Old V. New

As mentioned earlier, one of the first films featuring a coherent narrative edit was "Life of an American Fireman". I'm going to compare it with some modern(ish) footage of a similar paced scene.  I couldn't think of any movies involving firemen at the time but I think something which goes quite nicely with it is the motorbike chase scene from "The Great Escape".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coWCkAOkQ0U&feature=related

The scene has several key points.
1.McQueen acquiring the bike.
2.McQueen riding upto the checkpoint.
3.McQueen riding away from checkpoint.
4.German reaction to McQueen riding away.
5.McQueen trying to evade capture.
6.Germans crashing/catching up with him.

It's a mix of reaction shots and McQueen inching away and the Germans slowly catching up racing to a climax at the end, much like in the 1903 film.

The purpose of this was to show that narrative/editing techniques may have become more technological but the basic principles are the same.

It might seem a little obscure but I know what I'm talking about :D

Platoon

Platoon just popped into my head as a classic ending scene which features a few key ingredients.

Diagetic sound, Sheen's narration, the musical score and the visuals all combine to create a very powerful ending scene.  These elements are brought together perfectly, all in the right ratio to stimulate the certain amount of relieve and feeling of sadness as the film closes.

I think this should be the ultimate goal for a film editor.

The growth of editing

In the very first days of film there was no real need for editing as a cameraman would simply hold a shot until he got tired.  There were no real narratives in film so there was no need to switch between scenes or show that other things were happening.  Many people predicted the decline of cinema before it had even started.
"Cinema is an invention without a future."  Auguste & Louis Lumière

Yet some saw differently.
This is "Life of an American Fireman", one of the earliest films to employ a narrative style of direction and editing combined.  This film was put together by Edwin S. Porter, one of the pioneers of the editing game.

Porter also did "The Great Train Robbery" which again was one of the earliest films which showcased great 'cross cutting' and would change the way films were made in the future.

Q. What makes a movie a movie?

A. The editing.

Found a movie on YouTube about the importance of good film editing.

Extra parts are in the suggestions box.

Editor & Director, best pals

An editor must work closely with a director and it has been said that they will spend the most time together out of all members of a production.

The editing process of a major production can last for months on end and a director and an editor must work hand in hand creating a vision which compliments both their talents.  Just like a producer works with a director on set, so too must an editor work with him closely in the cutting room.

Old music video

I shot a music video a few years ago and I remember editing it using an older version of Adobe Premier Pro.  I'm going to rummage around for it and see if I can find it.

Adobe Premiere Pro CS5

I have just acquired  Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 so I think I will use that for the time being.  I also have Sony Vegas and Video Studio.  I have used Premiere Pro for editing a music video before though so I will feel most comfortable with that.