Elliptical Editing

Elliptical editing refers to an editing technique in which unnecessary shots are cut from a film. This is so that the sequence shown on screen has a lesser duration than it would do in real-time. This can be particularly useful within scenes, that in reality, would take an extended period of time to achieve, as the screen time can be shortened exponentially.

Elliptical editing is typically accomplished by cutting two shots, both of which show part of the same event, reducing the screen-time of, in particular, repetitive or uninteresting shots.

Within the two films shown below, it can be shown how useful elliptical editing can be. Within the first film, a journey is shown which takes over 1 minute in real time, whereas the second clip, which has been edited, takes less than 30 seconds to display the same information.

This editing technique is also used by many other films, in order to reduce tedium within the movie, an example of this would be in Christopher Nolan's 2005 feature, Batman Begins.

Within this clip, Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), is first shown, by a close up, to be looking at something in the distance, revealed to be a group of mountains within the next shot, a long shot. In the shot preceding this, we see that the gradient that the character walks on has changed to more of a vertical incline. From this, the audience can infer that the protagonist has started to ascend the mountain, which was originally shown to be far away; and thus the real-time act of mountain climbing is unnecessary, and therefore cut.

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical editing is a technique in which inessential shots are cut out of the film in order for the on-screen duration to be shorter than the story's duration. There any many types of skills that can be used in elliptical editing. The one most commonly used is a cut between two different shots, which both show a part of the same event. The cut between the two shots allows the editor to reduce the time of the event on screen by bypassing a part of it.

Elliptical editing allows us to control the pace of the story. For example a lengthy uninteresting circumstance that would take a while can be edited down using elliptical editing so that the audience only has to sit through a few minutes. It also allows us to get rid of the dreary shots that might make the viewers become bored.

Elliptical editing is used in almost every movie in some way. Many films use this to shorten down journey times where a character is travelling a large distance; so what would be an hour journey would only be a few minutes, which stops the audience becoming uninterested and keeps their attention.

We used elliptical editing in our preliminary task:

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical editing is a technique used in film editing that allows an event's duration on-screen to be shorter than its duration in the story. The simplest type of elliptical edit is a cut between two shots, both of which show part of the same event.

Editors use elliptical editing to control the pace of the story. A long, tedious event that may take hours in the story may be edited so that film spectators only need to sit through a few minutes. For example... In the Batman film, Batman Begins, elliptical editing is used to cut a journey shorter, as you can see when he is walking on the hill its shows where he is walking too, but a few seconds later he arrives as destination. The editors did this because it may have become boring if they would've left the whole journey in the film.

We also elliptical edited our own journey video, we did this as the original journey was over a minute long and we chose to include only really necessary shots to shorten it to about 30 seconds.

Film Idea One

Take II

She’d already hit rock bottom, and believed nothing could get any worse. She didn’t value her life and believed that it wouldn’t make a difference to anyone whether she was here or not. Totally suffocating in her own depression, she takes her own life, unaware of the impact it would have. After waking up, she realises that no one can see her. Once seeing the devastating consequences that her actions could have she pleads to have another chance. She then wakes up in the recovery position with her family member on the phone to the emergency services. One week passes by and we see the improvements she has made to her life after experiencing such a traumatising event.

Analysis of a short film

Analyse of The Heist

Film Idea II

The Party
A girl at a party is drinking, her friends take her off to the bathroom where she is peer pressured into doing a line of cocaine, reluctant at first, she agrees. Meanwhile, a lad, who is drunk is just leaving, in his car, the girl, not feeling great, decides to get a lift home with the drunk boy.
On the way home, the lass starts bleeding from the nose and passes out, the boy arrives at her house to drop her off, but realises she's not breathing.
Panicking, he drives somewhere quiet, and dials 999 on his phone, but does not ring, fearing he will be arrested for drunk driving and lose his licence, or even murder, he instead decides to bury the girl and hope the body isn't found so he can't be arrested.
The next day, he sees newspapers and the local news reporting the disappearance of the missing girl, he panics, rushes home where he is greeted by police officers who arrest him for murder. End.

Film Idea #1

Film Idea

Repetitive travel to work and repetitive same phone call each morning.

One day he walks home (something changes his fortune)… (Opportunity abroad? Easier to film in the country) sell house and car for taxi/plane tickets puts everything on the line to have a chance of success somewhere else.

Or… something else that give him the opportunity to change his career… scratch card? Or a person?

Shows him trying to be successful, is he successful are not? If not, black screens then opens back up at his same old job saying the same phone call for the last line of the film. Or… his “success” is all a dream and wakes up when he becomes successful and has to go back to the same old work. (Audience would not know that it was a dream until the end, just like the character in the film)

Short Film Analysis

The Black Hole - Short Film Analysis

MISE-EN-SCENE:

Setting

This short film is set in a standard office workplace. The use of this setting allows the audience to relate more to the film whilst also creating a believable environment. The setting will be familiar with most of the audience have either been to an office before or work in one. The office setting creates a sense of normality as the environment is very stereotypical and is what we would imagine an office to be like; very modern and dull. The use of props in the setting tells us that it is set in present day as there is state-of-the-art technology and equipment.

Costume

The actor in this scene looks like an average male worker. We can tell that he is probably an employee as he is wearing a white shirt, a tie, black trousers and smart shoes. However we can assume that he does not have a high position as his sleeves are rolled up, his shirt is creased and his collar is not buttoned up properly which makes him look unprofessional. The way he is dressed can be used to convey his attitude towards his work, it suggests that he is lazy and uninterested.

Lighting

The lighting throughout this short film is very dull and dark. This could be used to show that the film is set at night as there is no natural lighting. It can also represent the emotions of the character, the dim lighting creates a lonely and isolated atmosphere and it also suggests that the character is tired and moody. The colour palette of the film is very cold. There are no bright vivid colours; which helps to create an eerie atmosphere which adds to the tension.

EDITING

There are not many editing techniques that are used within the short film. The only editing technique used is a cut. There are sharp cuts between each shot, which helps to show the quick passage of time throughout the film. Shot-reverse-shot is used between the man and some props, this is used to show what he is focusing on and what he is going to use the 'black hole' to get into next.

SOUND

At the start of the film we can hear a diegetic sound of a photocopying machine, by having this sound

effect it creates a believable setting. Although the photocopying machine is not on screen, it is still diegetic sound as it correlates with the scene. Whenever the 'black hole' is shown on screen there is a mysterious eerie sound, this gives connotations that the 'black hole' is strange and has an unnatural force; it could also suggest that it is dangerous as it emits a creepy sound. The constant sound of the photocopier towards the end of the film, makes it very realistic as it shows the stereo-typically 'busy' atmosphere in an office even though he is the only one there.

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

A pan at the start of the film is used to show the setting and to also introduce the main character. The pan transitions into a mid-shot which helps us to see the character clearly. It also allows the audience to see what he is feeling as we can see his facial expressions up close. A medium close-up of his feet is also used to convey his emotions; we can see his frustration when he starts kicking the photocopier. A low angle shot is used when the 'black hole' is introduced to the scene this suggests that the black hole is watching him and is waiting for the man to notice it.

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical Editing

Elliptical editing is a film technique used when you want to shorten the duration of a story. Irrelevant or long winded shots are taken in order to keep the audience engaged and show a passage of time that isn't as long and tedious as it would be in real time. Therefore a scene that would take hours is shortened down to a few minutes allowing the story to flow continuously and move on swiftly to the next scene. 

The way elliptical editing is accomplished is by cutting to different shots fairly quickly where the character is clear to have moved positions and gotten closer to their desired destination. This type of editing is usually used in journey's whereby a character is on their way to another location. Essentially filmmakers use this technique as a time compressor.

Example of elliptical editing within a journey -

The Journey - Long Edit

Film Idea I

The Job Interview
A seemingly typical job interview is decorated by flashbacks which show the true nature of the interviewee's skills.
For example, the interviewer asks the interviewee a typical question like, "I see in your CV that you play golf, is this true", to which the interviewee answers; "I've been known to dabble", before a flashback reveals him knocking someone out with a golf club.
It is essentially a story told through a series of flashbacks revealing the seemingly normal interviewee, is more interesting and dark than it first seems.

Ellipitical Edit

Film Idea 2

Life Swap

Two average teenagers, male and female, wake up to a unexpected surprise. The characters have swapped lives after an argument over which gender has a worse life experience. They live out the day overcoming various obstacles they may have never experienced  before e.g. male expectations to man up 'boys don’t cry', women getting catcalled and disregarded on the daily. By the end they come to terms with the fact everyone goes through hardships no matter their gender.

Film Idea 1

5 Stages of a Breakup

A story following along the experience of a breakup. Stage 1. Denial, the character convinces themselves it didn't happen and carries on life as if there was no breakup. Stage 2. Desperation , realising the break up did in fact happen they beg and plead their formerly significant other for a second chance and claim they'd do anything to get them back through leaving numerous obsessive texts. Stage 3. Grief, the depressing stage of looking through old photos and memories and becoming completed isolated from the rest of society living with only comfort food and Netflix for the next 24hrs. Stage 4. Rage, they decide they're too good for their ex and show this through utmost anger, leaving texts of anger and being rude to every person that comes their way. Stage 5. Acceptance, finally getting over it they come to terms with the fact they'll meet someone else while packing up any old memories of their ex.