Editing for Continuity at DVinfo.net

Dean Orewiler · March 24th, 2006, 09:11 PM

This question may be a bit "off base" but here goes...

I am shooting a movie and here is what I want to do:

I want to show a close-up of a person talking to another person (off camera)...and that person off-camera begins to respond to the person ON-CAMERA, but then in mid sentence - maybe mid word, we cut to the person off-camera and he continues his sentence. How can this be done with ONE camera?? Is there a way to shoot the off-camera person reading their WHOLE LINE and then overlap the audio onto the first person talking?

Is this the way they do it in the motion picture industry??

Graham Hickling · March 24th, 2006, 09:59 PM

> Is there a way to .... overlap the audio onto the first person talking?

Any editing software that supports more than one audio track (i.e almost all of them!) allows you to do this.

Dean Orewiler · March 24th, 2006, 10:19 PM

thanks Graham..I appreciate the advice...I wondered how they did that!!

Dylan Pank · March 27th, 2006, 07:20 AM

They're called L-Cuts, or split edits. You don't even need two tracks, unless you do want to overlap the dialogue.

Just shoot one actor's close up, shoot the other actors close up. edit the two cutting between the lines, then shift (Roll in FCP, Trim in Avid or Premiere) the picture edit one way or the other.

Richard Alvarez · March 27th, 2006, 07:23 AM

Yup, split edits, 'L' cuts or "J" cuts, depending on which way you cut it, audio enters first or video. Absolutely a staple to basic editing.

You should pick up a book on basic editing to understand these elements. They are a big part of the method for maintaining continuity and flow of the pacing.

K. Forman · March 27th, 2006, 07:30 AM

You would need to shoot the first subject speaking and reacting to the second subject, the shoot the second subject speaking and reacting to the first subject. So basicly, you shoot each actor doing the scene seperately, and mix it in post.

Jack D. Hubbard · March 27th, 2006, 12:47 PM

In the days of the Ampex 1000 2-inch video tape machine, there was no way to edit the tape except to physically cut it. The editors would cut an L (or a J) to set up a sound precede/pix and tape the video back together with a special tape. Can't remember what the material was.

March 24th, 2006, 09:11 PM	#1
Dean Orewiler Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 186	Editing for Continuity This question may be a bit "off base" but here goes... I am shooting a movie and here is what I want to do: I want to show a close-up of a person talking to another person (off camera)...and that person off-camera begins to respond to the person ON-CAMERA, but then in mid sentence - maybe mid word, we cut to the person off-camera and he continues his sentence. How can this be done with ONE camera?? Is there a way to shoot the off-camera person reading their WHOLE LINE and then overlap the audio onto the first person talking? Is this the way they do it in the motion picture industry??

March 27th, 2006, 07:30 AM	#6
K. Forman Capt. Quirk Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Middle of the woods in Georgia Posts: 3,596	You would need to shoot the first subject speaking and reacting to the second subject, the shoot the second subject speaking and reacting to the first subject. So basicly, you shoot each actor doing the scene seperately, and mix it in post. __________________ www.SmokeWagonLeather.us

March 27th, 2006, 12:47 PM	#7
Jack D. Hubbard Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Menlo Park, CA Posts: 342	L Cuts In the days of the Ampex 1000 2-inch video tape machine, there was no way to edit the tape except to physically cut it. The editors would cut an L (or a J) to set up a sound precede/pix and tape the video back together with a special tape. Can't remember what the material was.

March 24th, 2006, 09:59 PM	#2
Graham Hickling Trustee Join Date: May 2004 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee Posts: 1,669	> Is there a way to .... overlap the audio onto the first person talking? Any editing software that supports more than one audio track (i.e almost all of them!) allows you to do this.

March 24th, 2006, 10:19 PM	#3
Dean Orewiler Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 186	thanks Graham..I appreciate the advice...I wondered how they did that!!

March 27th, 2006, 07:20 AM	#4
Dylan Pank Major Player Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 611	They're called L-Cuts, or split edits. You don't even need two tracks, unless you do want to overlap the dialogue. Just shoot one actor's close up, shoot the other actors close up. edit the two cutting between the lines, then shift (Roll in FCP, Trim in Avid or Premiere) the picture edit one way or the other.

March 27th, 2006, 07:23 AM	#5
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Yup, split edits, 'L' cuts or "J" cuts, depending on which way you cut it, audio enters first or video. Absolutely a staple to basic editing. You should pick up a book on basic editing to understand these elements. They are a big part of the method for maintaining continuity and flow of the pacing.