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Rolf MandolesiFashion or Simple Solution?

I have always believed that the foundation of a good film is not just a good idea but also proper film language i.e. good editing. An excellent story can indeed be ruined by poor editing. Conversely, we have all seen cases where what promised to be a dead loss was elevated to masterpiece status by outstanding editing.

An author or cutter can take advantage of the many possible ways of editing the film. Some of these possibilities depend on the film material available. For this reason the film's script should specify the transitions between various scenes as well as the introduction of new scenes. When it is not possible to have a pre-planned sequence for the shooting, as is the case with reportage or travel films, the author must prepare cutaways that are "neutral". These should have no direct connection to the main theme but can serve as appropriate transitions when it comes to editing.

In this context, the word transition refers to those pictures or frames which bridge the gap between the various stages, scenes and so on in the film and - just like the links in a chain - join loose shots into a logical sequence. However, these links can also take on the form of a short sound clip working as an "announcement". Finally, as a way to have "transitions", we can resort to technical devices, including numerous forms of wipes, fades and dissolves enhanced with complex patterns and effects.

And here I come in with my 'J'accuse'. I am appalled to see that this last type of technical "solution" has rapidly become ubiquitous in both the professional and non-professional world. So much so that I thought I would investigate.

I recently had the opportunity of attending a competition for videos designed as commercials for tourists visiting the Châteaux in the Loire Valley. Out of 81 transitions, the problem was solved with a dissolve in 76 cases !! Just a fad or a real bug that has struck film makers ? The advance of technology has undeniably made possible tremendous progress in the film and video industry, but this is definitely at the expense of imagination and creativity.

I can remember when the first Super-8 sound cameras emerged and spread rapidly. We soon began to find long and tedious films in which there was absolutely no sense of film language. Dialogues, talking heads, interviews - in short "the spoken word" - got the lion's share of communication. We now have a glut of video editing systems allowing all kinds of "manipulation".

We should not let ourselves be contaminated - at least not without some resistance - by the wonders of this technology which has encroached upon us, in spite of its undeniable usefulness. It is specifically on the basis of creativity that we can differentiate ourselves from professional filmmakers, be it applied to the selection of themes or the sensitivity of film language (including editing). The technical problems that professionals tend to solve by throwing money at them should be overcome by non-professionals through original ideas and tricks.

- Rolf Mandolesi (ITA), UNICA conseiller - trans.: Jean Claude Lejosne (FRA)


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