Film & TV Language: Editing blog task

 Your final analytical blog task is to find a film or television clip on YouTube that you feel has been edited in a distinctive way and write a 750 word analysis of the clip.

Use as much media language as you can - and remember to highlight it. Try and use the key words we've learned for editing if possible. You can also use any other aspects of film language that we have studied in your analyis - just like the in-class clips where we discuss how editing combines with cinematography, sound or mise-en-scene.

There is a wonderful example online of an editing analysis of The Godfather baptism scene (a clip which also appears as task 6 of the editing section in the Film and TV Language unit). This gives you an idea of how to write in-depth media analyses focusing on aspects of film language. 

-General summary:

A baptism of the protagonist's godson is being baptised in a regal large catholic church with a fitting well-made white gown, another character is getting a shave, another is packing his things and putting on his "uniform" for work. A character is seen walking up the stairs before the protagonist is asked questions to finalise the baptism at the half way point, before the shot changes to a character walking through a dark alley and see that a cab driver and police officer seem to be affiliated, shifting back to the man walking up the stairs, then back to the man who is packing up guns and a man getting a shave leaving. The scene shifts back to the spacious and dark church, followed by the baby starting to wail, many of the characters come together near the building the cab is it, the man coming up stairs gets to an elevator with a suspicious package before shifting back to the shaven man being massaged and back to the baptism with more questions asked to the protagonist before the music crescendo. The man at the elevator pulls out a gun as it opens to three men and he fires away, the shaven man is shot, there's a man stuck in turn-stiles and shot, a man in bed with a women shot as two men come in guns blazing, the "police officer" shoot three men by the cab and gets away in a get away car. The protagonist answers the questions through the ensuing violence and as the baptism ends and he leaves the church, someones car pulls up and tells him what ensued as the scene fades to black.

-Mise-en-scene:

The costume of the characters gives them a perceived air of affluence to the audience, the white frilly baptism gown alludes to childish purity and innocence both literally and religiously. The protagonist and ensemble cast are wearing all manners of good well made suits besides the character killed getting a massage and the one in bed, that makes the reader feel some type of discomfort with their safe spaces disregarded and the fake cop that symbolises how easy it is to impersonate and slip into an already corrupt and unjust system of power. The actors moved very naturally but with purpose and resolve to be integrated into that type of life further mirrored by the firm stance and face of the protagonist as he tells, what the audience knows, are bold faced lies. The use of prop guns highlights the impersonality and brutality of the murders, it removes the victims rights to a meaningful death in any way when they are just a number in the hordes or people killed by guns. The setting is ironic as it's a holy place of rebirth and purity yet the protagonist seems to any be falling deeper into his ways, solidifying his position as a killer in this life and the next willing for revenge.

-Lighting:

The lighting is generally quite dim, desaturated and low-key by use of back and filler lights conveying the dark nature of the plot line. Yet the christening is in quite warm ambient top-lighting that accentuates the holiness and safety emanating from the shots of family and piety, contrastingly the other if the scenes have stark cold lighting that subtly juxtaposes the previous scenes and the blunt and brutal reality these characters live by as a light is shined on their actions.

-Sound:

There is a continuous sound bridge of the words of the priest and his dialogue with the protagonist that is a piece of stark irony as he rejects and rebukes violence and a devilish nature whilst clearly enacting it, going as far the monologue the violence with his lies. Another audible cue is when the baby that's being baptised, they wail as the violence begins, a subtle but important diegetic cue as its mixed and meshed with the cries of the dead, running of the guns and crescendo of the opera music, an unnatural and incoherent mix of life and death that foreshadows the protagonists inherent failure of being a godfather due to his incessant promotion of violence.

-Cinematography/Editing:

The scene opens with an establishing shot of the church and close-ups of the protagonist and godchild, highlighting their narrative importance ,but enigma codes are utilised as a variety of shots of unknown locations/settings and mysterious characters with unclear motives are presented to the audience to build suspense slowly til the particular and planned violence ensues. Furthermore, there are a variety of high angle shots on characters like the baby and the man being shaved that carry a sense of vulnerability, encapsulating the sudden and perverse nature of violence, and how it preys on the weak. There is use of continuity editing incorporated with jump cuts to show events occurring at once in differing places, further highlighting the protagonists hypocrisy to the audience through the editing of the scene.

-Word Count:831 words-