A Slow Dissolve

Howdy, evening types. Another meaty post, Master Mætenloch!

Invisible Magic of Movie Editing

During college years, I worked for nine months as go-fer at a TV station. When I wasn't delivering packages or sorting the mail, my immediate boss, was the station's film director. Great guy. Loved film, and was always careful about making them look good, even cut up for commercial broadcast.

When we both had a little time, he would spool through films and show my tricks of editing. I particularly remember a Hitchcock pic (don't remember which at the moment), where there was a slow dissolve.

As the first scene darkened, what was left to draw the eye was a lamp light, and as the next scene brightened, in that same spot, was the headlights of a car, so the eye didn't jump around from scene to scene, but was led smoothly through the action. Simple, effective. Hitch.

Thanks to that, sometimes for me observing the editing is more interesting than the movie, or maybe it's when, sometimes, it's not so "invisible."

Now I have to go watch the video.