The Eye is Quicker Read online

  Figure 18.2

  … Only then do the three soldiers become aware of the ‘entrants’

  HINT: The entrance of Major Thomas forms a combination in beats: The Limerick Recitation beat [Physical Action/Dialogue] is integrated with the Entrance [Physical Action] beat. This discloses a crucial distinction to theatre. Theatre ‘obliges’ each beat to be separated and completed: The Limerick Recitation beat would conclude before the Entrance beat.

  HINT & TIP: The means of presentation is steadfastly linked to Context.

  The integration of beats — the nine ‘codes’ are a support in ‘spotting’ them — is vital to an understanding of Editing Asymmetry.

  Frau Mozart Seeks the Aid of Salieri scene from Amadeus.

  Salieri stands and moves from the table: Physical Action. He holds and reads Mozart’s manuscripts: Physical Life. A new beat is initiated: Salieri ‘listens’ to Mozart’s music in his mind’s ear. A cut takes us back to an earlier beat: Frau Mozart enjoys (another) tasty pastry treat: Physical Life, before proceeding with the new beat. [Figure 18.3]

  Figure 18.3

  AND! We see what Salieri doesn’t. We hear what Frau Mozart doesn’t

  Robbers and Hostages in the Bus scene from Dog Day Afternoon. Sonny excitedly proclaims the success of their ‘escape,’ “We did it Sal…” Several new beats are played — the release of one hostage; an FBI agent’s directive — before there is a return [Figure 18.4] to the Excited Sonny beat: Dialogue.

  Figure 18.4

  The editor did it!

  In each scene the editor has crafted Asymmetry by way of integrating beats of (the) key ‘codes.’

  In the Dog Day Afternoon scene the asymmetry is shaped by the integration of Dialogue Redundancy: Sonny’s gleeful expressions of ‘escape’ occur twice.

  There are occasions when the integration of beats and ‘cinema naturalness’ dictate redundancies. This is especially true when either (or both) support the emotional substance of the story.

  TIP & HINT: Redundancies can be removed if they do ‘nothing more’ than replicate information distributed in another scene(s).

  HINT & TIP: Visual Redundancy is a form of Visual Logic and Intercutting. In the Amish Boy Spots the Killer scene from Witness, two ‘Identical’ shots are used [Figure 18.5]: Samuel turns (twice) from the photo in the awards case, to ‘catch’ the attention of Detective John Book.

  Figure 18.5

  ‘Double’ Dramatic Irony; ‘Double’ Tension

  An SVA student used two takes of a little girl ‘marching around’ a laundromat; with doll in hand she touched each dryer. [Figure 18.6] This redundancy assisted in the beat construction — a ‘break’ was needed between two other beats — and the ‘naturalness’ of the setting: It would be peculiar if a child ‘marched around’ the laundromat only once!

  Figure 18.6

  Children love Redundancy

  Brothers-In-Law

  Director/Editor, Sabine Harbeke

  The same student discovered a magnificent asymmetry for the Greenhouse scene in her thesis film, June:

  INTERIOR. GREENHOUSE. DAY.

  JUNE and MARIA dance about — celebrating MARIA’S plans to grow her own plants for her flower shop.

  JUNE (dancing)

  I’m going to have a child.

  MARIA

  (slowing her dancing and turning to JUNE)

  What? No? You’re kidding? You’re not kidding. . .

  From this scripted moment — and corresponding dailies — the student created:

  INTERIOR. GREENHOUSE. DAY

  In Long-Shot we see JUNE and MARIA dancing. A tape deck ‘provides’ music. Camera at their back.

  JUNE (dancing)

  I’m going to have a child.

  MARIA (sucking a tootsie pop)

  (slowing her dancing and turning to JUNE and the camera) [Figure 18.7]

  What?

  Figure 18.7

  June

  Director, Sabine Harbeke; Editor, Magnus Akten

  Cut to: Close-Up. JUNE. She continues to dance. [Figure 18.8]

  Figure 18.8

  MARIA (Off-Camera VO): No?

  JUNE (Close-Up: dancing and dancing)

  I’m going to have a child.

  Cut to: ‘Opening’ Long-Shot: [Figure 18.9]

  Figure 18.9

  MARIA (facing June and Camera)

  You’re kidding? You’re not kidding. . .

  June’s secret ‘revealed’ twice, worked exceptionally.

  Redundancy in the Greenhouse scene keys an integration of beats in ‘code’: Physical Action, Physical Life, Dialogue, Distribution Of Information; and Story, Place and Character(s).

  HINT: The integration of Distribution of Information ‘codes;’ and Story, Place, and Character ‘codes’ exist in each scene used in this chapter.

  An Alexander Calder sculpture supplies a visual analogy that ‘displays’ the ideas in this chapter. A Calder presents ‘preferences in form’ through diverse perspectives. It permits a personal touch that — from identical ‘pieces’ — creates an assortment of arrangements; the ‘view’ can ‘change with the winds’; and a Calder is a ‘scale’ in balance. Its brilliance is asymmetry.

  An extraordinarily simple — as inspired as a Calder — arrangement in asymmetry can be ‘viewed’ in the Breaker Morant sequence: the court’s finding(s) and sentencing.

  The sequence — some eight-plus scenes — discloses the court martial sentences with a gripping and diverse (asymmetrical) distribution of information; a masterful integration of Dialogue and Physical Action and Physical Life; vibrant contrasts of Interior and Exterior Place(s); [Figure 18.10] and…

  Figure 18.10

  … Compelling Reactions

  HINT: The DNA/Dailies analogy reflects — as Walter Murch describes — each editor’s excursion to ‘distinguish’ the ‘just right’ arrangement for a film.

  NINETEEN

  lip

  smacking

  good

  “Acting on stage is not the same thing as

  acting before a camera. only

  later, in the cutting room, can any

  authenticity be found.”

  — John Berger

  Whenever I acquaint an editing class with my thinking on synchronized sound, I ask the students to tap the tops of their heads with one hand, and to simultaneously rub their tummies in a circular motion with the other. More often than not

  — to ‘protect’ students from such foolishness — I do it myself.

  This bit of child’s play reveals quickly and simply the relationship of sound — especially synchronized sound — to picture. At times I turn my back to the class and ask, “Am I speaking in sync?”

  In ‘real life’ of course I am speaking in sync — what choice do I have — but if I’m in a film, and I turn my back… who knows? What if I cover my mouth when I speak? Am I in sync? In ‘real life’? In film? If an actor’s lips are not visible — and this is frequently the case: A Close-Up (Reaction) of another actor is on screen; an over-the-shoulder shot which does not reveal the lips of the speaker; or when dialogue is used as a transition to join scenes — the audience is viewing another Time or Place while hearing the continued dialogue. With each of these conditions the editor is free to assist, enhance, and (sometimes) to ‘find’ the actor’s best performance.

  HINT: When JUNE announced her secret — the camera was behind her —she was (actually) Out Of Sync. Her line was advanced, creating an extra beat before MARIA turned.

  Frank Questions the Prisoner scene(s) from Serpico: This is a two scene sequence — it can be considered the opening two scenes of a six scene sequence.

  HINT: More about Beats to Scenes to Sequences in a later chapter.

  The first part — beat — of the first scene I’d call Frank Waits For the Prisoner. [Figure 19.1] Beat, scene, and sequence ‘name calling’ can assist the editor in the ‘search’ for structural arrangements.

  Figure 19.1

  TIP
& HINT: Good ‘name calling’ is emotional and active

  To dwell on this point a bit longer, the second part — final beat — of the first scene might be: Frank Takes the Prisoner for Coffee. The second scene ends with Frank Tries to Get the Prisoner to ‘Snitch’ beat.

  This scene takes place in a newspaper/coffee shop, and ‘begins’ with dialogue played against Frank escorting the prisoner ‘across the street’ from the first scene. It would not be surprising for people in the audience to believe that Frank’s last words were in sync. [Figure 19.2] Frank’s back is to the audience — his mouth is unobserved, and lip synchronization isn’t what’s important.

  Figure 19.2

  FRANK: God damn shame you got to take this whole rap…

  At that moment — barely on the word, “rap” — a cut takes us into the shop. At first — for half a beat — we see only the prisoner; Frank then emerges, [Figure 19.3] with a cup of coffee, as his body leans screen left.

  Figure 19.3

  … yourself

  FRANK (continued)

  I don’t know, maybe you’re guilty maybe you’re not. Maybe you just went along for the ride. I got a feeling you just went along. . .

  Skip ahead several lines to the next essential moment for our topic:

  FRANK

  They’re gonna put you away, you know that?

  PRISONER

  What can I get?

  FRANK

  Oh, let’s see….

  At this moment Frank looks off to screen right, and then back to the prisoner before a cut takes us to a Close-Up of the prisoner from over Frank’s right shoulder. You will note that the prisoner’s expression — eyes, and the posture of his head — is completely different [Figure 19.4] on either side of the cut. Our eyes however, could not resist ‘catching’ Frank’s head in movement.

  Figure 19.4

  ‘Mismatch’ is notable in still frames

  FRANK

  (continued; camera over right shoulder)

  … kidnapping, sodomy rape… are you kidding me…?

  Throughout Frank’s recitation of possible criminal charges, you can see — if you force yourself to take your eyes off of the prisoner — that Frank is ‘out of sync.’

  Actors working in theatre will often — no matter how many rehearsal sessions — discover that beats (or rhythms) need to be altered, or they might intuitively ‘play’ the discovery, and embrace it. During postproduction, the editor and director must ‘find’ the performance needs, and ‘bring them about.’ It may mean adjusting the pace; deleting lines; transposing lines; or, possibly using a preferred reading — in audio — of line(s) from one take, with the preferred picture from another, and ‘syncing’ the two.

  TIP: It is far easier to sync elements from different takes by ‘keying’ the end of a line, or phrase. Disengage Picture and Sound. Listen to the line; stop at its end. Screen the Picture, reading the actor’s lips — when you know the words, lip reading is a sure bet! Stop where the lips finish the phrase: It’s easiest if you speak the words in your head. Both Sound and Picture end points are easily found if you relax, and stop from the normal (24fps or 30fps) speed. Lock Picture and Sound, and you’re guaranteed — with very little practice — to be within a frame of ‘precise’ sync.

  Here’s another example of what might be called ‘Out of Sync’ but not ‘Out of Kilter.’

  Galvin Meets The Sister scene from The Verdict. [Figure 19.5] This is the INTERIOR OFFICE scene that follows the INTERIOR HALLWAY scene, mentioned in “It Beats Ticks & Tocks.”

  Figure 19.5

  GALVIN: It’s not a good case. It’s a very good case.

  Cut To:

  GALVIN (over his right shoulder)

  A young, healthy woman goes into the hospital to deliver her third child….

  This second shot shows Galvin’s client’s sister. [Figure 19.6] She is seated on a couch; her body language discloses vulnerability, and sadness. Most important, we look at her — her face, her eyes. The composition’s design makes her the focal point.

  Figure 19.6

  Galvin is out of sync, but who’s looking?

  Galvin’s voice is the synchronized sound from his Close-Up — used initially in the scene. A cut in the Image does not necessitate a cut in the Sound; and the ‘tummy rubbing’ aspect of sound — its non-stop, non-staccato continuum — ‘convinces’ us of the moment to moment ‘reality.’

  TIP: When cutting dialogue there should be (many) more cuts in Picture than in Sound. You don’t have to, and you shouldn’t, try cutting across syllables, let alone into phrases wherever there’s a cut in Picture. Those cuts are a dead give-away to the ear!

  Cut To:

  GALVIN

  Well, it’s just beyond comprehension… she’s given the wrong anesthetic.

  The third shot is a return to the first shot. Yes, Galvin is in sync! Galvin’s dialogue has played across three shots.

  At the outset of this scene, and prior to Galvin’s first words, take note, and hear, an inhale. There is, as well, a very brief pause — beat — before the opening line is spoken.

  HINT & TIP: It is not mandatory for a scene to begin with an immediate ‘reading’ of the first line of dialogue: It goes without saying that this is true for the last line of dialogue, and a scene’s end. Dialogue should not propel a scene. Reactions/images and beats should be the editor’s ‘director.’

  TIP: It is sometimes indispensable to deliberately ‘throw’ words out of sync. If a line of dialogue ends too close to an Outgoing Cut, a peculiar eye/ear sync discernment— the speakers’ lips seem to have ‘stopped’ too soon — might require just ‘that.’ [Figure 19.7]

  June provides such a situation: Games in the Flower Shop scene. June and Maria play ‘I Can See Something.’ Maria selects a ‘something.’ “And it’s red!” June must guess what it is.

  Figure 19.7

  JUNE

  Your earrings!

  Cut To:

  MARIA

  They’re not red, they’re coral.

  Cut To: Medium Long Shot over Maria’s right shoulder.

  MARIA

  … and you ought to know that.

  The word “that” ended some 1-2 frames before the Outgoing Cut of the Medium Long Shot. The Incoming cut was a return to MARIA’S Close-Up. It didn’t work. There was a conspicuousness at the cut from the Medium Long Shot back to the Close-Up. It ‘seemed’ (initially) that the Medium Long Shot was altogether too quick. We made a tiny adjustment. When viewed again it ‘appeared’ that we had generously lengthened the shot, and that was why the cut now worked. But we had not adjusted the Medium Long Shot at all; we had added some 3-4 frames to the Incoming Close-Up of Maria — in Image only — allowing the eye to see Maria complete the word “that” [Figure 19.8] even though the word had already been ‘said and done.’ Yes, we were out of sync, but absolutely ‘In kilter.’ A persistent acuity to the ear, and an equivalent ‘call’ for visible ‘life’ in Maria’s face, insisted on this adjustment.

  Figure 19.8

  “That” is ‘perfectly’ Out of Sync

  HINT: Don’t be certain too quickly about what’s ‘gone wrong,’ and what ‘fix’ is needed.

  However silly my ‘head and tummy’ classroom demonstration, it easily expresses the independence of Image from/and Sound. This independence is readily available: The Image and Sound are provided to the editor on separate elements — Picture and Magnetic Sound Track when editing on film, and as separate Video and Audio Tracks when editing digitally. Conceptual independence is indispensable if the editor expects to put the best finishing touches to his work.

  HINT & TIP: The surest obstacles to creative film editing are the seduction of matching action, and the obsession with staying in sync.

  The head tapping in my demonstration represents the film image as it is presented in staccato ‘clicks’ — add to the head tapping your imitation of a movie projector, and you’ll ‘get the picture.’ The circular tummy rubbing represents th
e sound. Imagine the confounding difficulty technicians faced following the invention of sound recording: How can a talking picture be projected? If the head tapping were not the staccato projection of image, but rather a ‘rendition’ of dialogue playback, movies would have eve-ry-bo-dy/tal-king/li-ke/thi-s. And, if the tummy rubbing did not illustrate the ongoing flow of sound, but was rather a representation of the projected image, the movie audience would see perplexing streaks of blur — there’d be no pull down Stop/Start cycle in phase with a shutter mechanism — ‘sliding’ on the screen.

  When dialogue recording became possible, two things became essential for postproduction:

  1. Image and Sound had to be situated on separate stock for the editor.

  Without the capability to cut picture while not simultaneously cutting sound, and to cut sound while not simultaneously cutting picture, the editor would be forced to decide which one should be given preference; cuts would become a yielding to compromise, and not an artistic/creative choice.

  2. Following completion in postproduction, a system had to be devised to join Image and Sound — ‘marry’ them on a single ‘strip’ of celluloid (a composite print) — for projection.

  If films were shipped to theatres on separate elements, one of Image, and the other of Sound — Interlock Screenings, as in the editing room — there would be two distinct risks: If one element were damaged, and frames were ‘lost,’ the other element would have to be identically ‘spoiled’ in order to maintain synchronization; and there would be the ever-present concern that the projectionist might run non-corresponding reels — or the distributor, or laboratory might ship, print or incorrectly label various reels. Simply, a nine-reel movie would require 18 reels (nine of sound and nine of picture) and would greatly increase the likelihood of foul-ups.