Editing is defined as the coordination of shots to each other. This quarter, you have been introduced to continuity editing and the various devices associated with that style and tradition of editing. Editing is also fundamental to the rhythm or pace or “tempo” of a movie. Through editing, shots can be paced to guide our perception and interpretation of an event within a scene. Pacing can be assessed in part by considering the duration of a shot — the amount of time a shot stays on screen.
This assignment requires you to assess the pacing of the shots in a scene (one of the functions of editing) in relation to its plot, sound and cinematography.
Assignment
Fast Company (1979), one of David Cronenberg’s “minor” films, made as a tax shelter movie, tells the story of Lonnie Johnson, a race-car driver, and his conflicts with an executive in the company that sponsors Johnson’s racing career. The full movie is posted in the “Watch on your own” module, but you are not required to watch the full movie for this assignment. In two paragraphs, answer the following questions and analyze the pacing of the assigned scene from Fast Company. The scene you are required to analyze for its pacing, appears early in the movie:
(see attached file#1)
PARAGRAPH 1 SHOULD ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING “WHAT” AND “WHY” QUESTIONS.
1) What is the structure of the dramatic action in this scene? Describe the plot of this scene in one sentence, clearly identifying its beginning, middle and end.
2) How many shots does this sequence contain, excluding the last shot of a man loading a tire on to a truck?
3) When are the shots evenly paced in this scene?
4) When do the shots get shorter in duration as they succeed one another? In other words, when does the scene’s pace seem to quicken?
5) When do the shots increase in duration, perhaps indicating that the pace has slowed down? Is there a single shot (if any) that you would identify as the one that stays the longest on screen?
6) WHY is the scene paced, the way it is? What function does the pacing of shots serve in relation to the event we are watching on screen? For this question, offer an explanation that ties the pacing to the structure of the scene as identified in your answer to question 1 above.
PARAGRAPH 2 SHOULD ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS
7) How does the soundtrack complement the pacing of this scene, including its structure? Consider any of the qualities of sound such as loudness, pitch, timbre that you think is relevant; whether the sound is off-screen or on-screen; and any of the three categories of film sound that are relevant for this scene: voice, noise, and music.
8) How is camera distance (closeups, medium shots, long shots) used in this scene’s sequence of shots, in relation to the editing? Do you notice any perceivable function to the choices made regarding when close ups appear or at what point the scene utilizes medium or long shots, in relation to the pacing and/or structure of this scene?
9) Finally, in not more than two sentences, briefly reflect on how and why the pacing of this scene from Fast Company differs from the pacing of the following conversation scene in Dead Ringers. You don’t need to offer a detailed analysis of the pacing of this scene from Dead Ringers, solely a brief comparison of the two scenes.
(see attached file #2)
What is the required format for this assignment?
An essay that should not exceed two pages
12-point font size.
TWO, DOUBLE-SPACED paragraphs.
Word count: Between 350 to 370 words for the essay. Include the word count in your submission.
Include your name at the top of the first page.
What counts as a failed assignment?
Submissions about a movie other than the assigned movie (Fast Company, and Dead Ringers) and other than the segment/scenes assigned from these movies, will receive zero points, and will result in a failed assignment.
This is not a collaborative assignment. A high Turnitin score will be flagged for further review and the default grade assigned will be zero till we have an opportunity to discuss the assignment with the student/s concerned.
What is the late policy for this assignment?
We will accept submissions till one day after the deadline. Submissions after that date will not be accepted for grading. If you think you are going to be late or are going to be unable to submit the assignment by the deadline, contact your teaching assistant in advance.
Can I aim for just one paragraph?
No. Please follow the format as required above: Two distinct paragraphs.
How do I count the number of shots in this scene?
First, have a pen and paper handy. We recommend lowering or muting the volume and counting aloud as the scene progresses from one shot to the next, at normal speed. Doing so will give you an intuitive sense of when the pacing of the editing quickens or slows down.
Second, as you count, ask yourself whether you can keep pace with the editing of the scene as it progresses from one shot to the next. This assignment does not require you to measure the duration of each shot in exact seconds. All you need is a broad and approximate sense of the pacing.
We recommend that you watch the scene in its normal speed the first time, to acquire an accurate sense of the duration of its shots.
Next, if you still need to confirm the shot count, slow down the speed of the scene. Click on the “gear” icon on the video player and you will find the option to slow down the scene.
You should now have an approximate sense of the pacing.
Finally, watch the scene again this time with sound at normal volume, and assess the structure of the scene, and pay attention to the soundtrack and to the cinematography. Utilize the structure and pacing as the basis to assess the sound and cinematography. For the purposes of analysis, assume that the latter two elements (sound and cinematography) are subordinate to what the scene aims to primarily communicate through its pacing and structure.
Is there a sample assignment I can emulate?
No. Both the preceding assignments required you to undertake your own analysis of scenes. This one is no different. The sample assignments gave you a sense of how to structure your essay.
For this assignment, we recommend that you structure your paragraphs in the order of the questions that you have to address. We would also urge you to take a close look at all the criteria in the grading rubrics posted for this assignment. It is especially important that you utilize the vocabulary of film analysis. It is also important that you use that vocabulary accurately. Both these criteria carry significant points in the grading rubrics.
CLOSED CAPTIONING
If you would like watch these scenes with close captioning, both movies are available in the modules section. Here are the timestamps for when the assigned scenes appear in the movies’ running time.
Fast Company: 5:51 TO 8:54
https://uw.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=b8a716e2-2456-40d3-8bf5-afbe01820a9a
Dead Ringers: 29:34 TO 32:25
https://uw.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d76bcec8-83fb-48fb-b289-afbc014968d2