How Does an Editor Think and Feel?

Summary

In 'Every Frame A Painting,' Tony explores the art of film editing through instinct and emotion. He emphasizes the importance of actors' eyes in conveying the scene's emotion and the significance of timing in building audience connection. Editors must decide how much time to allocate to emotions, as seen through exercises comparing different editing styles. The video discusses the challenges of making scenes believable through rhythm and timing, highlighting the invisible art of classical Hollywood editing. It concludes with the idea that editing, like dance, is learned through practice and developing a personal sense of rhythm and emotion.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Editing is an instinctive process that involves both thinking and feeling one's way through the material.
• 👀 The eyes are crucial in conveying emotions in a scene, often more so than dialogue.
• 🕒 Emotions take time to develop on screen, and editors must decide how much time to give each emotion.
• 📹 The length of shots can significantly impact the emotional impact, with shorter or longer shots used to build or release tension.
• 🎞 The rhythm of a scene is key to effective editing, with the cut often timed to match the natural rhythm of the action.
• 🤔 Editors must consider the emotional response they want to elicit from the audience and choose their cuts accordingly.
• 📈 The build-up and release of tension in a scene can be managed through the strategic use of shot length and timing.
• 📉 After a climax, shots may get longer to allow the audience to process and feel the emotional outcome.
• 👥 Great actors understand the power of non-verbal communication, often conveying more through their eyes and expressions than through words.
• ⏳ The timing of cuts is not a conscious process but a response to the natural rhythm and pacing of the story being told.

Q & A

What does Tony emphasize as the key aspect of editing based on the transcript?

Tony emphasizes that editing is all about the eyes, as they convey more emotion than dialogue, and that great actors understand this.

How does Tony describe the process of knowing when to cut during editing?

Tony describes the process of knowing when to cut as instinctive, based on feeling and thinking through the edit rather than from knowledge.

What role do emotions play in the editing process according to the transcript?

Emotions play a significant role as they take time to develop and are felt through the connection with characters on screen, which editors must account for when deciding how much time to give to an emotion.

Why is it important to give emotions time in a film, as discussed in the transcript?

It is important to give emotions time in a film because it allows the audience to feel and connect with the characters, making the emotions believable.

What is the significance of the eye acting in conveying a scene's emotion as mentioned by Tony?

The significance of eye acting is that it can convey more emotion than dialogue, and it is a powerful tool for editors to use in cutting scenes to create a strong emotional impact.

How does Tony explain the concept of timing in relation to emotions in film editing?

Tony explains that timing is crucial as it determines how long the audience has to feel an emotion, and that different emotions may play better with varying shot lengths and pacing.

What exercise does Tony suggest to understand the impact of timing on emotions?

Tony suggests an exercise where the audience watches a shot with different durations to feel how the timing affects the emotion experienced.

How does Tony illustrate the difference between a well-timed emotional scene and a rushed one?

Tony illustrates the difference by comparing the emotional impact of Luke Skywalker's failure, which took 30 seconds, to a more recent scene where a similar failure was depicted in only 30 frames.

What does Tony mean when he says that editing is 70% about rhythm?

Tony means that the rhythm of editing, which includes the natural flow and pace of shots, is a significant part of storytelling and contributes to making the edit feel seamless and 'invisible'.

How does Tony suggest editors learn the instinctive art of editing?

Tony suggests that editors learn the instinctive art of editing through practice, by cutting and developing a unique sense of rhythm and emotion over time.

What advice does Michael Kahn give to editors about their approach to editing, as mentioned in the transcript?

Michael Kahn advises editors to take one piece at a time, focusing on one scene or one cut at a time, which helps in managing the complexity of the editing process.