Whilst exploring some articles on what people recommend on how to edit a music video, I came across this post- http://www.thevideogenius.com/how-to-edit-a-music-video/. Later in the article, the following is mentioned:
Play the song until you feel an edit. I learned the method of feeling edits from Walter Murch‘s book “In the Blink of an Eye” He teaches to play the clip until you feel an edit and hit pause when you do. Keep doing that until you pause on the same exact frame 3 times in a row. I’m not usually that strict about it, I’ll usually do it until I hit the same frame twice or I’ll split the difference if it’s close and play it a couple times to feel it out. In my opinion timing is something you feel based on the music and the footage.
The feeling of where an edit lies is mostly how our group have been editing our music video and our film opening at the end of AS. This is a very important skill to have in editing any video, because it demands your eyes to read what's on the screen, if the viewer watches the video and an edit isn't cut in the right place it will be obvious and as a result disconnect them from the song. The importance of this skill is heightened in the editing process of music videos as the music isn't just a part of the film but partnered with the visuals, meaning both need to "fit" with the other (or rather the visuals need to fit with the music). Mostly, I would say it's about feeling an edit rather than working it out systematically, and where an edit needs to be depends on the genre of music/style of song. Through the music video research I have conducted so far I would say the quicker the tempo of the song the more cuts are in the music video.
Our group, for example, explored an artist similar to ours (pretty much in the same genre) and analysed the editing whilst considering the following points:
Go Back by Marketa Irglova
1. How many cuts were in the video?
Around 49 cuts in total. Quite a few were faded into the following shot, but most were straight cuts. Although there aren't an abundance of cuts, this is compensated for by the pace in each shot maintained through the movement within each shot e.g the flow of water, which fits perfectly with the instrumentation. Although the tempo isn't upbeat there is still momentum in the instruments (particularly in the instrumental).
2. Was the editing shrinking or expanding time?
Because the music video didn't tell a full narrative it doesn't evoke a strong sense of shrinking or expanding time because of the variety of shots. On the other hand it's possible that due to the variety of locations shot at different points in time, there was a sensation of time being shrunk. Each shot individually was slowed/sped up (depending on the shot) backwards to show the action reversing in reflecting the idea of going back on one's actions in the song. Most shots were slowed down, however all increased in speed as the music gained momentum from the moment of the instrumental (1:38).
3. At what points were the cuts mostly made?
As in most music videos, the cuts during this video were made to the beat of the song or a change in one of the musical layers. I think it's important that a music video maintains a balance between timing the visuals to the music, to the extent where a video will fit naturally to the audience's visual expectations, however be ever so slightly varied from time to time. A shot doesn't necessarily need to stay in sync with the obvious tempo all the time, as I mentioned before, a cut may occur when another instrument kicks in or a motif begins to maintain the relationship with the visuals but at the same time differentiate a bit.
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