~ Seamless Editing ~

        Conventions and techniques of editing; Seamless Editing. 

       This technique means, when cutting from shot to shot, it is done by the action. So the audience can barely tell that there has been editing done to the scene, that they cannot tell it has been cut. Seamless editing is used to make the film or sequence look natural and flow more easily, instead of cuts and jumps through the scenes. It is seamless if the audience believe they cannot see any cuts from one scene to the other, it is nicely flowing to one scene to the next. The trick with using this technique is cutting it at the action, when an action is twking place in a shot or scene. Therefore, the audience will be concentrating on that action, and not notice the cut, happening between shots. If this is not done perfectly; if the cut isn't done on the action precisely, the audience will be able to notice it and it  will not be seamless editing.

           The purpose of seamless editing is to combine shots into a sequence. For each scene to flow with each other, without the audience noticing the cuts, it will combine the sequence to have a very steady pace and a pace that is not  full of noticeable cuts, that may throw the audience off guard and make them less interested and be concerntrating on the out of place cuts, instead of the narrative or action happening in the film. With each scene flowing with each other, it will persuade the audience to feel like there not watching a movie at all, but watching something in real life not noticing the cuts, being invisible. Also it helps the story in the film be told in a steady way. As each scene flows from one another with seamless editing, so will the story line that is being shown in each scene. Giving the audience a more insight and at a good pace of the narrative going on in the movie. Being able to understand the narrative more, so the audienc or more engage and are enjoying the film, with no noticeable cut from different scene confusing the audience. It helps all the scenes combine seamlessly, so the film runs smoothly with no dodgy cuts that stick out that the audience can notice and be put off by it.

   Let's start with the history of this technique. The first person to master seamless editing was DW Griffiths. David Llewellyn Wark Griffith, who was born in 1875. Was a known film maker and director in the film industry in that late 1800's. DW Griffith is  one of the first film makers to use seamless editing or continuity. Making the cutting in his films seem invisible. Instead of just cutting to an action. DW Griffith would cut at either a emotional action or close up, to give the effect of seamless or invisible cutting to one shot to another. DW Griffith was the first film pioneer to refine seamless editing and give it a whole new purpose, not just using on the action to make the editing or cutting look invisible. He was also the film maker to use close ups to engage the audience and make the audience feel more emotionally connected to the character or subject showing it in a more closer angle.

       Here is a quick clip explaining DW Griffith's work and showing some of his work. Showing how he mastered seamless editing, getting it right on the movement to seem like no cutting was done. It shows his famous film, Birth of a Nation in 1915, which shows seamless editing being used, as the man goes to bow, the scene cuts much closer as he brings his arm around his waist. But following that, the action in both shots, cutting much closer on the action both precisely right at the same time, being hard to noticed there was a cut there at all.

   

     An example of another film that uses seamless editing is Spider Man; which was released in 2002. This scene shows Peter Parker just noticing his spider powers, and accidentally getting in a fight with school buddy Flash. Throughout the fight in the hall, seamless editing is used to make the fight flow and look more effective to the viewer. The audience not able to see cuts from one shot to the other. With each shot flowing with each other, it makes the scene easier to watch by the viewer, and more engaging having it flow with each scene to enjoy the film more.