How Hollywood Movies Are Edited

Recent reports claim that filmmaker Michael Moore has spent his career making fake, satirical documentaries to get under people’s skin. He even goes as far as editing out shots of famous faces so they can’t use them in their defense against his attacks!

Many have accused him of being self-righteous and hypocritical, but few know how he edits his movies or why it is done. It is important to note that this not only applies to Moore, but also any movie you watch at your own risk.

Whether his changes are subtle or very obvious, every movie has an editor who has control over what gets cut out and what stays in. This article will go into more detail about the different types of editors and what each one does for a film.

Editorial Advertisements

This includes things like product placement or advertisements for companies related to the movie. A good example would be if the movie was set during World War II and the company placed advertising for war bonds or products used during wartime.

These ads take away from the effect of the scene and sometimes it is hard to tell whether something is editorial content or part of the story.

Clipping Scenes

A less known type of editor is called a *cut-in* (also referred to as a *clip*)*. A clip usually occurs when someone or something else cuts in front of or next to another person or thing.

Eliminate noise

Another important way to edit movie clips is to eliminate or reduce some of the background noises that may be present in the footage. Film editing is an art form, so there are many ways to achieve this!

Some common types of noise include:

Other people’s voices

Computerized voice-over or narration

Electronic music or sound effects

If these things are not necessary for the story, you can usually get rid of them or at least attenuate (lower the volume of) them.

You might also want to consider re-recording any dialogue that has gotten too loud due to the other sounds. This will give your film more balanced audio and better quality overall.

This article really packed a punch! Not only did it talk about how to edit movie clips, but it even talked about what settings to use when doing so. I would recommend giving his website a look so you can read his full tips like why using lower ISO values is important and how to know when to cut down on exposure time.

Change lighting

A well-known editing trick in feature film production is changing the light source for a scene. This is typically done during either a day or night setting, and depending on the genre of movie being filmed, this change can make a big difference in how the scene is perceived.

For example, if the movie is about a family coming together after a loss, then having some bright lights that are outside the house could enhance their bond. On the other hand, if the movie is about two people who have been fighting all day, a dark room with only candles as illumination will create an intimate mood.

The best way to identify when this trick has been used in a movie is by looking at the surrounding areas. If there are lots of ambient lights, it was probably not needed because the natural light already had enough intensity. Or maybe there were just too many camera angles which took away from the intimacy of the situation.

Change focus

A lot of people assume that movie editors only make little changes to a scene or cut away when something is not working. This assumption comes from watching movies where there are frequent cuts, shifts in camera angles, and overall flow.

However, this isn’t the case at all!

Movie editing actually involves making significant changes to a shot or even creating a new one. It can be because something else was better such as using another angle, changing the setting, or adding more detail. These things cost no more than a few minutes to do so it is not expensive for film makers to add them in.

There could also be budget constraints preventing them from completing the current setup but they have enough money left to start filming the next part of the story.

Change angle

A lot of people assume that film editors are there to take raw footage, cut it up into scenes, and add in some music and effects. This is not quite true!

Film editors do go through this process, but their biggest contribution goes unseen. They edit out anything they feel does not fit into the story or breaks the flow of the movie.

This is what professionals refer to as “cutting out” or “taking out.” The term comes from cutting down trees, timber being one of the main products of an editor’s job.

When you watch a movie, you may have noticed when characters talk about something important, someone cuts away before saying too much. This is because the director wanted to emphasize how serious the topic was and didn’t want to drag things out.

The camera sometimes will be angled so that nothing is really seen of the subject, making it look like the person doesn’t care enough to put more effort into telling their own story.

This is another way that film editors contribute to the success of a movie. By taking out all these bits that don’t belong in the narrative, your perception of the movie changes, which can make it more appealing or interesting for other viewers.

There are many ways that editing takes place, and most are done very quickly.

Take out distractions

As we've seen, editing is an integral part of filmmaking that goes beyond just cutting away bits of the film. Beyond simply taking out beats or scenes, there are some other things filmmakers will edit out to create a better picture.

One of the most common types of edits in films is what's called a cutaway. A cutaway happens when the camera lingers on something for a little longer than it should, creating a bit of extra footage. This can be due to dramatic effect, such as showing someone walking off set for the first time, or due to natural interest, like watching someone take their shirt off.

Since this is usually done outside of the script, these pieces often go unnoticed. However, since there’s no dialogue, those few seconds add up quickly. The editor has to decide whether to leave them in or not, and if they're worth removing, then they have to come up with a good reason for why they're being left out.

It may sound obvious, but sometimes people don't know how to use the equipment properly. There were many times I would see a shot of someone putting on makeup that clearly showed you could tell it took way more effort than intended, or one where you could see someone yawning which didn't look quite right.

These small instances really added up and influenced the final edit.

Add detail

A lot of people assume that film editors have access to all of the footage for their cut, which is definitely not the case. When they enter the editing room, what they see is usually only a small portion of the movie.

The director will often leave out large chunks of the movie so that nothing is seen or understood until the editor adds it in. This is because these pieces are already incorporated into the script, or they’ve been filmed several times but never finished.

When an important piece is missing, the editor has to make up for it by adding more details to the story. They may add voice-over, convey emotions, or describe how things look. These additions can sometimes be tricky, as there might not be enough time to find someone who fits the role well before filming starts again.

This could also mean changing the setting or situation, which some scenes may depend on.

Change length

One of the most common changes that filmmakers make to remove something from the movie is changing the length of a clip or sequence. This is typically done when the content in the original footage is too long, so it gets cut down.

A very popular example of this happens every time someone says “I love you” during a wedding ceremony. Almost without exception, what happened next was someone breaking into tears. The editor will usually shorten those scenes by cutting out either part of the speech or both before and after the tear comes.

This process is called trimming and can save hours of film editing if not done properly. Trimming needs to be done with care though as anything beyond basic edits like cuts and loops can damage the overall quality of the movie. Make sure your edit settings are professional and clean!

Something else to keep an eye out for is when a new element is inserted. A lot of times, people notice the change right away, but some may need to see the movie multiple times to realize what has been added.

Cut out distractions

As we watch a movie, we are exposed to various forms of media: movies, TV shows, advertisements, etc. All of these contain messages that influence how people view the world and what products they perceive as valuable.

Some of these messages are positive (“This product will make you feel happy!”) while others can be negative (“Why don’t people use this product? Because it doesn’t work!”).

The media has a huge impact on society, and most people have no resistance against some of the things they see being advertised every day. It is therefore important to note how much media our children are exposed to and determine if and how much of it is appropriate for them.

In fact, one study found that adolescents who were exposed to less than half an hour of advertising per week were happier than those who watched television for three hours per night.

A few minutes of advertisement time may seem like a lot, but think about it - how many times have you been asked about your personal life during a commercial break? Or how often do advertisers talk about making healthy living options available to people?

It seems like there is a constant stream of marketing trying to get us to buy something, which could potentially affect young kids who are still developing their understanding of success and failure.

Another reason why ads should be limited in length is because people tend to remember the content more clearly.