The Language of Film

In this great article by By Michael Wohl details the language elements in film and editing. It answers the questions of who, what, where, when, why and how in the craft of story telling by the editor.

It is quite and extensive article with excellent examples and explanations. Each type of shot; ECU, CU, MS, LS, etc is explained and shown how it can be used to answer the questions above.

But Michael does not stop there, he takes the concept further by adding the use of verbs and grammar when it comes to editing.

I have read Michael’s book; The Craft of Editing, a fantastic book if you want to learn more about editing as the art of story telling instead of just mechanical. It is a very practical book, but full of wisdom and great advice.

If you are an editor; hobbyist, enthusiast or professional, I recommend reading the article and buying the book. Shameless advertising I know, but that’s my bit of wisdom – best to learn from others when you have the opportunity.