So this week we're looking at editing, and how a film editor manipulates time within a film. We just finished watching Run Lola, Run, which pretty much uses every editing trick in the book in an attempt to get us on the edge of our seats while Lola runs her guts out to save Manni - slow motion, graphic matches, flashbacks, dissolves, jump cuts...you name it. Below you will find three film clips. They are all chase scenes, but each is from a different era. The first is from Buster Keaton's 1926 silent film The General. (Watch it on mute. Someone has dubbed Ozzie Osbourne over it.) The second is from the 1971 film The French Connection. And the third clip is from 2005's The Island directed my Michael Bay. Your task is the following: watch each clip, paying particular attention to the editors' use of editing techniques. (Have your study guide out for reference as you go.) Next participate in an online discussion over the next few days. Throughout the discussion, we will be answering the following questions:
How are the scenes different with regards to editing techniques and pacing?
How has chase scene editing changed over the decades?
Which scene is best edited?
What scenes use what techniques and for what effects?
Bonus Clips - Below you will find two additional clips. Both are from Gone in 60 Seconds. The first is from the original 1974 version; the second is from the 2000 remake. These can be a part of the discussion too, if you like.
