Introduction to the Art and Aesthetics of Film & Television Editing

A film is made twice, once on the writing table and the other on the editing table. Editing as an art has come a long way from tape splicing to non-linear editing where-in you can retrieve and edit instantly any frame in a video clip without modifying the source files. Non-linear editing systems are not only user-friendly interfaces but are cost effective as well. Film and Video Formats The course explains the different workflows of film and video formats in detail. Celluloid film is an optically acquired image, while video is an electronically generated image. Interestingly, video technology is now at a point of great convergence with celluloid, with the emergence of HDTV, DI processes, 2K, 4K & 6K formats. Nowadays, a deep technical understanding of both these formats is an absolute must for an Editor Visual Literacy Cinema is primarily a visual medium. It is not possible to work in a visual medium without being visually literate. A deep knowledge of art history, elements of visual design, principles of visual composition, colour theory, the art of visual storytelling and current stylistic trends is necessary for an Editor. At Digital Academy-The Film School, we strive to give detailed inputs about all aspects of visual literacy. Continuity The knowledge of continuity is as necessary for an Editor as the knowledge of grammar is necessary for a Writer. Continuity constitutes the very heart of film knowledge. It is the knowledge that allows Film Makers to weave visually distinct shots into a seamless continuum of time and space. Using well-known codes and conventions of pictorial language, a credible world of reality is created by the principles of positional, directional and relational continuity. Even those who want to break free from such codes and conventions must possess the knowledge of what they are breaking

free from. Continuity knowledge is not only a matter of spatial & temporal organization but also constitutes a deep stylistic understanding of the film medium. Narrative Structure A story is any sequence of events with a beginning middle & end not necessarily in that order. What makes a story work is more often than not its structure. Understanding structure means understanding the parts of the whole and understanding how the parts relate to each other. Like any well-designed construction, it is important to work carefully on the ratio, proportion & placement of the various parts of a story to finally make a good narrative. We consider structural thinking to be germane to the making of a good editorial mind and give deep insights into the mechanics of both linear & nonlinear narrative structures. Editing Different Genres The aesthetic requirements of the various genres & types of audiovisual media are quite different from each other. The aesthetics of long fiction narrative is different from short fiction narrative, which in turn is different from documentaries or advertisements or corporate films or daily soaps. There are various genres and cross-genre conventions and then there are ways to break those conventions. The main thing is to develop a mind that is flexible and agile enough to adapt to the various aesthetic requirements of the job at hand. We insist on the ability of Editors to understand the subtle shifts of styles in various formats of Film Making and excel in all formats. Introduction to Sound Track Design & Mixing Sound track design & mixing in present times is as much an Editor's job as it is of a specialized Sound Recordist. Most modern editing systems are nowadays equipped with sophisticated sound processors to enable Editors to generate professional sound tracks and mixes. An Editor must therefore understand both technically and aesthetically the requirements of sound track design and mixing. All four components of audio track design - dialogue, sync effects, nonsync effects, and music must be understood independently and then together as part of the overall image making process of Cinema.

PROJECTS.

P1. Continuity Exercises: a). The aim of our carefully graded continuity exercises is to give students a clear idea of how discreet shots can be joined together to create a feeling of real time and real space. Exercises are divided to deal specifically with positional, relational and directional continuity, both for intra cutting and inter cutting situations. Emphasis is also given to time expansion and time contraction while maintaining, the illusion of continuity. Certain specific 'tricks' employed by editors for match cutting and cheat cutting as well as jumping the axis or imaginary line, are also taught. P2. Dialogue Exercises: There is great creative scope in the editing and re-editing of dialogue sequences. Students are given exercises to hone their skills in areas of Maintaining dialogue rhythm, Maintaining visual balance,Using silences & pauses,Editing sound clearly,Correct use of silent reaction shots. P3. Action Sequences: Students are given exercises with the purpose of developing their understanding of dramatic tension in an action sequence. The exercises involve inputs in inter-cutting, cheat cutting, climax building, visual rhythm and tempo. P4. Montage: The students are given exercises to help them understand the entire gamut of creative choices available in Montage Cutting. The exercises are specifically designed to teach them Metric Montage,Rhythmic Montage,Tonal Montage,Over - Tonal Montage,Intellectual Montage. Exercises are also given with regard to conventional American Montage style and French Montage style.

The Digital Academy student benefit:

- No previous knowledge required, however being computer savvy would be an added advantage. - Short-term intensive hands on course that covers all aspects of

editing in detail - Strong theoretical base with focus on high cinematic standards and aesthetic standards - Basic and Advanced editing formats for feature films, serials, music videos, ad films, documentaries and corporate films - New-age styles of editing and in house professional Non-linear editing set ups (FCP, Avid etc.) - Editing practice will be given on rushes of released feature films - Unlimited practical time with prior booking - Editing curriculum devised to adapt to any media - Students can take their edits as their demo reel In short, an editing student from Digital Academy is equipped to edit in Film, Television as well as print media.