Film Edits Hidden in Front of Your Eyes

Sometimes editors can end up with two scenes that work together story-wise, but feature jump cuts or hard edits between clips. Other times a director may want to keep a scene moving, so they plan intricate long takes that include hidden edits. The key to properly continuing the story is to disguise the edits by distracting viewers.

Star Wars Episode III — Morph Cut

Where the original Star Wars trilogy used extensive practical and physical VFX, the Star Wars prequels were shaped by digital technology that had never before existed. Rather than building set pieces, the team at Lucasfilm built computers, software, and digital elements.

In 2005's Revenge of the Sith, one of the most apparent uses of the morph cut comes from the scene with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine and Anakin Skywalker. Notice how Anakin's head slowly tilts forward — this is actually a combination of two separate takes morphed into a single scene. The biggest giveaway is the hair over Anakin's forehead — watch as his hairline morphs.

The Star Wars prequels have become notorious for their liberal use of morph cuts and blending of different takes. A quick note: just because you can fix it in post doesn't mean you should.

Anchorman — Jump Cut

2004's Anchorman was an absolute improv melee on set. While cameras rolled, many of the industry's best comedians dueled it out with nonstop jokes. While great for storytelling options, it can be a nightmare for editors.

Sports broadcaster Champ Kind's WHAMMY! scene was spitballed over several minutes of dialogue. When edited down, the editors were stuck with a rough jump cut. To disguise the edit, they threw in a quick WHAMMY! graphic to divert attention.

Now, Anchorman is not the best example of this technique, but it proves that Hollywood editors face the same struggles as everyone else. This cut could have been avoided by having another camera angle.

Back to the Future — Split Screen Composite

In Back to the Future Part II, the flying DeLorean lands in the alternate 1985 dystopia. Two separate shots — one a VFX miniature and the other a life-size on-set vehicle — are edited together with a lamp post. To the right of the post is the VFX sequence with a three-foot DeLorean miniature with puppets inside. To the left is the full-size Time Machine.

This entire sequence is essentially three shots: a motion control camera on an empty street, the real Time Machine driving off a ramp, and the miniature car shot on a blue screen. ILM camera operator Peter Daulton pulled off the sequence perfectly by matching the lighting.

The Continuous Takes of Rope and Birdman

Two of the most talked-about films using continuous takes are Alfred Hitchcock's Rope and Birdman by Alejandro G. Iñárritu. Hitchcock was producing Rope in the late 1940s with 35mm film, limiting takes to 10 minutes — hence the many push-in to black or static shots of inanimate objects.

Unlike Rope, Birdman features many whip pans and VFX motion blur. Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubeski had experience with whip pans from the tracking shot car scene in Children of Men. The technology allowed them to pull off countless edits seemingly invisible to the human eye.