Editing Emotion

Editing is one of the most single important processes when developing linear media, especially within film productions. The above piece is a short fan made trailer for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa. It serves as a great example of how effective editing can evoke emotion and drama.

The trailer starts with a dimly lit shot of the World Cup trophy rotating against a dark background. The score is a short tempo melodramatic violin piece that gives the viewer dramatic emotions. The initial shots fade in and out with different views of the golden trophy, until golden text comes up in a side by side shot that says "The Greatest Battle in the World". The viewer now gets a sense for the serious perspective that the trailer is trying to grasp.

The next series of shots are of a stadium filled with fans, that inter-cut shots of close ups to show the emotion on the people's faces. The piece continues with the progression of the violin score and inter-cutting shots of the trophy rotating with more text beside it. Phrases like "All Players will try to prove themselves this year" and "There is no coming back" show up alongside the trophy which are separated by shots of actual footage of the World Cup in 2006. The shots of actual soccer footage are used with a golden brownish filter to blend in and out with the main dialogue shots.

This technique employed by the editor is great way of using original text within one shot, to complement the visual content of the next. As the viewer sees the text come up and processes the dramatic nature of it, they plug in the music and the clearly visual emotions in the follow-up visual shots that show soccer players emitting great emotion, whether it be happiness, sadness, determination, or bewilderment. All of these factors combined together through the editing provide a dramatic final product that attains its goal in presenting the tournament in an ultra emotional light.