Emma - Edit Analysis: The Virgin Suicides

The film that I’m going to be analysing is the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides directed by Sofia Coppola. One of the main continuity edits that we see throughout the duration of this film is the Shot Reverse Shot technique. This is often used to show both what the character who is speaking is saying but also how the other characters in the scene are reacting. The example taken from this film is when a minor character is telling the boys about how he found Cecilia after her first ‘attempt’. It’s important that this technique is used so that the audience can get as much information from the scene as they can get.

Another continuity edit technique that is often found in The Virgin Suicides is Eye-line Match. This example was taken from the therapist scene near the beginning of the movie. The scene starts with Cecilia looking at something off camera which then turns out to be a therapist holding an inkblot test which we see after the cut. Another technique used in this scene is that it seems to take on a blue hue which evokes emotion from the audience and adds a melancholy feel to the scene which contrasts to some other shots throughout the film that are well lit and take on a yellow hue which lead the audience into believing that it is a happier scene.

A Fade Out/Fade In transition is used between Cecilia’s death and what the audience presume is her funeral. This is both to showcase that some time has passed since the scene that we last saw but it also makes for a softer transition between two upsetting scenes instead of a harsh cut. 

At one point in The Virgin Suicides muted colours are used to suggest to the audience that what they’re seeing is a memory. This helps to distinguish between what is happening is real time and what is a flash black. Overlap transitions are also used throughout the memory with Cecilia narrating from her diary to show that the audience is still seeing memories from her childhood but also to highlight that they are different and separate memories of her sisters. This allows the audience to see the Lisbon family in a way that the other on-screen characters do not and therefore allows them to get an extra piece of the story without confusion.

Crosscutting or parallel editing, as it is sometimes called, is used in a particular scene to evoke emotion in the audience and to create intensity. The technique is used to show different families, shot from the same angle, watching the same news programme about Cecilia. The scene is continuous and has a great effect on the audience by showing not only how the suicide affected Cecilia’s family but others too which builds onto the information that the audience already has and creates a richer story.

A montage of clips moving from day to night is used in The Virgin Suicides to portray how much time has passed. These clips are shot from the same angle and helps the audience to understand that the film has now entered a different season.

Emma - Key Terms: Editing

Editing:

Editing refers to how a film maker puts together the final product including cuts, transitions and sounds.  Editing is the process of putting together a final, cohesive narrative.

Continuity:

Continuity means trying to make a scene as continuous and fluid as possible as it switches between perspectives. Continuity is vital to making a film look as neat as it can.

Continuity Errors:

This key word refers to something that happens during editing where something is different between two shots. This can be caused by lighting, costumes and shots or angles.

Continuity Editing:

This refers to a process of editing that is almost invisible allowing the audience to concentrate on the narrative instead of how the piece was edited this is so that the scenes look continuous and flow together. There are a few rules of continuity editing:

• 180 Degree Rule is to establish where the characters are within the scene. Breaking this rule would make it seem as if the characters are in a different place.
• Match on Action refers to making multiple cuts to show one continuous action. 
• Shot Reverse Shot means cutting between two opposite shots. This is usually used to show what both characters are saying during a conversation and so that the audience can see who person A is looking at and talking to.
• Eye-line Match refers to the following shot of what a character is looking at. It flows like this: Shot A - Character looks off camera. Shot B - What the character is looking it. An example of this is the card scene in Love Actually.
• Crosscutting or Parallel Editing is the technique of alternating between multiple scenes that are happening at the same time in different locations. These scenes will often intersect to create climax. TV shows like CSI often use this to create tension and contrast between the criminal inside the house (or anywhere) and the police ready to catch them.
• Insert Shot is a shot that is filmed from a different angle to the establishing shot. They focus on actions already covered in the mastershot but highlight a different subject i.e. a clock or shaking hands.

Cutaway:

This is a technique often used in documentaries where a piece of footage is vital to the film. Oftentimes the voice will continue into the cutaway to keep the continuity. 

Pace:

There are three types of pace that can be used in editing. Slow pace is often used to keep the scene calm and will usually use a less amount of shots or longer cuts. The medium pace has a normal amount of shots and is used to make the audience feel comfortable whereas a fast pace is used to make a scene more intense or thrilling. 

Transitions:

• Straight Cutting is used to show realism in conversations.
• Graphic Match is when two shots match, usually in shape, and overlap to transition into the next scene for example a sun and an eyeball.
• Overlap/Dissolve makes for a softer transition and can be used to show time passing.
• Wipe is often used to show a new day, scene or location.
• Fade in/Fade out is a transition that is commonly used to show that it's either the end or the beginning of the film. 
• Flash transitions are often used in films to portray a flash back or flash forward so that the audience doesn't get confused.

Special Effects:

• Black and White is a common effect used in editing to suggest that the scene is a memory or from some time ago. 
• Contrast is used to alter the lighting. 
• Colour, for example in The Ring or Gone Girl, is used to set the mood of a piece. The Ring is a dark blue colour to make it feel eerie whereas Gone Girl uses muted tones of grey to enhance the mystery and bleakness of the film.
• Animation is something that is sometimes used in a title sequence of a film to give credits for example in Grease. Of course, there are also full length animations too.
• CGI stands for Computer Generated Images and is used in films such as Jaws or Jurassic Park. In older films the audience can usually tell that the CGI is fake but in recent films like Avatar it looks a lot more realistic.
• Fast Forward/Slow Motion are used to speed up or slow down a clip. Slow motion is an effect often used in action movies to make a clip more intense.
• Ghost Trail refers to the overlapping of different actions and images to portray that a character is either drunk or on drugs.
• Blur is an effect often used to show moments of un-clarity or fuzzy memories. It's a technique that has been used in The Hunger Games.

Montage Editing:

This is a series of shots not in sequential order and do not relate to each other in any way. This is usually used to make title sequences or trailers.