Juxtaposition is the Core of Editing

Editing is based on the principle of juxtaposition. By the way, it is the most powerful tool that filmmakers have on their creative palette. By statically placing two visual ideas next to each other, you can create a separate third idea in the viewers mind. The two shots by themselves may be meaningless but together they can create a higher psychological meaning. Their combination can create values and serve a purpose.

This was first proven in the 1920s, when a Soviet filmmaker shot an actor with an expressionless look on his face. Next he shot a bowl of soup and an injured girl. He cut to the bowl of soup and then cut back to the actor’s reaction. Then he cut to the injured girl and back to the actor’s reaction. He showed this to audiences who believed in the first shot that the actor was expressing hunger and that in the second shot he was expressing pity. In reality, the actor was looking at the camera and at no time was expressing any emotion. The audience made this determination on their own based on how the segment was edited. Editing has the power to create meaning based on the arrangement of images. This is a profound concept, one that most of us are probably unaware of. Editing is capable of creating truth, but is just as likely to express untruth.

Juxtaposition – By strategically placing two visual ideas next to each other, you can create a separate third idea in the viewer’s mind.

• Juxtaposition shows thoughts and emotions.
• Juxtaposition can be used between two symbolic shots.
• Juxtaposition can be used between two scenes, thus linking
them together.
• Juxtaposition can link two stories to show theme.
• Juxtaposition – between voice and image.
• Juxtaposition – between music and image.
• Juxtaposition – between two ideas.