The factor of Editing in the Big Sleep
English 219: Response #3
Editing is a post production process that compiles different shots of different lengths taken during production into the sequential thematic continuum that viewers know as the motion picture film. The coordination between two consecutive shots is a dimension by itself used to give indirect hints and communicate a smoother transition of ideas. The transition of the shots could be as simple as a cut and could be more complex as in a graphical match of colors and shapes between the two shots. Film makers typically have four areas of choice when it comes to editing:
l. Graphic relations between shot A and shot B
2. Rhythmic relations between shot A and shot B
3. Spatial relations between shot A and shot B
4. Temporal relations between shot A and shot B1
Howard Hawks, being highly inspired by German Expressionist films, has used many stylistic film editing techniques in his 1946, Big Sleep. These techniques can fall into all four categories mentioned earlier. Hawks has widely used establishing shots to transition from one scene to the other. Examples of these shots can be observed as Marlowe commutes to various locations (Brody's apartment, Geiger's house, etc…). These establishing and reestablishing shots were essential in keeping the audience aware of the spatial and temporal (what part of the day it is) variations among different shots. They are also the threshold that lets the viewer unconsciously prepare to be introduced to new events involving new characters.
Other ways used to cut to the next scene are dissolve and fade to black. Dissolves typically indicate very short interval between the two scenes (sometimes they indicate concurrent actions). Fade-to-black is used similarly. The length of the fade could indicate relative time difference between the two scenes. Interestingly enough, Hawks used the fade-to-black in an orthodox expressionistic way to imply not only time has passed but also to hint at a sexual encounter between
Editing is a post production process that compiles different shots of different lengths taken during production into the sequential thematic continuum that viewers know as the motion picture film. The coordination between two consecutive shots is a dimension by itself used to give indirect hints and communicate a smoother transition of ideas. The transition of the shots could be as simple as a cut and could be more complex as in a graphical match of colors and shapes between the two shots. Film makers typically have four areas of choice when it comes to editing:
l. Graphic relations between shot A and shot B
2. Rhythmic relations between shot A and shot B
3. Spatial relations between shot A and shot B
4. Temporal relations between shot A and shot B1
Howard Hawks, being highly inspired by German Expressionist films, has used many stylistic film editing techniques in his 1946, Big Sleep. These techniques can fall into all four categories mentioned earlier. Hawks has widely used establishing shots to transition from one scene to the other. Examples of these shots can be observed as Marlowe commutes to various locations (Brody's apartment, Geiger's house, etc…). These establishing and reestablishing shots were essential in keeping the audience aware of the spatial and temporal (what part of the day it is) variations among different shots. They are also the threshold that lets the viewer unconsciously prepare to be introduced to new events involving new characters.
Other ways used to cut to the next scene are dissolve and fade to black. Dissolves typically indicate very short interval between the two scenes (sometimes they indicate concurrent actions). Fade-to-black is used similarly. The length of the fade could indicate relative time difference between the two scenes. Interestingly enough, Hawks used the fade-to-black in an orthodox expressionistic way to imply not only time has passed but also to hint at a sexual encounter between