Moving image editing: theory and practice

Moving images are ubiquitous. As one of the most pervasive manifestations of the digital age, they broke out with the confines of the cinema theatre and show up on the multitude of screens around us. Just as we are surrounded by many forms of the audio-visual, we also encounter a multitude of editing practices. From blockbusters to YouTube videos we experience images that are carefully selected and artfully cut in a way that is entertaining, persuasive or simply moving.  
 
The course is designed to introduce you to the theory, practice and art of editing. It intertwines historical accounts of editing practice with media analysis and hands-on exercises. Each of the first nine sessions is devoted to one of the key concepts that illuminate intersections between media and culture: conversation, gaze, action, persuasion, story, beat, humour, metaphor and voice. Each session is then divided into three distinctive parts. The first uses film excerpts to showcase editing devices employed in relation to the theme of the class. The second introduces a theoretical understanding of the pertinent editing procedures and instigates a discussion around them. In the last part of the session you will use a pre-selected set of clips to create your own edit.
 
The course is based on an innovative approach to editing techniques that sees them in a close dialogue with the underlying cultural phenomena that shape the current media landscape.