cut to the subject already in the frame (cold cut)

• creates potential continuity problems when cutting into a sequence of the same action
• cut at this point, the shot may be unnecessarily short: the subject might be moving away from us and becoming less significant.
• cutting when the subject is already in the frame makes the subject appear as part of the background; the subject no longer stands out.
  

• Using this option creates a conflict in the viewers mind: when the edit occurs, the viewers are looking at the frame, trying to orient themselves to see what it is they are looking at .... at the same time, the movement of the subject entering the frame draws the viewer’s eye to see what it is that is moving.
• Whenever we set up a conflict in the mind of the viewer, the edit is not as smooth as it should be - the edit draws attention to itself.
  

• Allows the audience to look at a new frame and orient themselves without being distracted.
• When the subject does enter the frame, the audience looks at the subject at the same time; the subject now becomes the dominate subject in the frame rather than part of the landscape.
  

By properly selecting the edit point, the editor manipulates the audience by making them look at and pay attention to what we think is important.

Don’t over do it. Holding too long on an empty frame creates restlessness on the part of the audience. They become bored and their eyes begin to wander trying to discover what they are supposed to be looking at. How long is too long? ... depends on how visually stimulating the shot is.

When to use an entrance cut:

at the beginning of a sequence

to highlight a change in location

Before the subject leaves the frame?

After the subject has left the frame, when the frame is empty?

• The best option: this is smoothest option.
• Think about what happens with the viewers eyes:
• as the viewer is concentrating on an object that is moving to the edge of the frame, there is a point where the viewer can no longer watch the object. At that instant, the viewer’s eyes scan back across the frame to look for something else to concentrate on. It’s while the eyes are in motion that we make our edit: because while our eyes are in motion we are blind; the way we see is that our eyes work by giving us a succession of cuts.

The process of executing an effective exit cut:

• editor must be looking at what the audience is looking at. (there is no sense in making an exit cut if no one is watching the object leave the frame)
• Identify the centre of interest
• wait for the subject to approach the edge of the frame
• cut during the audience’s eye movement as they’re looking for the next thing to concentrate on
• Guidelines for identifying the centre of interest in a shot:
  • the eye is drawn to bright colors vs dark colors
  • the eye is drawn to animate rather than inanimate objects
  • we are drawn to look at people and the places where people are
  • our eyes are drawn to moving objects rather than static ones.

Cutting before the action

• static
• unmotivated
• leads the audience

Cutting after the action:

• Static
• Unmotivated
• Edit appears as an afterthought

Cutting during the action:

• Best edit point is during that action once an action has begun within the frame, cutting to a continuation of that action in another frame is interpreted as a better view of what is going on.
• A cut performed on action is the smoothest edit that can be performed
  

• Allow for about a third of the action to occur before the audience will be clearly looking at it
  don’t cut too late into the action
• Cut before the action is half complete (otherwise the eyes of the viewer will have moved on to other things in the frame.
  

• The technical match almost never works
• Why? Because the audience is not expecting the incoming shot; when it comes they try to reorient themselves - the mental blink during the edit causes the viewers to miss the first few frames of the incoming shot
• The solution: begin by finding the technical match then back up the edit point for the incoming shot; overlap about three frames for a smooth edit.
  

• The action cut is the most powerful edit tool we can use because it binds the two actions together as if they were taking place in one shot;
• Action cuts are seamless and are not perceived as two different shots
• We should pursue action cuts whenever possible
• action cuts require coverage of the action from different angles
• action cuts require overlap of the action

• During head turn interrupts completion of the action
• After the head turn is complete is the proper edit point
  • How soon to cut after the head turn depends on how urgent the head turn is.
  • The key thing about a look off is learning to recognize the potential that exists in the field footage; look for gestures, looks and off-screen references that offer editing opportunities.