic examples before and after special effects. Analysis of elements for special effects.

5. Lecture - pre-screening = sneak preview. Surveys to fill out, target groups, screening pitfalls, accustomation to the music element.

6. Amadeus - director's cut version vs. Original release version. Graphic examples of what changes with the cutting of 35min of film on the particular characters. The nature of perception and attention of the audience in the structure of the story and its length.

Recommended or required reading:

Francois Truffaut: Rozhovory Hitchcock Truffaut, ČS filmový ústav, 1986

Karel Reisz: The technique of Film Editing, 2nd Edition Focal Press 1968, 2002

Dominic Case: Film Technology in postproduction, Focal Press 2001

Walter Murch: In the blick of an eye, 2nd edition Silman-James Press 1998

Barbara Clark-Susan J.Spohr: Guide to postproduction for TV and Film, 2nd edition Focal Press 2002

Ken Dancyger: The technique of film and video editing 3rd edition Focal Press 2000

Peter Biskind: Easy Riders Ragging Bulls, Simon & Schuster, 1998

Peter Biskind: Down and dirty pictures, Bloomsbury 2004

Robert McKee: Story, Methuen 1998

Syd Field: Screenplay, 3rd edition Dell Publishing 1994

Alistair Owen: Story and Character, Bloomsbury 2003

George Perry: Steven Spielberg, Orion 1998

George O. Custen: Twentieth Century Fox - Darryl F. Zanuck And The Culture Of The Hollywood, Basic Books 1997

American Cinematographer Manual, 8th edition ASC press 2001

www.arri.de

www.aaton.com

www.kodak.com

www.SMPT.com

Planned learning activities and teaching methods:

Assessment methods and criteria:

Active, informal collaboration in classes. Application of the issues covered to student personal experience.

More than 50% attendance.

Course web page:

Note:

Schedule for winter semester 2012/2013:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2012/2013:

	06:00–08:0008:00–10:0010:00–12:0012:00–14:0014:00–16:0016:00–18:0018:00–20:0020:00–22:0022:00–24:00
Mon
Tue
Fri
Thu	místnost 334 Učebna KP (Lažanský palác) LÁNSKÝ M. 15:40–17:15 (přednášková par. 1)
Fri

Date	Day	Time	Tutor	Location	Notes	No. of paralel
	Thu	15:40–17:15	LÁNSKÝ M.	Učebna KP Lažanský palác		přednášková par. 1

The subject is a part of the following study plans:

• Produkce - magistr (qualification subject)
• Střihová skladba - bakalář (qualification subject)