NLE editing downside: Too Easy, Too Quick

[reflex]

Enabling is different than causing, which I realize you didn't explicitly state.

Your average Hollywood feature can maintain the attention of an average American moviegoer because things are constantly happening. Yes, the film may be two hours or so, but the segments between specific 'actions' are rarely more than 30-40 seconds.

Do you really think the typical moviegoer is so easily distracted and bored? I'm not so sure -- I suspect that skyrocketing budgets in the film industry are causing producers to play it safe. They won't get fired for cramming six zillion explosions into five minutes, but they might get into seriously hot water if some "critic" at a TV station suggests that the plot of their new epic drags a bit.

There are still some good films out there that don't look like Cheetos commercials, and they're cut on NLE. It gives me hope.

Now -- as for George Lucas -- I think the man made a drunken deal with a magical Leprechaun. He seems intent on earning an infinite number of pots of gold by releasing the same four films over and over again. I'm nervously awaiting the day he edits Jar Jar Binks into THX 1138.

[Evan Kubota]

"Do you really think the typical moviegoer is so easily distracted and bored?"

Yes, I generally do, based on my experiences seeing current films in theatres. If anything, the average moviegoer wants the pace to be even faster than most current offerings.

Whether this is due to producers intentionally accelerating the pace or the audience demand is infinitely debatable. Either way, it will probably continue for the foreseeable future.

"I'm nervously awaiting the day he edits Jar Jar Binks into THX 1138."

He almost did - those hairy ape-monsters in the final sequence were pretty awful.

[teadub]

Now -- as for George Lucas -- I think the man made a drunken deal with a magical Leprechaun. He seems intent on earning an infinite number of pots of gold by releasing the same four films over and over again. I'm nervously awaiting the day he edits Jar Jar Binks into THX 1138.

From the looks of things, that is the only logical explanation.

[MovieStuff]

... based on my experiences seeing current films in theatres. If anything, the average moviegoer wants the pace to be even faster than most current offerings.

I like fast paced films. But there is an obvious difference between rapid fire cutting (in an effort to create excitement where there is none) and the rapid pace of a well written and well directed script. For instance, Jim Cameron's "Aliens" starts off fast and just gets faster till the end but there isn't any of the neck-snapping cutting that you see in MTV sylized action movies. Hunt for Red October is also a fast paced movie, despite the confined environment that it takes place in. It's all about forethought or lack thereof, IMHO.

Roger

[Evan Kubota]

"But there is an obvious difference between rapid fire cutting (in an effort to create excitement where there is none) and the rapid pace of a well written and well directed script."

Of course - but what are the chances that Hollywood execs are interested in resurrecting quality scripts to create excitement and tension? It's easier to cut every half-second, and, sadly, most audiences can't tell the difference between that and a well-crafted narrative. Polanski's Chinatown is one of the most gripping and well-paced films ever made, despite clocking in at over two hours and containing several fairly long takes.

[npcoombs]

If you want to see some LOONNGG takes edited on NLE then have a look at my website. Specifically 'Winter Water' and 'The Interior'.

However, there was a certain self conscious element in using digital video and FCP with this style of long take editing. The layering (Up to 10 video layers in parts of WW) is an example of some untapped possibilities (although maybe only in the experimental realm) of NLE.

[audadvnc]

Yes, the film may be two hours or so, but the segments between specific 'actions' are rarely more than 30-40 seconds.

That's funny - when I'm with my daughter shooting film or video I always try to have her shorten her takes. She'll shoot 30-40 seconds of a rock, given her druthers.

As for rapid editing and NLE - imagine what Eisenstein would have done with an NLE? Oh, wait - he did it anyway.

[BK]

Walter Murch's book "In the blink of an eye" is highly recommended for those who are interested in the subject of editing. Here is a seasoned Hollywood movie editor writing up on the art of film cutting. There is a section on digital editing and his thoughts on it, past , present and future.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/187950 ... e&n=283155

Bill

[freddiesykes]

I remember reading a passage by Walter Murch on editing using NLE versus traditional film methods. He mentions that during traditional methods, one is forced the watch the images as the film rewinds or fast-forwards which brings rise to spontaneous realisations; shots that give new ideas to the cut. When using NLE, one can just jump back and forth to specific shots without "wasting" the time watching the extra footage. There is a video bin in most NLE's now though..

[Alex_W]

The frenetic pace of action movie editing seems to be a direct descendent of the MTV cutting style - fast and furious. It migrated to commercials years ago, and it was only logical that it would jump into the film world.

I agree with the claim that fast paced editing probably has something to do with MTV and commercials, but i don't think it's logical in the true sense that it would effect narrative film making that much. The first music videos didn't have that many cuts i believe, and neither did commercials at the time. I wonder what the true reasons are.

In my memory there seems to be an exact point where i suddenly realised the images on the television screen were flashing by with extraordinary speeds, as if someone pushed the pitch slide by accident.

[VideoFred]

In my memory there seems to be an exact point where i suddenly realised the images on the television screen were flashing by with extraordinary speeds, as if someone pushed the pitch slide by accident.

Yes,

It's a trend, I guess.
But, in general, everything goes faster, these days.

If I look at old 1960-1980 TV programs and series...
Man... S - l - o - w! Sometimes nice, but sometimes very boring to look at.

It has something to do with the age of the audience, too.
Young people like fast things..
At a given age (40? 50?) it's more fun to slow things down a little...

But I agree 'MTV-look' is way to fast, and ugly to watch.
No matter the age of the audience.

It is also proven, this abnormal fast scene change and sometimes flickering is very bad for health (nerves!) :roll:

Fred.

[timdrage]

Like frenetic, fast editing done well, but it rarely is.

One of the worst offenders that particularly sticks in my memory was Armageddon. That whole movie was edited like a trailer. Every single shot was an arc tracking shot of 3 seconds or less as I remmeber it! Very hard to watch!