Edward Dmytryk
DMYTRYK'S RULES OF EDITING
Summarized by Peter Thompson, artist + filmmaker, in 1999
ON FILM
1.
Content, then form.
2.
A film's first viewing should evoke an emotional reaction,
not a critical one.
EDITING
3.
Film should be cut primarily for the picture.
(With the exception of certain musical sequences). The
images change, interrelate, grow, diminish; the soundtrack
is an accompaniment. The listener's hearing is continuous,
his viewing is not.
4.
All properly made cuts are unnoticeable.
The finer the editor's technique, the less noticeable her
decisions because most cuts are specifically done to pass
unnoticed. Smooth cutting depends on the director neither
cutting "in camera" nor shooting long master shots with little
or no coverage.
5.
f
F
Never make a cut without a positive reason.
Stay with a shot as long as that shot is the one which best
delivers the required information. Cut to another shot only
when the new cut will better serve the purposes of the scene,
whether because the size is more effective, the composition
is more suitable, or the interpretation is superior. Then find
the exact frame to leave one scene and the exact frame to
enter the next. Cutting to a close up when no enhancement
of emotion is called for is not only wasteful, but will
diminish the value of subsequent close ups. The only reason
to use another shot is to improve the scene.
On Film Editing: An Introduction to the Art of Film
Construction
Edward Dmytryk
1984
6.
Cut on action whenever possible.
Excluding cuts made at the beginnings or endings of
sequences and cuts involving exchanges of dialogue, the
9
editor should look for some movement of the actor who
holds the viewer's attention and use that movement to trigger
the cut from one scene to the next in order to make the cut
invisible. Principle: create diversion”. Actor exits a scene
frame left/cut at the point where the actor's eyes leave the
frame. Cut to second scene should be made from 3 to 5
frames ahead of the point at which actor's eyes reenter the
frame at the opposite side of the screen. Viewer's eyes
cannot focus while moving, and moving takes 1/5 of a
second. If the cut takes place within that time, it will be
unnoticed. Loud sounds also cause the audience to blink.
Make sure the cadence or rhythm of the actor's delivery and
movements are honored. The rhythm of the movement must
be maintained even if the cut has to be shortened or
lengthened by a few frames. Proper rhythm is less
disturbing than a slightly imperfect cut.
Cut for proper values rather than proper matches.
When dramatic values are at stake:
A) Ignore the mismatch. If a cut from wide shot to CU
should be made for dramatic value, the audience will ignore
the mismatch. The important thing is to know where the
viewer will be looking. Dramatic requirements must always
takes precedence over the mere aesthetics of editing.
B). Cut to a closeup will often omit undesirable movement,
etc. Or take the lousy shot and blow it up during the online.
C). If all fails, precede the desired cut to B by replacing the
end of A with a CU.
10.
Cutting Dialogue.
"Delivery" and "reaction". Exactly where, in each cut, does
the editor leave the scene and exactly where does she start
the incoming cut? Proper timing of each is of greatest
importance.
7.
Editor must understand the grammatical structure of the
English language: the subject is near the start of a sentence
and is followed immediately by the predicate. Rest of the
sentence consists of enlargements or modifiers. This means
that the sense of any statement is manifest before that
statement is completed (this is the reason for our ability to
interrupt). Listener will often respond with a grimace or
reaction well before the end of the speaker's statement—and
so will the viewer
Scenes should begin/end with continuing action.
= cut into and away from a scene while it is still alive".
A common cut is the "look off". The viewer will not accept
the fact of a look until he sees the actor's eyes focus on
something off-screen. At that point the audience, too, will
look off, following the actor's gaze. By the time his own
eyes have refocussed, the actor's POV shot should occupy
the screen. To make the cut, then, we fix the frame in which
the actor's eyes have frozen, add 3 or 4 frames more to give
the viewer time to react, and then cut to the POV. The POV
shot should last just long enough to deliver its message.
This depends on how easily "read" the shot is. Insert shots
of text requires special judgement but favor the slow
reader. If it is a repetition of an earlier shot, it can be shorter
than if it is new. Note: when more than one actor occupies
the screen and they look offscreen, the editor must decide
which actor the audience will be looking at, and then time
the scene for the re-focussing of that actor's eyes.
"Fresh” footage is preferable to "stale”.
If you must include extra footage, always choose to place
extra footage at the beginning of the incoming cut.
Reaction can reveal the birth and growth of awareness
without words.
11.
Reaction shots
Editor must always look for where she can edit on reaction
rather than words. Find the first frame of the reaction and
add 3-4 frames. Includes the possibility of briefly freeze-
framing the beginning of a "frozen” reaction shot prior to
movement.
8.
On Film Editing: An Introduction to the Art of Film
Construction
Edward Dmytryk
1984
the exact frame to leave one scene and the exact frame to
enter the next. Cutting to a close up when no enhancement
of emotion is called for is not only wasteful, but will
diminish the value of subsequent close ups. The only reason
to use another shot is to improve the scene.
6.
Cut on action whenever possible.
Excluding cuts made at the beginnings or endings of
sequences and cuts involving exchanges of dialogue, the
9
editor should look for some movement of the actor who
holds the viewer's attention and use that movement to trigger
the cut from one scene to the next in order to make the cut
invisible. Principle: create "diversion". Actor exits a scene
frame left/cut at the point where the actor's eyes leave the
frame. Cut to second scene should be made from 3 to 5
frames ahead of the point at which actor's eyes reenter the
frame at the opposite side of the screen. Viewer's eyes
cannot focus while moving, and moving takes 1/5 of a
second. If the cut takes place within that time, it will be
unnoticed. Loud sounds also cause the audience to blink.
Make sure the cadence or rhythm of the actor's delivery and
movements are honored. The rhythm of the movement must
be maintained even if the cut has to be shortened or
lengthened by a few frames. Proper rhythm is less
disturbing than a slightly imperfect cut.
Cut for proper values rather than proper matches.
When dramatic values are at stake:
A) Ignore the mismatch. If a cut from wide shot to CU
should be made for dramatic value, the audience will ignore
the mismatch. The important thing is to know where the
viewer will be looking. Dramatic requirements must always
takes precedence over the mere aesthetics of editing.
B). Cut to a closeup will often omit undesirable movement,
etc. Or take the lousy shot and blow it up during the online.
C). If all fails, precede the desired cut to B by replacing the
end of A with a CU.
10.
Cutting Dialogue.
"Delivery" and "reaction". Exactly where, in each cut, does
the editor leave the scene and exactly where does she start
the incoming cut? Proper timing of each is of greatest
importance.
7.
Scenes should begin/end with continuing action.
= cut into and away from a scene while it is still alive".
A common cut is the look off". The viewer will not accept
the fact of a look until he sees the actor's eyes focus on
something off-screen. At that point the audience, too, will
look off, following the actor's gaze. By the time his own
eyes have refocussed, the actor's POV shot should occupy
the screen. To make the cut, then, we fix the frame in which
the actor's eyes have frozen, add 3 or 4 frames more to give
the viewer time to react, and then cut to the POV. The POV
shot should last just long enough to deliver its message.
This depends on how easily "read” the shot is. Insert shots
of text requires special judgement—but favor the slow
reader. If it is a repetition of an earlier shot, it can be shorter
than if it is new. Note: when more than one actor occupies
the screen and they look offscreen, the editor must decide
which actor the audience will be looking at, and then time
the scene for the re-focussing of that actor's eyes.
Editor must understand the grammatical structure of the
English language: the subject is near the start of a sentence
and is followed immediately by the predicate. Rest of the
sentence consists of enlargements or modifiers. This means
that the sense of any statement is manifest before that
statement is completed (this is the reason for our ability to
interrupt). Listener will often respond with a grimace or
reaction well before the end of the speaker's statement and
so will the viewer
Reaction can reveal the birth and growth of awareness
without words.
11.
Reaction shots
Editor must always look for where she can edit on reaction
rather than words. Find the first frame of the reaction and
add 3-4 frames. Includes the possibility of briefly freeze-
framing the beginning of a "frozen” reaction shot prior to
movement.
8.
“Fresh” footage is preferable to “stale”.
If you must include extra footage, always choose to place
extra footage at the beginning of the incoming cut.
12.
Action scenes.
All such scenes are highly choreographed by the director
because all "real" action scenes include much "dead" time.
Editor's job is to line up the takes in proper sequence and
then cut together using the 'action-match” technique.
Audience cutaways are not wise moves, generally, because
viewer does not want to be told what his reaction should be
by being shown a model of it. Withhold your judgement of
such scenes until sound effects are laid in. Musical score
serves to increase the apparent pace of most sequences.
Therefore, the editor will probably want to decrease the pace
of the scene.
13.
Chase scenes
Usually feature exit-entrance cuts and alternating shots of
pursuer/persued. When two or more shots of one is needed,
use a shot of a passing car to move into a close up of the
interior of that car. The windowshield will double as the
protagonist's face.
14.
Suspense scenes
Mood is most important. Viewer must catch the mood.
Never let go of the mood. A shot must never be left on so
long that the audience can analyze it, and it should never be
repeated.
15.
Know your audience.
Many types of audiences, but each type of audience acts like
a monolith. Each type will provide a certain kind of "laugh",
for instance. Film previews are crucial.
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