Edit Foundry

 This week we’re going to talk about match action.

Our story for the week is Michaela.

What is match action?  Match action is a edit that connects two shots together via the action within the two shots.  I’m very meticulous with match action.  Editing two shots together on a movement will often make the edit invisible.

• A prime example of this is the tight shot of Michaela starting to move down in the shot at :34 seconds

 

•  and continuing the movement down in the next medium shot of her.

 

 

 

 

 

• Movement kind of covers up the fact that you are making an edit.  The eye thinks of it as one continual shot.
  

 

The beginning of the story is a sequence of Michaela and her mom in the kitchen.  Within that sequence I use match action from the shot at :11

 

 

to the very next shot

 

You can see I’m editing with match action as much as I possibly can in this story.  Every time I found an opportunity to edit match action I did.

Match action  make edits very smooth.  Match action doesn’t have to be the same exact thing in the frame to work.  In the previous two examples I edit on the action of Michaela.  This next example is a match action sequence.  The first shot at :33 seconds in this match action sequence is Michaela lifting up the barbell and then dropping it to the ground.

 

the next shot completes the action of the barbell hitting the ground.

When the barbell leaves the frame your eye naturally drop down.  Your eye expects to see the barbell hit the floor.  The match action is very natural and expected. 

• When you hear people talking about edits that don’t get in the way these are the types of edits they are talking about.
  

Another match action sequence happens at :37 seconds into the story.  The barbell comes off the ground and the next shot is Michaela lifting it up and then back down.  Again, see how the 3 shots there are seamless and the action is expected.

Another serious of shots starting at :39 seconds is the match action I mention at the begging of this post.

Starting at 1:22 of the story is a lot of match action at the weightlifting competition.  I try to use Michaela’s movement of starting and stopping points for my edits.

There is another match action sequence at 2:10. 

At 2:12 her fingers grip the barbell. 

Right as she lifts I make an edit to the wide shot of her doing a press.

The action of the barbell helps make the edit smooth.

I had a lot of fun putting this story together.  I edit using match action every day.  I do it in VOs (voice overs) all the time.  It’s a good place to practice match action.  If you’re a photographer practice shooting for match action.  Just another one of those little things to help make editing better.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 8th, 2008 at 2:25 pm Filed under Feature Editing and. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.