Some of the basic shots filmmakers use when covering a scene are establishing shots, wide shots, medium shots, close ups, inserts, cut-aways etc. Prior to writing for Screen Rant, Nathan worked for Regal Cinemas where he helped build and managed their blog, Regal Reel, to which he also regularly contributed. Remember, regardless of whether you are discussing these scenes for editing or cinematography, the effect on the audience is the same. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. Another example of an influential accident is when a pop-tart springs from a toaster causing Butch to pull the trigger on a gun. In the extended version of the scene, Esmarelda explains that her last name, Villa Lobos, means of the wolves, and Butch provides a more detailed, philosophical answer to herquestion on death. The entire scene has no musical score to underline each action as a character is tossing things around to find the shot. No amount of well-done transitions will make up for a story which is not well told. The matching knit collar band, cuffs, and waist hem are all brown to match the rest of the jacket. Re-read the section below and make any minor tweaks so that the focus is clearly on the editing rather than the camerawork. a movie like Four Rooms which has different stories that all take place in one hotel. In your Original post of 200 words, (1) discuss TWO significant edits and (2) then reflect on your abilities to quickly identify cuts and to understand their potential significance. The montage speeds us through as she learns how to dance, although as the late great Patrick Swayze tells her, The steps arent enough. Now, I know you think you're smart. Other, the phrase "pulp magazine" will also be seen. Why Jules Doesn't Die In Pulp Fiction A great example of storytelling coverage using eye-line match and looking space can be found during a short scene from Quentin Tarantinos classic cult film Pulp Fiction. A symbolic match cut can also include matched visuals or sounds, but the key here is the symbolism between the clips. Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary. Most directors will cut away from the violence, but Tarantino stays with the violence and often displays the characters in the aftermath of the violence. Matching the Dialogue This type of match cut happens when a character or narrator is talking and the cut is made between two words that are the same. Editing is a key part of the movie making process, and the editor shapes the visual storytelling. Great work in the lesson! In terms of a broad scope, you might consider smash cuts for getting an upbeat pace, montages for telling longer stories in a shorter time period, or standard cuts for a more conventional romcom. Match cuts may require a little more thought and planning up front, but once theyre utilized effectively in your productions, people will really take notice. Standard cut "Because it was a film that was so structurally, thematically, and metaphorically complex, it really . The dialogue-driven crime comedy is Tarantino's second feature film and the one that solidified the rising star as one of the biggest names in the industry. It wasn't until the 1994 Quentin Tarantino classic "Pulp Fiction" that Willis returned to the public consciousness with a vengeance. Review pp. The camera is placed at a slightly lower angle and he takes a few steps back after giving his line of dialogue, making it obvious he just walked in from another room. Although looking screen left, Jody is placed more to the center of the frame instead of to the right (placing her to the right would've been the norm if the dialogue had only been between two people). Mullen (245) noted that continuity editing provides smooth flow across shots and scenes in the film without jarring the visual . After a few moments, we get a whip-pan to Eric Stoltz (Lance). liquid_nitr0gen 1 day ago. That's a good question. There, he found a submachine gun on the kitchen counter and heard someone in the bathroom. Tarantino discusses the cut scenes in a special features presentation included with home releases ofPulp Fiction in which he clarifies the context of each cut or extended scene, and why they were removed from the film. Feel the music. This cuts to a medium shot that introduces the main characters in the opening scene: of a couple having a conversation while eating in a diner. The interweaving of Tarantinos three stories complicates the commonly used linear structure for movies and presents the film in an interesting way that allows chance to dictate the plot. The final, theatrical cut of Pulp Fictionis 154 minutes long, but there are about 24 minutes of extra footage consisting of five additional or extended scenes that the director cut from the finished product. Tarantinos movie is an attempt at collecting, updating, and generally revising stories that dominated the genre. Reservoir Dogs has a scene where Steve Buscemis character is having a quiet conversation, and then it immediately cuts to a bell ringing and we see him running along a sidewalk holding a briefcase. Rumor has it that Pulp Fiction's legendary dance sequence between Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace at Jack Rabbit Slim's was directly copied from the Fellini classic 8 . Its when you transition between visuals based on subjective translation, or what they represent. Undoubtedly the most problematic Pulp Fiction scene involves a pawn shops basement, with Ving Rhames and Bruce Willis gagged and a submissive Gimp in full leather bondage watching over them. That would be a basic L-cut, and part of the effect is that we are more connected to the previous speaker, even on a subconscious level. However, Butch realized Fabienne forgot to pack his fathers gold watch, so he returned to his apartment to get it. Lets go back to the diner with Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace, but instead of the standard edit cuts, we see a slightly different version. The use of random unnecessary violence saturated with real life dialogue creates comical morbid scenes that appear comical. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Having Jody in the center leaves space on either side of the screen, implying the possibility of another presence behind her. Related:Quentin Tarantino: Must-See Movies From The Director. Jack Rabbit Slims is so integral to Pulp Fiction and so viscerally brought to life, youll be forgiven for thinking its a real nostalgia-themed restaurant. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? It was incredible. While its tempting to read into the contents, Tarantino has repeatedly stated that its all up to the viewer, and Jackson clarified that the briefcase was simply filled with two batteries and a lightbulb. Yet another of the movies artful distractions. . The car wasn't a prop, but a currently in-use car belonging to director Quentin Tarantino. A great example of nonlinear storytelling is the script to Pulp Fiction (written by Quentin Tarantino, stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Roberts Avery). While he is on the phone, the camera does a close up on Travoltas face, so we can see his expression perfectly and we can see how he is reacting to the situation. Two years later, Tarantino both opened and closed Pulp Fiction in a dinerwhile yet another one (Jack Rabbit Slim's) played an integral part. 14. An extreme example would be a fast-cut music video or promo where there are different cuts to different beats of the music, and the opposite would be a standard cut where what you see is what you get, e.g. "Pulp" is a schlocky, kitsch and fun aesthetic that is still being . Vincent's death in Pulp Fiction can be seen through different lenses, but ultimately, he was always meant to die, either because he didn't find redemption, karma caught up with him, or he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is done by some clever and yet simple coverage, taking into consideration some important factors like: -Camera placement (eye-level, low-angle, etc), -Looking space (looking left or right of frame), -Composition (characters in the middle, left and/or right of frame). "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Here are a couple of examples. Press J to jump to the feed. Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. This doesnt mean the additional footage is below the filmmaker's high standards; on the contrary, Tarantino has a special affection for many of the following deleted and extended scenes that were cut, more often than not, simply for time management. The films appropriate title is a reference to the pulp magazines and crime books popular during the twentieth century, known for their dialogue and violent nature. What Gomez reveals by stringing all these together is the various uses of the match cut and the varying degrees of similarity between the first and following visuals; some are slight shifts, some are more drastic, but each is intended to relate either kinship or contrast, both of which propel the plotforward. Film Editing Techniques in the Pulp Fiction (1994). One Pulp Fiction storyline follows two hitmen (Jackson and Travolta) whose day starts off normally before quickly descending into chaos. Long takes themselves are not particularly experimental but the way that Tarantino uses them for close ups and medium close ups can certainly be described as unusual, unconventional and 'experimental. He also kept a watch from his father (that was hidden in his rectum). Passwords do not match. Through the awry camera work, and out of the norm editing, Pulp Fiction 's edits are one of the reasons why the movie is so popular. In one story, mob boss Marcellus Wallace asks one of his "employees" named Vincent to take his wife Mia out while he is away. This is the metaphorical/symbolic match cut. All PT movies but my favorite is Magnolia. Vincent's classic car belonged to Quentin Tarantino. There are a number of occasions in, the editing of the film so that the narrative is non-linear or fractured with the plot presenting story events out of chronological order, Tarantino's use of long takes for close ups and medium close ups, unconventional editing patterns for a number of conversation sequences, editing that draws attention to the fact that the audience are watching a film, including titles and text appearing on screen and the drawing of the rectangle by Mia, other unconventional, stylistic, editing techniques such as rear projection, breaking rules of continuity editing such as the 180 degree rule and match-on-action, flashforwards in both the heroin montage scene and 'The Bonnie Situation'. LONDON -- Although it was released in cinemas over a quarter of a century ago, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction still packs a punch. A match cut can be fun and effective and happens when the audio or visual elements are matched from one scene to another. Zed is the leader of the two, and he picks Marcellus as the 1 he will perpetrate the dirty title with. it is more important that the cuts serve the emotional response you would like to elicit, rather than using the editing styles just because you can. This monologue was originally meant to be paired with Vincents story of finding his car keyed shortly after retrieving it from storage as another example of why someones car should not be messed with, a beliefexpressed in thefinal film version of Pulp Fiction. Tarantino wasnt subtle about the inspiration for his multiple-stories-within-a-story concept: As it notes at the outset, Pulp Fiction is directly indebted to the inexpensive pulp novels, covering taboo and sensationalist material, that surged during the early 20th century and had a particular moment in the 1950s. Vincents close up is also framed more to the center of the screen, once again implying a possible presence on the other side of the frame. Opened in 1956 and since demolished, the diners angular architecture defined many such roadside spots in Southern California from that era. Theres also an extended look at Jack Rabbit Slims recreation of the famous Marilyn Monroe street grate scene from Billy Wilders The Seven Year Itch. In fact, following the success of the film, there were plans to open a chain of restaurants bearing the name. The extreme violence in the film is an integral part to the aesthetic. If you dont recall that scene, here is a collection of impactful smash cuts from more recent films. If that kangaroo looks awfully familiar, chances are youre of a certain age. Pulp Fiction's 3-Hour Cut Explained: What Scenes Were Cut? An example of how this plot structure creates interesting results is with Vincent Vega who is killed in one scene in the movie only to reappear again in the finale. The J-cut gets its name from the shape of the edit in the editing software, where the sound precedes the action. Pulp Fiction uses "f*ck" 265 timesa peak for that yearbut perhaps more troubling are the 16 instances of the N-word. These are mostly direct matches, since they rely on the details and positions of objects in the frame to match between the cuts. The star of The Gold Watch is Butch, who after double-crossing Marsellus and accidentally killing his opponent during a boxing match, was preparing to run away with his girlfriend, Fabienne, as he knew Marsellus would send his hitmen after him. In the days of Pulp Fiction as well as now, critics have accused Tarantino of gratuitous use of certain language. The good two examples are the 'Give Her the Shot' scene, which is worth noticing that the whole sequence was done in a classic way, guiding the audience to the scene, making it as easily comprehensible as possible ( Howley 2004) , but at the . The cutaway shot is one of the editing techniques that most people are familiar with, as it literally cuts away from one image to another. Vincent is caught unawares but calmly answers all of Mias This or That questions, an exercise meant to provide her with a better understanding of Vincents personality. Hunter describes the nature of dialogue in the movie as focusing on a specific linguistic model where all dialogue references are obscene, shocking, repulsive, frightening or uncomfortably amusing (Hunter). Here you can choose which regional hub you wish to view, providing you with the most relevant information we have for your specific region. Vincent finally arrives at Mias house, and in the final version, she doesnt do much other than speak to her escort over the intercom. Password Strength: Weak . This type of match cut happens when a character or narrator is talking and the cut is made between two words that are the same. Even simple phone conversations become more engaging with this editing technique in play. In the film, Tarantino recreates scenes of violence that are exaggerated, surreal, and often comical. It can be the same sound or something that blends in nicely with the clip youre transitioning to. Lastly, several of these types of cuts arent mutually exclusive, so keep in mind that they can be used together in many applications. As an adult, Butch kills his opponent in a boxing match, rather than purposely lose as Marsellus wanted. Vitor is a filmmaker, cameraman and editor based in Vienna, Austria. But its impossible to ignore the sheer amount of it as you watch any Tarantino movie. Lets say the first scene ends in 1967 with a boy kicking a ball, we focus on the ball, and the scenes transition to see that ball still rolling, but the scene is now 2017 and picked up by the same person who is now 50 years older. Bid now on Invaluable: PULP FICTION CAST SIGNED CUTS + PHOTO UMA THURMAN BRUCE WILLIS JOHN TRAVOLTA (BAS) from Activity Auctions on November 3, 0122 5:00 PM EDT. Also used is match on action. In one of the strangest moments in Pulp Fiction , the two pawnshop rapists who have kidnapped boxer Butch Coolidge (played by Bruce Willis) and crime-lord Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) task a . Happy editing! Guillermo del Toro said hi to her once. Stone describes how the use of random unnecessary violence saturated with real life dialogue creates comical morbid scenes that appear comical (Stone). Cant say we blame you. 31. Check out our pulp fiction cut selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. Another practical, familiar use of cut-ins would be in a Scream-style shock horror movie that includes a cut-in close-up on the murder weapon. This is arguably the most common type of match cut youll see. Spike Lee has speculated on Tarantinos infatuation with the word, while Samuel L. Jackson has defended his director. But this just slaps.. For he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. 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