Editing Techniques

Continuity editing is when different related shots are all put together in a film to allow the viewer to understand that there is consistency within the story, and everything flows normally. Alternatively, there is non-continuity editing which is where many shots are mismatched and seemingly random. This can be used to disorient the viewer, or it can also be used to montage many different scenes so that many things can be shown in rapid succession.

Parallel Editing

In the movie Way Down East, there was a scene that used relatively unknown editing techniques for the time. This scene used parallel action. This is when two separate events in separate locations are shown as taking place at the same time. Oftentimes, they could be taking place very close to each-other. The audience will typically be shown these scenes due to many quick cuts between them both, which is used to generate excitement. This film used this technique for the exact reason of inciting excitement within an audience. One character was shown as being in a moment of distress, while another was shown as rushing to help them. The woman character was shown to the audience lying down on a surface of ice, seemingly in pain and unable to stand. A man is then shown hurriedly jumping from ice to ice, trying to reach her before she drifts to the nearby waterfall and drops down it. This scene constantly shows her nearing her demise, and the man struggling to travel quickly. This is to generate excitement within the audience via intensity, but also a sense of dread that he won't make it, and he won't be able to save her. In the last possible second however, he reaches her, and carries her away from the waterfall. The parallel editing showing the exact moment he arrives is very effective as-well, as it couldn't be done as well with different forms of editing, as we saw the man gradually getting closer and closer to the woman. This makes the relief that the audience feels when she is saved much stronger, as the task always seemed nearly impossible, and he only barely succeeded with completing it.

Parallel editing was then later used in the film Silence Of The Lambs. Here, it was used to very effectively trick the audience. The audience is shown a man named Buffalo Bill who is keeping a woman in his basement and brandishing a gun. We are then shown a swat team arriving at a house, heavily armed. They send one man to go the doorbell with a present, and ring it. Bill is shown again, reacting negatively to his doorbell ringing due to the woman he has in his basement that he is trying to deal with. The FBI outside grow impatient, and burst through the doors and windows of the building. They rush inside, but discover the house to be completely empty. We are then shown the armed man answering his door, to show a woman, who asks if she can come inside to ask him some questions about a recent murder. The action cuts back to the brake in, as the man giving all the instructions realizes the mistake that he has made, and how his co-worker, Clarice, is in danger. The editing in this scene is very effective, as it tricks the audience into thinking that the FBI are actually breaking into the house of Buffalo Bill, due to the doorbells both being shown as going off at the same time. This initially gives the audience hope, as they believe the serial killer will be brought to justice, but the big reveal that the main character is in danger completely destroys this, and instead fills the audience with a sense of dread.

Between these two examples of Parallel Editing, I personally believe the use of this technique in Silence Of The Lambs to be more effective. This is because of its usage to actually deceive the viewer is something that not many films have used the technique for, and when the audience realizes it becomes more effective due to the suspense of what may happen next. Way Down East is still effective, but all it has is slight suspense, whereas Silence Of The Lambs has great suspense and deception.

Montage Editing

In Rocky III, a montage is used to show Rocky training for his boxing match. A montage is when numerous related shots that took place at different times are shown in quick succession. This is so that they can give away a lot of information/show a lot of things happening in a relatively short amount of time. These are typically non-continuity, as they don't flow exactly together from when they happen. In Rocky, the training actually likely takes place over the space of a month. This alone shows how effective the montage technique is, as watching a much longer clip of nothing but training could end up being boring, but instead they condensed everything down to only take up three minutes of screen time. In the montage, Rocky is training with his friend Apollo. Noticeably, Apollo is faster than Rocky in the scenes of the montage where they are running along a beach. As the montage reaches it end however, Rocky is seen outpacing his friend. This shows him progressing, indicating that the training is actually paying off. If the montage wasn't used, a great deal of time would have had to have been used to show this progress, but instead, they can do so quickly and get the same effect of making the audience feel a sense of proudness for the main character.

A montage was also used in the film Team America: World Police. The montage here is used for comedy reasons, as it borrows many cliches and conventions of montage's to show how they can be quite absurd. It follows traditional montage steps, showing the main character training to face off against Kim Jong Il, and eventually growing stronger to the point his is defeating the man training him in karate showdowns. The montage also shows what is happening to his captured friends that he wants to rescue, as they are being electrocuted and by Kim Jong Il's workers. We also see his plan coming together, as he invites world leaders to a special event with intentions to destroy the world. While the scene is a parody of montage's, it still uses it's own montage very effectively, showing all of these important things in only one minute and twenty seconds. The audience, while likely just enjoying the scene for its comedic intent, are still being show everything they need to be shown in a very small space of time, indicating this scene to be smarter than it may seem to some viewers who only see it as parody. 

Between both examples, I believe the montage from Rocky III to be more effective. This is simply because the audience watching this film will want Rocky to succeed, so seeing him improve on his skills will make them feel proud and happy. In Team America, wile the montage still works, it's mainly played for laughs and it simply isn't meant to make the audience feel many other emotions.