Category Archives: Eye Trace

The Guideline of Six in Video Editing

April 28, 2014Anatomy of an Edit, Cuts, Edit Decisions, Editing Theory, Emotion, Eye Trace, Rule of Sixshawnmontano

The guidelines of six come from the Rule of six. What’s the Rule of six, you ask?

It’s an editing concept I first learned about reading In The Blink of An Eye.

Walter Murch is a film editor for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather III, and many other films.

The Rule of six is a list of rules you should follow with each cut you make.

1) Emotion
2) Story
3) Rhythm or pacing
4) Eye-trace (leading or directing the eye to what the viewer should look at)
5) Two-dimensional plane of the screen (or screen direction/180 rule)
6) Three-dimensional space of action (or continuity)

This list was developed for film. However, you can apply it to all visual storytelling. It’s a logic to the edit decisions you make every day. I’ve broken down a story you can see the Rule of six in action.

I’m not a big fan of rules. I prefer guidelines.

So, from here on out, we’ll refer to this as The Guidelines of Six in Video Editing. I use this in news, program, documentary, corporate, and commercial/promotional editing.

The story we’re going to break down is We’re Just Floating Along.

This is a segment from the Extreme Kellie franchise I edited at KDVR/KWGN.

The story starts with an aerial of paragliders.

The next shot, the shadow of the paraglider.

The action of the shot is happening at the same position in both shots. The action is just left of center, that’s not by accident. That’s me wanting you to look at precisely what I want you to look at.

I’m using rule #4, eye-trace (leading or directing the eye to what the viewer should look at).

The next shot I’m cutting for rhythm/pacing, rule #3.

I always like to think about eye trace (rule #4) when I’m editing. Every shot won’t work, and nor should you try and make every shot work. If you went for eye trace in each shot, you’d spend a lot of time looking and not a lot of time cutting. I’m cutting for rhythm or pacing here. I wanna maintain an individual pace, and this rule overrides eye trace. Oh yeah, you should follow the guidelines in order. Keeps these rules (or guidelines as I like to call them) at the top of your mind as you cut.

Heck, maybe you should print this out and paste in on you NLE for future edits.

I found this graphic on the nofilmschool website.

What’s this mean? You should cut for emotion over everything. Think about your last edit and how it would have been different in your followed the guidelines of six.

The number #1 guidelines for storytelling is emotion.

Remember, emotion overrides all.

I don’t care if the video is blue if the shot is shaky if there is a swish pan to get to the emotion.

Never cut away from emotion, always cut to emotion.

Guideline #2 is the story. Really start thinking about this Rule. I mean really, really start thinking about this Rule. Did you advance your story? You should always be advancing your story. If you not, then see if the reason why you’re making a cut falls under guidelines 3,4,5 or 6.

Back to the video, we go.

I do a series of faster edits at [:08] for rhythm. I’m simply cutting to the music.

Notice the paragliders are mostly centered in this series of shots. I always have eye trace in the back of my thoughts.

Now here’s a spot that you could argue that rhythm, guideline 3, is an over-riding story, guideline 2. The shots are still relevant to the story. I’m not showing crazy tights shot of the sky? I’m showing paragliders. Story and rhythm are working together here.

Back to eye trace here at [:11] Paragliders are just above center and just to the left.

In that same spot just above center and to the left, Kelly’s head (The instructor Kelly, not the anchor Kellie); more eye trace in action.

The shot at [:23] is for rhythm and advancing the story.

As you can see, no eye trace into the edit. But, out of the edit take a look at [:27]

You are looking at the paraglider. Your eyes are looking just left of the center frame. I’m getting you ready to look at what I want you to, which is Kelly (instructor) putting the harness on Kellie (anchor).

Ok, I’ve to think you’ve got the whole eye trace thing. So, I’m not going to point those out anymore.

The shot from Kellie and Kelly wide above to the shot tight shot Kellie putting on the backpack fall under two dimensional plane of Screen (screen direction), or guideline #5. Kellie (anchor) is on the left, and Kelly (the instructor) is on the right.

I maintain screen direction, but I override continuity rule #6. Do you see how Kellie (anchor) turned at [:28]. She facing left at [:28]

but facing right in the tight shot at [:29]

I maintain screen direction, but I break continuity.

A word about guideline #6, three-dimensional space of action, or continuity. Continuity is the guideline that is incredibly hard to maintain in broadcast news editing. The easiest way to get around continuity is tight shots.

From [:45] to [:59] I’m just thinking about guideline 4 or screen direction. This is a sequence of getting the paragliders up. I’m also advancing the story, guideline 2.

At [:59] I cut to a shot of Kellie giving the camera a thumbs up.

This shot is for emotion, guideline #1. I’m showing Kellie’s enthusiasm.

From [1:00] to [1:10], I’m thinking about rhythm.

At [1:11], Kellie talks about being nervous.

Emotion, guideline #1. I’m NOT going to make a cut even though the photographer adjusts the iris during the shot. I break rhythm too by keeping this shot up so long.

Emotion over-riding all.

From [1:20] to [1:44], I’m cutting for rhythm and for the story.

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At [1:45], Kellie shows emotion, and I stay with it.

There are several more examples of the guidelines of six and how it implies to each edit. I invite you to watch the piece and really look at each edit and ask yourself, why did he do that?

Rarely is one edit made based on one guideline; more often, several rules are in play.

I do want to point out something toward the end of the story.

These 3 shots are jump cuts.

I don’t care.

Each shot has emotion. No need to cut away from it. This is another example of emotion over-riding all.

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Try Making as Many Edits as Possible Using Eye Trace

August 12, 2013Anatomy of an Edit, Eye Movement, Eye Trace, Match Actionshawnmontano

The story for this post is We’re Shootin, the big ones.

You are going to need to watch the piece several times and read the blog entry a few times before this entry really sinks in. Please stick with this entry. It will make your editing better right away.

This is a story about setting up a fireworks display. I used this opportunity to think about eye trace with as many edits as possible and do it with a limited amount of time. I only had about 2 hours to edit this story.

At [:02] into the story, I have a tight shot.

He picks this item up. Before it leaves the frame 100%, I cut to another shot. Your eyes are watching the object go up, and so your eyes are in the top middle of the frame. Next, I looked for a shot that;

Matched the action
Has some action to look at in the middle of the screen to maintain eye trace

I found one.

I’m keeping your eyes in the middle of the frame.

This gentleman walks to screen left. I looked for a shot that has an action screen left.

This is the shot I found. I wanted something more screen left, but I didn’t have it. So, this was the best shot that I could find.

Not only am I looking for what is in the shot, but I’m also looking at the action in the shot and how it maintains eye trace with the next edit. It’s fascinating to think about.

The next time I use eye trace in this piece it at [:07] from the interview,

Screen Shot 2020-03-30 at 11.56.41 AM

to the b-roll shot.

I’m looking at the next shot and what’s going on. I’m thinking ahead. In fact, during this piece, I was often thinking at least 3 edits ahead. For this edit, I’m thinking about the end of the shot. When it starts isn’t nearly as important as when it ends. I’m thinking about eye trace to the next shot. I wait until the guy walks far enough screen left just as he bends down. I make a cut,

Screen Shot 2020-03-30 at 11.58.08 AM

to this shot.

Notice this gentleman is screen right, maintaining eye trace, and he moves subtly to our right. His movement helps the edit.

Not every edit has eye trace, and I’m highlighting the good ones for this post.

I’m thinking about eye trace as much as I can and making as many edits as I can work. The gentlemen walk screen right at [:13]

Screen Shot 2020-03-30 at 12.00.06 PM

Just when he gets to the point I want him at, I make a cut.

To the interview, that’s set up screen right.

Again, with this edit, I’m thinking about what happens at the end of the edit more than what happens at the beginning of the edit.

I hope you see how thinking about eye trace can add a little something extra in ordinary everyday stories.

There are several other instances of eye trace in this story. Watch where there is some movement in the story. A person walking or something coming into the screen. Notice all the edits I’m paying attention to eye trace.

So here’s a test for you. The next time your editing a story, think about the end of the edit more than the beginning of the edit. Is something moving? Can you use eye trace to make your edit better?

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Good Edits are Subtle Edits

October 17, 2012Anatomy of an Edit, Cuts, Eye Trace, midmotionDown to the Frame, Editing Tips, Eye Trace, J Cuts, J-Cut, L Cuts, L-Cut, mid-motion edits, split-edits, staggered editsshawnmontano

The art of editing comes down to frames of difference.

It’s 3 frames here or 4 frames there that can make each and every edit so much better or so much worse. This post is about some of those subtle editing tips.

The story for this post is Sentence Please.

We’re discussing

Subtle editing tips
Staggering audio and video edits
Maximizing shot potential

Sentence Please is a story I edited in just a few hours. Under the opening shot, you hear the announcer. He’s telling a speller a word. I stagger the edits. I create a J-Cut and an L-Cut in the first two seconds of the story. These are also known as split-edits. For those of you not familiar;

A J-Cut is when you hear audio from a shot and then see the video. You make the letter J visually in the timeline.

An L-Cut is when you cut to a different video, but the audio from that previous shot remains.

In Sentence, Please hear the announcer say, “Speller, your word is Malaria.” The first shot of the story is a wide shot of the room with the announcer audio.

I make a cut (video only) and show the announcer. That is a J-Cut.

Then I make an L-Cut. You continue to hear the announcer, but the video is that of a speller.

In addition to using J and L cuts, I’m also employing eye trace.

I want to take the shot of the speller in pink [:01] right as she turns her head. The turn of her head helps acknowledge the announcer to her left (our right).

I am also trying to back-time the shot of her, so she speaks the word right after the announcer finishes speaking. In case you didn’t realize, I merged two different versions of the announcer to make this work. The photographer didn’t pan quickly from the announcer to the speller. The edits made it seem like two cameras were shooting the spelling bee. Create the illusion of a two-camera shoot in your edits.

You’ll see plenty of split-edits in this story. You’ll see plenty of split-edits every day in everything you watch. Split-edits are a part of the craft that you should notice all the time. No really! You need to start seeing split-edits everywhere. They are a vital component of editing. Take notice of them in your favorite movie, your favorite TV show, even your favorite commercial uses split-edits.

Let’s continue with the story and some more subtle editing tips.

The first reporter track in this story is “52 kids sat on the stage.”

For 52 kids, I show a lot of kids on stage. The next shot is that of a speller’s nervous hands.

I take the edit the second I see him fumbling with his hands [:05] nervously. The simple tight shot shows he is nervous. I also take the edit mid-fidget. Meaning the action of fidgeting has already started. Having as many edits with the action already started also makes edits look more natural. You should try to avoid making an edit before any action begins. Again this is another subtle tip. An important tip. Try taking your edits mid-action more. Your edits will look better, and your stories will flow better.

Very often the action within a shot can help convey a subtle message

I want to keep reinforcing the kid’s fidgety state throughout the story.

After a shot of another speller at the mic, the reporter track is “All with one goal in mind.”

The next shot is that of a speller looking down. I take the edit right when she moves her hand around.

Her motion helps convey everyone’s feelings while they are on stage. I also take the edit midmotion.

The difference between a good editor and a great editor is something that comes down to the frame you choose. In the edit, did I prefer something that helped convey the message of the story? Really start asking yourself, why is that shot in my story, and why did I take the edit the moment I did?

I cannot stress how vital editing midmotion helps your overall editing.

At [:17] I’m milking a shot. I like to maximize shots visually and auditorily. I use the shot, and the speller says meticulous twice. I place the reporter track within the two times the speller says meticulously. It’s a subtle way of getting more natural sound into a story. If you’re under a deadline, this is faster than trying to find another shot. You’ve got the shot on the timeline. See if you can milk it for all it’s worth. Just remember not to dry up the shot. Meaning doesn’t leave it up for any longer than you should. Vague, isn’t it. Every single shot in every unique story is different. There is no hard rule for this. It’s a feeling you get once you become a good editor.

At [:20], the reporter track is “The 7 to 14-year-olds each won their Boulder Valley or St. Vrain school’s contest to get here.”

I still want to show that uneasy feeling onstage. This shot of a 7-year-old perturbed was too good to pass up. His expression tells so much.

Don’t you just love this shot? I do. That’s why I’m writing about it. This shot has emotion in it. As I previously wrote, I always cut into emotion and never cut away from it. Do you think I cut away from this shot too early? I do. I should have left it up just a bit longer.

This shot is subtle. I wait to take the shot the second she scratches her face. Movement in every edit is what I strive for. Even if it’s something this subtle.

You’ll also notice a good amount of edits that are backtimed. Meaning I make a cut visually and back time the edit, so the natural sound moment I use plays right into a piece of narration or a soundbite.

Back timing edits are another tool to help blend and stagger audio and video edits.

Watch the story again. This time pay attention to what each kid is doing in each shot. Also, pay attention to how the action in the shot helps convey their feelings.

Little things like what’s going on in your shot, and when you take the edit can often make a good story just a bit better.

Every shot in this story has meaning
There are many split edits in this story
Subtle moments help make a story better

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