COM 431 - Editing Techniques for Film

Description:
History, concepts, and techniques of telling cinematic stories through editing. Hands-on learning by editing diverse scenes. Combination of lecture and skills application.

Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: COM 341 and film or broadcast journalism major status.

Credits: (4)

Learner Outcomes, Activities and Assessments

Learner Outcome	Activity (optional)	Assessment
Evaluate the qualities of overall structure of a feature-length narrative film.		Students will deconstruct a feature film’s structure and determine its effectiveness, demonstrating understanding of “macro” story structure and its application to the narrative.
Construct a dramatic narrative scene or short film that displays the qualities of traditional continuity-style editing.		Students will edit a narrative scene or short film, demonstrating effective dialogue, reactions, and narrative information.
Construct a documentary scene or short film, employing techniques of documentary editing.		Students will edit a documentary scene or short film, demonstrating development of a theme and effective structure.
Construct a comedy scene or short film that displays the qualities of narrative editing for comedy.		Students will edit a comedy scene or short film, demonstrating appropriate pacing, delivery, reactions, and comedic timing.
Construct an action scene or short film that displays the qualities of narrative editing for action.		Students will edit an action scene or short film, demonstrating appropriate character identification, variety of pacing, and excitement.
Revise a previously edited scene or short film by deviating from the script.		Students will re-cut a previously edited scene using raw footage and deviating from the script, demonstrating new uses of meaning, narrative and aesthetic constructs not present in the original script.
Construct a scene or short film that displays a non-linear, discontinuity editing approach.		Students will edit a scene or short film using multiple, unrelated sources, demonstrating development of theme(s), motifs, and creation of meaning via the “third effect.”
Summarize significant trends and advancements in the history of film editing.		In a written exam, students must correctly name and describe characteristics of historical trends and advancements in film editing.