Speaker 1: So what exactly is rhythm in video editing? In this episode of How to Cut Footage Like a Pro, we're going to answer this question and show you how you can apply it to your next video. Let's take a look. Okay, let's recap. So far we've talked about how the emotion of a video is the number one thing to keep in mind when cutting footage, and how every cut in a video needs to drive the story forward in a meaningful way. We've even looked at how story allows us to properly convey the emotion of a video. Today we're moving on to the third of Walter Murch's rule of six, rhythm. Fair warning, we're going to get a little technical in this one, but hopefully by the end of this video, you'll be able to start thinking about the length of your cuts and how they directly impact the story and emotion of your videos. Let's get started. When most people think of rhythm in editing, as evidenced by most of the search results on YouTube, they think of syncing cuts of footage up with the beat of the music. And while this is a type of rhythmic editing, it's generally reserved for things like montages, trailers, and musicals. It actually has very little to do with the rhythm of a film. So what exactly is rhythm in film? To put it as simply as I possibly can, rhythm in film is the pattern that is created by the length of cuts in a succession. For example, if you have cuts of equal length in a succession, you will have a steady rhythm. Does that make sense? If not, don't worry. I was confused at first too. Let's keep going. The rhythm of an edit is widely used to convey two things in a video. Shorter cuts tend to convey tense moments, such as action scenes. Longer cuts, on the other hand, are used to convey calm moments, such as conversations between friends. If you watch any movie or TV show, you're likely to see a combination of both of these, but there's a third element that needs to be in place in order for those moments of tension or calm to be properly conveyed to that audience. That element is called an average shot duration. And as luck would have it, there's kind of an industry standard here, and there's a reason for it. The average shot duration for most shows and films is between four and six seconds, meaning that in any given scene that doesn't need to produce a strong feeling of tension and calm, the shot will change every four to six seconds. This is done not only to set the pace of a film, but also to keep the attention of the audience. Having an average shot duration of more than six seconds can start to make the audience feel bored. This is why many YouTubers either have a second camera angle that they can cut to, or they punch in or cut to B-roll every so often. It keeps the video interesting. On the other hand, having an average shot duration of less than four seconds can make the audience feel anxious at best, and at worst, lost and confused because they feel like they can't keep up with the video. So having an average shot duration of four to six seconds puts the overall rhythm of your video right in that sweet spot. Now, the average shot duration or overall rhythm of a film does something else too, other than preserving the attention span of your audience. Once the viewer gets immersed in the base rhythm, changes to that rhythm will become more emotionally significant. For example, let's say you're leading up to a fight scene and you decide to speed up the pace of your cuts. Because this quicker pace is now in contrast to the normal pace of your video, the audience will register it as more important. They will really feel that tension. Same goes for slowing down the pace. It will send a message to the audience telling them to pay attention because this scene is important. So now that we know how the length of your cuts can affect a video, it's time to look at an example from one of the most iconic scenes in filmmaking history. But before we do that, I want to give a huge shout out to my channel members. What? Did you think I forgot about you? All of the people listed here have unlocked some amazing perks like access to a private Facebook group, live editing training, discounts on merch, and more. Unlocking these perks for yourself only costs $4 a month, so go ahead and hit that join button below this video, the link in the description, or the card above and become a channel member today. Okay, let's move on. The shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is often referenced as one of the most iconic examples of rhythmic editing. In fact, there's a whole documentary about it. It's called 7852. I highly recommend checking it out. Now, this scene is largely talked about for its shock value. Horror scenes of this caliber were almost non-existent in 1960. On top of that, Hitchcock killed off his main character halfway through the film. And of course, who could forget that iconic music? Fun fact, did you know that Hitchcock didn't want music in that scene? Luckily for us, that order was ignored, right? But the real genius in this scene has to do with the rhythm of the edit. We start in the hotel room with Janet Leigh sitting at her desk. Notice how all of the cuts, with very few exceptions, are longer, indicating a calm scenario. In fact, that one continuous shot where she's walking from her desk to the bathroom is 26 seconds long. Throughout the beginning of her shower, the shots stay mostly between four and six seconds, with a couple of shorter cuts here and there, up until we see Norman Bates enter the bathroom. That shot was held for a total of 17 seconds. Now, this shot goes against what we said previously, and I honestly think that's the true genius of this whole scene. Normally in film, quick cuts are used to build tension. However, Hitchcock decided to hold this shot, which forces the audience to watch as someone enters the bathroom and approaches the unsuspecting victim. I think that the longer cut actually did a better job of building fear and anxiety in the audience than a series of shorter cuts could have. If you think about it in music terms, it's almost like a slow crescendo followed by a sustained note to build anticipation before coming into the hook of the song. The actual killing of Janet Leigh's character was done in a series of 52 shots over the span of 45 seconds. For those of you doing the math, yes, that's less than one second per cut, which really drove the tension and fear home for the audience. And then, finally, finishing out this scene, we go back to longer cuts, which really draws out the consequences of the entire scenario. Okay, let's put this in context with the other rules of editing we've discussed so far. Hold on to your hats, folks. This is where it gets cool. Let's take a look at a typical story arc with a setup, conflict, and resolution. Now, let's overlay the pattern of cuts in the shower scene up with that story arc. Notice how the setup and resolution, which are before Bates enters the bathroom and after he leaves the bathroom, both have longer cuts, while the conflict, the time Bates is in the bathroom, have a ton of shorter cuts. It's almost as if the change in the length of the cuts tells the story. And looking at emotion, it seems as though the length of each cut was specifically laid out to accurately convey the emotion that Hitchcock wanted the audience to feel, starting with them being calm and unassuming, peaking at tense and horrified, and coming back down to a state of shock and sadness. And this brings me to my next point. Now that we're three rules in, hopefully you can start to see how each rule supports the other. Story acts as a vehicle for emotion, and rhythm sets the pace of this story. Now, if you don't know what I'm talking about, or you just need a refresher, check out this playlist right here. And for more tools, tips, and tricks that will make you a better video editor, don't forget to subscribe to that channel and hit that bell so you don't miss anything. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.