Art of Motion Picture Editing

Picture Editors are story tellers, but unlike writers who use text, or lyricists who use words, editors use visual images, dialogue, sound, special effects and music to stir the emotions of the audience and tell our stories. “How” editors use these elements and “why” editors use them is critical to the success of the film, TV show or any form of visual media. Why should I cut at this frame as opposed to this one? Why is it more important to use off-camera dialog as opposed to playing dialog on-camera? Why should music cue start at this point in a scene as opposed to that point? When should stylistic editing be used instead of formal editing? How is a horror film cut differently than a procedural? This class will discuss these types of questions by analyzing and deconstructing all the elements of the art of creatively manipulating visual images through editing. Learning this art is useful for all facets of filmmaking, especially if you want to be a: Writer Director Producer Cinematographer Remember, after the shooting stops it all comes down to the editor to put the pieces together to make a compelling, exciting and emotional story.