Film Editing & Reviewing Techniques for Writing and Finding One’s Voice
In the lesson – “Editing: The Invisible Artform” we found out through the examination of the two articles and an interview with Wyatt Smith (Mary Poppins Returns, Dr. Strange, Pirates of the Caribbean) that editing may just be the single most impactful element of filmmaking. It may be the one thing that has the greatest impact on the audience’s reactions (and interactions), even if they don’t realize it. If we understand this lesson, we will become a much stronger reviewers and critics of cinema.
For our final section of Chapter 6, we should have gained a deeper appreciation of the tips and lessons on “Reviewing for Print, Online, Radio and TV,” and we should have been able to start to find or refine our own particular style and approach to writing in “Tone and Voice… How Do You Find It?”
Due March 29 (11:59 PM): Response and Dialogue Assignment – After fully engaging in these lessons (and taking the Humour Survey), address the following questions (if you use the same idea or thought as a previous student post, you should expand on the thoughts). Post your responses at the bottom of the assignment page or email/message them to Noel T. Manning II.
- Editing: What surprised you; what did you learn, or what was reinforced about your understanding of the impact of film editing? Why/how will that help in your understanding of film criticism?
- Writing, Reviewing and Finding Your Voice: Do you think you’re finding your voice/tone or are you still on your way to discovery? Where do you feel your writing voice is leading you based on style/written introductions/ use of supporting data or trivia/using humor within your reviews? What other elements of “Reviewing for Print, Online, Radio and TV” will be most helpful for you as you continue to evaluate films?
The Film Critic 