60 Moving Images: Making Movies, Understanding MediaCutting Away
Storytelling techniques also were enhanced by cross-cutting (mentioned earlier
when discussing Edwin S. Porter’s fi lms), in which the motion picture moves
back and forth between two or more developing scenes. Th is was a recurring
technique of D. W. Griffi th and is commonly used in motion pictures today,
particularly for dramatic buildups. In Ocean’s Th irteen (2007), a heist movie
directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney as Danny Ocean,
the climax features cross-cutting between diff erent members of Ocean’s team
completing their parts of a plan to destroy casino mogul Willy Bank (played
by Al Pacino).
A similar editing eff ect is seen as the heist group enacts their revenge
on Bank. In the midst of the main action as the entire casino shakes as if in
an earthquake, there is a cutaway shot to Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia) as
he reacts to what is happening while he is completely apart from the action.
Th e cutaway is a single shot that is separate from the primary action of the
scene. Editors will cut to a shot that is not part of the main sequence to add
information or commentary to the entire story being told, to build suspense,
or to create parallels with other characters or events. From the time of silent
fi lms, fi lmmakers have developed the practice of shooting cutaways for the
editor. For example, a cinematographer might shoot cutaway shots during
a street sequence to record reactions from individuals in a crowd or small
details separate from the main characters and outside of the principal thrust
of the action.The Effect of Editing
In the 1920s, the establishment of a wide range of storytelling styles, powerful
imagery, and meaningful themes is evident in fi lms from many directors.
Across the globe, fi lmmakers began to use editing in expressive ways and
noted how individual shots could be used in juxtaposition to create dramatic,
provocative meanings. In the Soviet Union, fi lmmakers studied and wrote
about the eff ect of linking shots in sequences, and director and theoretician
Lev Kuleshov originated the conception that came to be known as theFigure 2-24 Sequence that starts with a close shot, followed by a match cut reverse shot of the second
character, back to the fi rst character in a full close-up, and then an insert shot that heightens the drama of
the scene.REDLOOKRED BLUE REDREDCopyright 2010 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).