The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing

            The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing was an interesting look at one of the most important components of creating a film, which is the editor. In a sense, without the editor there would be no movie; or at least it wouldn't make sense. The editor is in a way, god. He controls time, and space in a way that shapes the viewers response to what they see on the big screen. Editing can slow down time, or speed it up which by itself is very fascinating. I think editors are almost more important than the director, because without the editor there is no film in a way.

             The editor and the director should work hand in hand at creating the film. Sometimes the director gets lucky and is on the same page as the editor. As Quentin Tarantino said, having a female editor is usually better because they don’t shove their agenda down your throat; they usually help nurture and create the film alongside you, not against you.

            D.W. Griffith was the first to understand the psychological part of editing. He was the first man to use the close up. People wanted to see the whole body of the actor or actress but slowly started to realize that the close up created emphasis on the scene, and further enhanced the viewers encapsulation of the film.

             The movie “Birth of a Nation” was the first movie to have many features of classical film editing. The goal was to mask the cut so that the audience barely notices that it was cut. I was really fascinated with the documentary especially seeing the parts of editing one doesn't normally get to see. Being an IT major and not a productions major I’m more interested in the technical process more than anything, but after watching the film it really made me interested in all of the other parts of editing.  It was also really interesting to see the many different styles of editing many different types of film. No matter what I’ll always be fascinated by how many people it takes to make a AAA film. I might not pursue a career in editing but I know that after this class I will have a much more appreciated view on film and the process it takes to create one, especially by the editor.