Master Edits in a Professional Film

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Simultaneity/ Cross-Cutting

These shots are from Avengers: Infinity War. This technique is used to give the illusion that two story lines of action are happening at the same time by rapidly cutting back and forth between them. The first scene shown is the battlefield in Wakanda. The second, of a character performing a procedure on another character. The last shot shown is of another character about to perform a dangerous task. There is actually four story lines, but the cut into the next story line doesn't come for a while, so I didn't want to have too long of a clip. The first two storylines were together but got split into two. The four clips come together near the end of the movie. This technique works because it adds suspense and interest, there's rarely a dull moment since you can jump from action to action. The next storyline is just as interesting as the last.

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Symbolism

This shot is from Breaking Bad, Season 1, Episode 7. Symbolism is when an object doesn't represent itself but instead another idea or person. The character on the right is a middle-aged highschool chemistry teacher that was recently diagnosed with cancer. Until this point he has lead a normal life. Because of this, he didn't feel like he was leaving his family his a sufficient enough of money, so he begins cooking and selling cocaine. The two character, the other being his ex- student, are preparing to meet a violent, drug boss. Here, the teacher, Walter, is seen putting on his hat. This hat represents a switch in character. Without it, Walter is an average man with cancer, with it, Walter becomes Heisenberg, a more confident alias. Every time Walter does something adventurous or dangerous, he adorns the hat.   

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Leitmotif

This shot is from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Season 2, Episode 18. A Leitmotif is a recurring element that has symbolic significance in a story. The motif in this scene is the chime once the character is revealed. This chime has been used throughout the entire series with the character Azula, so the audience has linked them together. This scene is a plot twist because the audience think we are about to be greeted by a main character and her friends, when instead we get the main villain posing as them. The chime motif is is an added level of shock once we realize what is happening. As previously mentioned, the chime has been used throughout the entire series. It invokes fear into viewers who are used to what normally happens next. The chime isn't presented as clearly as it is here, in most cases, the chime is underneath the background music and you would only notice it if you're listening for it.