Aspects of Film Editing.

Author: Beller, Hans
Published: München, 1999
Source: Hans Beller (Hrsg.): Handbuch der Filmmontage. Praxis und Prinzipien des Filmschnitts.
ISB-Number: 3-8058-2357-6

Abstract

'Editing' is the art of uniting separate single shots in such a way that we get the impression of seeing a complete, continuous movement. In this article, Beller unfolds the evolution of film shooting and editing from the late 19th century until today. He introduces different editing patterns (cross-cutting, ellipses, inserts) and methods of shooting (180 degree principle, over-the-shoulder shots) and explains their effect on the viewer. Famous examples in the history of cinematography serve to illustrate that the whole power of cinematographic effect lies in montage. This text is also available in German.

Beller, Hans

Hans Beller, born 1974 in Stuttgart, graduated from the Munich Academy for Television and Film and worked as an author and director for television mainly in the field of documentaries. During 1991-97 he was Professor for Cinematography and Cineaestheticism at the Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences (scenography) and after that he held the position of Professor of Media Art/Film at the National Academy of Design at the Art and Media Centre (Zentrum für Kunst und Medien ZKM) in Karlsruhe. Since 2001 he has been lecturing at the Academy of Media Arts, Cologne.

Publications: "Im Westen nichts Neues " (1991), "Die Deutschen als Hunnen - Feindbildproduktion in Hollywood" (1995), "Onscreen/Offscreen - Grenzen, Übergänge und Wandel des filmischen Raumes", (2002).

Cinematography: "Loriot - Fernsehen auf dem Sofa" (1991), "Marshall Plan in Action - Filme für Europa" (1997), "Bilder des Jahrhunderts - Jahrhundert der Bilder" (1999)