Deck 6: The relation of shot to shot: editing

Question 1

An ordinary modern Hollywood film typically contains

A) 600 to 800 shots.
B) 300 to 400 shots.
C) 4,000 to 5,000 shots.
D) 1,000 to 2,000 shots.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Lev Kuleshov's discovery, termed the "Kuleshov effect," suggests that

A) graphic matching usually enhances the narrative clarity of a scene.
B) the spectator's center of attention should be kept close to the middle of the screen from one shot to the next.
C) even if no establishing shot is shown, spectators will still assume that objects in separate shots are near one another.
D) spectators tend not to notice editing if matches on action and shot/reverse shots are consistently used.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The axis of action is

A) an imaginary vertical line down the center of the screen around which the characters are placed to preserve graphic continuity.
B) an imaginary line between the main characters that determines where the camera should be placed to preserve continuity.
C) an imaginary line between the main character and the camera that determines where the camera should be placed for close-ups.
D) a chalk line marked on the floor to show how far away from the camera the actor should be.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT a type of transition from one shot to another?

A) a dissolve
B) a glide
C) a wipe
D) a fade

Question 5

The 180-degree system is designed to

A) ensure consistent screen direction across cuts.
B) create smooth, unnoticeable matches on action across cuts.
C) allow the camera to cut from action in one location to action elsewhere.
D) avoid cutting in the middle of a camera movement to a static framing.

Question 6

Continuity editing is a system for

A) rapidly editing on video as the film is being shot.
B) creating a regular rhythm for a scene.
C) making shots progressively more rapid during a scene.
D) for keeping the spatial and temporal relations of a scene clear.

Question 7

What change in continuity editing has occurred to adapt to the increased number of shots used in films since 1960?

A) increased use of establishing shots
B) more frequent motion of the camera
C) less use of telephoto lenses
D) more distant views of characters

Question 8

In the scene of the gas-station explosion in The Birds, the editing employs

A) strong graphic matching.
B) conflicting graphic qualities.
C) brief dissolves to create a montage sequence.
D) systematic crossing of the axis of action.

Question 9

Precise graphic matching in a narrative context is typical of the films of

A) Stan Brakhage.
B) Yasujiro Ozu.
C) Andy Warhol.
D) Bruce Conner.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a significant alternative to the techniques of the continuity system?

A) 360-degree space
B) nondiegetic inserts
C) jump cuts
D) cheat cuts

Question 11

The opening scene of The Maltese Falcon contains examples of what type of editing?

A) crosscutting
B) montage sequence
C) rhythmic cutting
D) shot/reverse shot

Question 12

In Citizen Kane, Orson Welles utilizes what kind of transition between the deathbed sequence and the "News on the March" sequence?

A) fade-in
B) POV shot
C) graphic mismatch
D) match on action

Question 13

Crosscutting typically

A) provides a greater degree of continuity than a shot/reverse shot does.
B) creates a less restricted knowledge of narrative events than other types of editing.
C) creates a more restricted knowledge of narrative events than other types of editing.
D) demands a great deal of matching on action.

Question 14

A cheat cut involves

A) crossing the axis of action but also matching on action.
B) "cutting" the film in the camera so that actual splices are not needed.
C) splicing together two shots taken from the same framing but with an ellipsis.
D) a slight mismatch in the positions of mise-en-scene elements.

Question 15

The technique of overlapping editing consists of

A) cutting away to action happening elsewhere.
B) expanding the scene by showing more than one view of the same action.
C) placing a small portion of one strip of film over another in order to make a splice.
D) making scene changes so rapidly that the audience cannot see what is happening in the individual shots.

Question 16

A temporal ellipsis in editing

A) repeats an action.
B) shows parallel actions.
C) eliminates part of the action.
D) creates a smooth match on action.

Question 17

Crosscutting is an editing technique that

A) alternates between simultaneous shots in two separate spaces.
B) moves back and forth across the axis of action.
C) introduces flashbacks by direct cuts rather than dissolves or fade-outs.
D) alternates long-shot views with close-ups.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT characteristic of the editing in Sergei Eisenstein's October?

A) graphic discontinuities
B) establishing shots
C) crosscutting
D) unclear temporal relations

Question 19

In the continuity system, a montage sequence usually

A) compresses a lengthy series of actions into a few moments.
B) generates suspense during a last-minute rescue situation.
C) serves as a brief epilogue to the main narrative.
D) uses eyeline matching to guarantee clear spatial relations among shots.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the 180-degree system?

A) It keeps part of the background consistent from shot to shot.
B) It ensures constant screen direction from shot to shot.
C) It ensures a temporal overlap from shot to shot.
D) It avoids crossing the axis of action.

Question 21

A match on action

A) carries a single movement across two or more shots.
B) smoothes the transition across a jump cut.
C) provides a way of avoiding the 180-degree rule.
D) allows for cheat cuts without violating continuity.

Question 22

Flashbacks are the most common departure from a 1-2-3 temporal order in Hollywood continuity films.

Question 23

In order to create a smooth flow of narrative information, Hollywood films use detailed graphic matches for most cuts.

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT used to produce an elliptical transition?

A) fade-out
B) montage sequence
C) dolly shot
D) cut

Question 25

In Rear Window, POV editing

A) provides the viewer with omniscient access to the murder.
B) confuses the viewer concerning the actual location of Jeff.
C) restricts the viewer to Jeff's range of knowledge.
D) introduces unrestricted access to the occurrences in Thorwald's apartment.

Question 26

Most contemporary films indicate the passage of time through fades and dissolves instead of direct cuts.

Question 27

In the sequence at the gas station in The Birds, Hitchcock utilizes a long camera movement to reframe the complex action.

Question 28

Most shot/reverse-shot cuts utilize the eyeline match.

Question 29

A scene's axis of action shifts as the characters move around the set.

Question 30

Overlapping editing expands story duration.

Question 31

Contemporary filmmaking differs from that of classical Hollywood in all the following ways except

A) more frequent use of close-ups.
B) less crosscutting.
C) fewer establishing shots.
D) increased use of telephoto lens.

Question 32

An establishing shot is a close view that reveals a significant detail in the scene.

Question 33

Films that use a great deal of editing are more "cinematic" than those that rely mostly on long takes.

Question 34

A match on action is a common method of breaking the axis of action.

Question 35

Kuleshov typically utilized what editing technique to create a sense of spatial proximity between shots?

A) shot/reverse shot
B) crosscutting
C) eyeline match
D) reframing

Question 36

A chase sequence will typically utilize what editing pattern?

A) crosscutting
B) shot/reverse shot
C) graphic matches
D) eyeline matches

Question 37

In editing, rhythm depends on the patterning of shot lengths.

Question 38

The term shot/reverse shot refers to cutting across the axis of action.

Question 39

Film editing may be thought of as the coordination of one shot with the next.

Question 40

Intra-frame editing allows filmmakers to

A) intercut two unrelated images to imply spatial proximity.
B) combine parts of different shots into a single shot.
C) splice together multiple frames to produce a new graphic relation.
D) utilize mismatched shots in a conversation sequence to hide their flaws.

Question 41

Cite at least three techniques of continuity editing that can be found in this scene.What purposes are fulfilled by the selected techniques?

Question 42

Graphic qualities are rarely considered in continuity editing.

Question 43

Discuss the most significant aspects of the editing in this short segment.Be sure to mention temporal, spatial, rhythmic, and graphic qualities in the cutting.

Question 44

A match on action is so powerful that it can create spatial and temporal continuity across the cut.

Question 45

POV editing in Rear Window violates the 180-degree rule.

Question 46

The "intensified continuity" that characterizes contemporary filmmaking is well adapted for viewing on small screens.

Question 47

A POV shot is optically identical to an eyeline match.

Question 48

Discuss how the number of shots in a film has evolved since 1930 and how this has affected the continuity editing system.

Question 49

A shot can be as short as a single frame.

Question 50

Editing is the most effective technique for controlling a viewer's attention.

Question 51

Elliptical editing expands story time.