Film analysis aims to answer: “What does this film really mean?” It is not about simply saying “what happens in the movie.”
I think editing is like camera language. But it uses the rhythm of cuts to build the story’s atmosphere. Great editing can lift a story and a film. Bad editing can turn a good story into a messy video with no rhythm.
In Nigel’s class, we learned about “long takes.” The audience gets clear plot information from the shot. But the shot keeps going. Things keep happening without any cuts. We also learned about “shot transitions” and “continuity.” This includes: 1. The graphic relationship between shots. 2. The rhythmic relationship. 3. The spatial relationship. 4. The temporal relationship.
I really like Montage Editing. But it feels like looking at visual art. When I try to make a montage myself, it feels too complex. Sometimes I watch other people’s montages and don’t understand what is happening. Simply put, it is too abstract.
Techniques like Cuts, Fades, and Dissolves look very artistic in camera language. They have great visual value.