What is Continuity Editing?

Continuity editing uses a combination of combining shots and rules of framing in order to help the audience make sense of what is going on. It is an active two way process in which the audience are meant to decode signs without thinking. The audience are not supposed to notice the techniques used, for example the ‘180˚’ rule or the’ crossing the line’ rule. The 180˚ rule is set-up so that there is no confusion over narrative time and space. The editing process uses ‘cuts’ in order to have a smooth transition from one piece of dialogue, location or action to the next. It is intended to provide a ‘realistic’ set of events. However, texts can go against the rules of realistic editing in order to cause a disorientating or discontinuous narrative for the audience (Tarantino for example!).

The ‘180˚’ rule -dictates that the camera should stay in one of the areas on either side of the axis of action. There is an imaginary line drawn between the two key elements A and B in a scene, usually two characters.

A few examples of editing techniques that help create different meanings when used.

Cut- a single unbroken strip of film.

Establishing shot- a shot used at the beginning of the scene, to show the audience the location or the relationship with other aspects that follow.

Close up- a shot that is close to the object, face or subject. Usually reveals detail

Extreme close-up- a shot that shows the subject in a lot of detail, for example writing in a book.

Jump cut- is a shot that breaks the continuity of time.

Pan- the rotation of the camera on a vertical axis.

Dissolve- the shots merge together through an edited almost fade technique.

Point of view shot- is from the view of a character on screen or for the audiences understanding of an important subject, what they want you too see through their eyes.

Montage -scenes whose expressive impact and visual design are achieved through the editing together of many brief shots.

Tilt- the camera is fixed but tilts up or down.

Text and the City

‘Wales Millennium Centre opened in 2004 and has already established its reputation as one of the World`s iconic arts and cultural destinations. The vision of the Centre is to be an internationally significant cultural landmark and centre for the performing arts, renowned for inspiration, excellence and leadership.’ (www.wmc.org.uk)

The centre is an arts centre located in Cardiff Bay; it hosts performances of theatre, dance, opera, comedy and musicals. The calligraphy on the building is part Welsh ‘Creu Gwir fel gwydr o ffwrnais awen’ which translates ‘Creating truth like glass from the furnace of inspiration’, the other part is in English ‘In These Stones Horizons Sing’, composed by the welsh poet Gwyneth Lewis. Lewis explains that she chose the Welsh words in order to reflect the buildings architecture and the English words as the front reminds her of the sea, in which the Welsh port has allowed the world to come in and out of Cardiff. What is intriguing and clever, is that the huge letters are formed by windows which look out from an upstairs bar, in which they are illuminated at night. It is interesting that they have used two languages, it connotes that they are proud of being Welsh but also that they are proud to share another language with the rest of the world. The decision to use the poetic lines instead of the ‘Millennium Centre’ on the front entrance is artistic and contemporary and undoubtedly significant in relation to the nation of Wales.



Becky Ingram's chosen image.



Becky G's chosen image.

Who is Banksy?

Banksy is an unknown artist to but a few of his trusted friends. For years his identity has been a closely kept secret as he travels the world and leaves his iconic trade marks on buildings and public places. His work magically appears overnight, leaving everyone questioning why he keeps his identity such a secret.

Banksy’s work first became famous in the early 90’s, in which his well-known ‘guerrilla’ art appeared in Bristol, thought to be his home town and in London. Since then he has travelled to many cities such as Los Angeles, Palestine and Israel where he has become a well-known graffiti artist.

The reason his work gains so much controversy is because it often mocks political and cultural topics. He started out as a freehand graffiti artist as one of Bristol’s DryBreadZ crew, he starting using stencils as it was a quicker way of completing his work and avoiding being caught by anyone. His images are also humours and contain slogans about subjects of anti-war and anti-capitalism. His work has included spoofing British £10 notes by replacing the Queens head with a picture of Princess Diana’s head. He also replaced Paris Hiltons CD in shops around the UK, with a remake of his own, including song titles ‘Why Am I Famous?’ and ‘What Am I For?’ along with images of her topless and with a dogs head!

He has held many exhibitions but his recent one was at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, where it was the first show in which Bansky said ‘taxpayers’ money is being used to hang my pictures up rather than scrape them off’. He was involved with the exhibition but the staff did not know who he was amongst the crew of people who set up. www.banksy.co.uk

‘Banksy previously believed to be one Robert or Robin Banks and born in 1974/5 in Yate, Bristol.
He doesn't do interviews very often but was interviewed in 2003 by Simon Hattenstone, a reporter for the Guardian newspaper. He described Banksy as looking like a "cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner of the Streets" and turning up wearing scruffy casual jeans and t-shirt, sporting a silver tooth, silver chain and silver earring.’ (banksyunmasked.co.uk)

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Film review 'Inglorious Bastard's' (2008)

Summary
Inglorious Bastards, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is set in Nazi occupied France, where a group of Jewish American soldier’s led by Lt. Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt), known as ‘The Bastard’s’ set out to kill and scalp the Nazi’s. They cross paths with a young Jewish girl, Shosanna Dreyfus, who witnesses her family’s murder at the beginning of the film and narrowly escapes. She owns a cinema in Paris, in which she plans to blow-up, as every major Nazi officer is going to attend the movie premier. ‘The Bastards’ hear about the premier and also plan their revenge by conspiring to murder the Nazi’s.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film, as I do with much of Tarantino’s work. It is an action/ adventure movie with a Western Spaghetti feel, Tarantino triumphs with his use of clever dialogue and brilliant mise-en-scene. What surprised me, was that it had many humours elements in it, which I didn’t expect, or expect that much. I found myself literally laughing out loud as the film mocks the Nazi era through Brad Pitt’s accent or of the German leaders, in particular the camp portrayal of Hans Landa. Tarantino’s use of dark comedy works well within the narrative of the film; he almost makes you laugh at things that, in their context, aren’t meant to be funny. The film is split into five chapters; it doesn’t follow a linear structure, which is another witty and prominent convention from Tarantino. The overall film encompasses pastiche which makes it all the more enjoyable for the audience and even though it isn’t a historically correct film, it is an insight into the powerful and conflicting oppositions during World War II, which nevertheless flourishes in style and imagination.

‘'Inglourious Basterds,' remake or not, is extraordinary.’ (Mark Jones, examiner.com 2008)

'Regardless of what anyone has to say about Tarantino’s past work, “Inglourious Basterds” is the director at his finest (...) Brad Pitt continues to prove he’s one of Hollywood’s best in his role as Lt. Aldo Raine, but Austrian actor Christoph Waltz, deserves the most recognition. His depiction of Col. Hans Landa, was nothing short of genius. Tarantino’s vision of “Inglourious Basterds” has taken many years to come to fruition, but has proven to have been well worth the wait. Fan’s of Tarantino’s past work will not be disappointed with this utterly incredible film.’

Tarantino has been criticised for Inglorious Bastards, in relation to the themes of Nazi’s and the Jewish Holocaust.

'Quentin Tarantino's forthcoming second world war romp Inglorious Bastards is likely to be savaged by critics in Germany.(...)"The collision between Tarantino-style pop culture with the themes of the Holocaust and Jewish revenge (the 'Bastards' of the film are Jewish-American Nazi hunters) is unprecedented in Germany and its results are completely unpredictable."’ (Ben Child guardian.co.uk 2008)

‘Tarantino has remade a really bad Italian-made WWII thriller into an intentionally dumb and violent shoot-'em up with barely a hint of the original film. And he remade it at quarter-speed. Inglourious is slow, dumb -- and in a first for QT in his cinema savant career --incompetent.’ (Rodger Moore, Orlando Sentinel Movie Critic 2009)
Movie Trailer