Clip Breakdown

What is Editing:

Editing is the term given to a clip being altered or changed in any way. Whether this is through hand editing and manual editing or using a computer to add visual effects etc. You can hand edit clips in almost any way you can think of. This can be ranging from dipping the developed film into a light dye to change the colour or just scribbling onto the film with a pen.Editing can also be the splicing of clips and shots together in a sequence to create a bigger product. Editing originally was discovered when Georges Melles ran out of film half way through a shot and realized that when he began to record again that something else was in its place and that he could cut footage. You can place clips together through various transitions such as; cuts, fades, wipes and dissolves. Cuts are the most common of all, as they are used to put every shot together in a certain scene. The cuts however, must be continuous otherwise it can confuse the audience into thinking that the same thing is happening again.  Fades are commonly used at the start and finish of films to introduce establishing shots or just to give it a smooth feel. Fades are also used to show the passing of time. If a shot is to fade off and fade back onto the same scene your mind subconsciously registers that time has passed. Wipes are the least common of all as these are rarely used. Wipes are usually used through different and unusual ways. Wipes are commonly used with masks around certain objects or people in a scene whilst they move across to reveal the next scene in the background. They are used in very few popular films, as they often ruin the continuity of the sequence. One of the most popular films to use the wipe transition would be Star Wars. Star Wars is known for being one of the only successful films to use the wipe transition without any advanced editing or background transitions. Dissolves are commonly used when there is a change in time or location, or when then there is a change of pace needed. The dissolve is a powerful transition and can be used to set the pace for a sequence.

Film and Digital Footage:

Film was the very first way to be discovered when recording footage. It was discovered that showing multiple frames/images in order could make the pictures look as if they were moving. Film is currently still being used widely in the film industry however, now that digital has been introduced, digital is now becoming vastly popular and is increasing in quality and is becoming cheaper. As cameras are becoming more advanced, the cameras before are becoming cheaper as they are no longer as advanced as the new model (Planned Obsoletion). The Arri Alexa camera is the most commonly used camera for shooting feature films. Whereas film is still popular in its use, digital cameras such as the Arri Alexa are being used a lot more.

Visual Analysis of Clip:

The main protagonist is quickly identified in this clip as this is the introduction clip to the Wolf Of Wall Street. In this clip the main protagonist is identified to be the only man in the clip with a lot of screen time and mostly all of the shots are close ups or have him as some form of focal point. He is clearly shown to be the main character when all of the shots only follow him and none of the other characters/extras in the shots. Even when there are close ups on other actions happening, the shots are short as they don't want to lose any attention on the main character/protagonist. The first shot that cuts away from the main protagonist is only to re-establish the location which he is in. The re-establishing shot of him getting into his limo and then arriving at the new building is to show a change of scenery and keeps the flow of continuity rather than him just climbing in the limo then having the next shot cut to him in the new location without knowing how he got there. This flow of continuity keeps the illusion that it is all happening together rather than a constructed piece of text. There are a variety of different shots used through this clip however they never go any further out than a medium shot so they can keep the focal point on the main protagonist. Throughout this clip they use medium shots and close ups, even when showing an action.

This clip interacts with the audience and keeps them entertained through the main protagonist (Leonardo De Caprio) talking to the camera. This keeps this clip entertaining and draws you in although there is nothing exciting going on throughout the clip. This clip is explaining his life so that you can understand him and allows you to connect with the main character and amplifies the connection you feel with the close up. The clip of the main character cutting the cocaine uses a low aperture to focus on the object and emphasize its importance to the main character. The shot from 0:37-1:00 Uses a lot of match on actions to close ups of the main character performing different actions. The match on actions are used so that they can cut shots to better angles and close ups without losing the flow of continuity. If the continuity is broken it may seem like the character is performing the action twice or may cut it off so it looks like it has skipped the action. The continuity is also kept through the use of multiple shots throughout when the main character throws the $100 dollar bill into the bin. The shots used throughout this clip and actions performed in it are all to show that the main character is rich. These actions and shots such as him throwing his drink away and smashing the glass rather than giving it to the chauffeur. When he smashes the glass he has very little emotion which shows that he doesn't care about it. This along with the limo, the big house, the company and the close up on the $100 bill shows he clearly has a large amount of money. This is also amplified when the $100 bill is thrown into a bin. This shot alone suggests that he has a lot of money without showing the other $100 bills that are in the bin. This shows his vast wealth as most people desire money and treasure it whereas he disregards it and shows little attachment to it.

This long shot is used to show the large size of the office and the large amount of people that respect and admire the main character. This makes the main character seem like an important man as he has a lot of people that are excited and happy to see him. This is an important shot in the clip as it shows his power without having to use a worms eye view or a close up. This also gives the viewer the effect that he is a good person as so many people respect him. At 0:26 the clip cuts out the sound and has a non dietetic soundtrack begin to play. This is to keep the viewers mood positive and keep them diverged in the film. This also keeps the continuity in the scene as the music in the background adds a certain vibe to film. Although there is a change of location the only form of editing transition in this is a cut. There are no fades as there are no changes in time so it is not needed and as the car shows the main character travelling to the office it shows the journey the whole way and uses an establishing shot so a fade is not needed.