Cross-cutting Editing-Alex V.

Alexander Vousden

Non Linear Editing

Alex Bordino

18 February 2015


I decided to do more research on the concept of Cross-cutting editing after watching part of the film, M, in class. In the movie, Lang did not use just the one scene to show parallel action between the police and the gangsters. I watched a little more and looked up more of the parallel editing and cross cutting scenes and found one between a young girl's mother and the murderer. The mother calls out for her child and each time she would call for the child, we see a different visual. Also with each different shot the cries would become more and more distant. The mother's cries unify the different and various shots and as this was edited, it gave the impression the the girl was lost to her mother. Cross cutting seems to be a commonly used editing technique especially in action movies. I went on YouTube and found a video that had a perfect example from the movie Inception. The driver of the van is trying to drive away from the pursuers and in while doing so, that causes to throw off and mess up the characters inside the mind. I don't remember each of their names so I apologize because I haven't watched the movie in a while.

Like I said earlier, this can definitely be used in action, suspenseful, and even horror scenes and as long as it's done correctly. Cross cutting is a good technique to use for hopefully any editor.



Inception