Task 1-Rules of Editing (AS1)

Rules of Editing 

The Hollywood director Edward Dmytryk specified seven 'rules of cutting' that a good editor should follow they are: 

1)'Never make a cut without a positive reason'. 

2)'When undecided about the extract frame to cut on, cut long rather than short'.

3)'Whenever possible cut in movement'.

4)'The fresh is preferably to the stale'

5)'All scenes should begin and end with continuity action'.

6)'Cut for proper values rather than proper matches'.

7)'Substance first then form'.

According to the director and editor Walter Murch there are six main criteria for evaluating a cut or deciding where to cut. They are in order of importance, most important first with national percentage values: 

• Emotion (51%)- Does the cut reflect what the editor believes the audience should be feeling at that moment?
• Story (23%)- Does the cut advance the story?
• Rhythm (10%)- Does the occur 'at a moment that is rhythmically interesting and right' (Murch,18)?
• Eye-trace (7%)- Does the cut pay respect to the location and movement of the audience's focus of interest within the frame'(Murch,18)?
• Two-dimensional plane of screen (5%)- Does the cut repsect the 180 degree rule?
• Three-dimensional space of action(4%)- Is the cut true to the physical/spatial relationships within the diegesi?