Since this weeks lectorial I have been thinking a lot about the art of editing and how creatively it can be used within the narrative and symbolism of film. The film Babel directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, won Academy Award for Best Film Editing in 2006 by their two editors Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione. The intercutting film, that follows many different stories is woven together through creative and fluid editing. The evolving stories that progress in the film are matched together in the succinct editing. The editing leaves a mass amount of suspense and climax, often cutting one story at the height of interest. Alejandro González Iñárritu says in an interview that “movies become art after editing,” and i have to agree with this because i have seen it first hand.

Babel contrasts sharply with Alejandro González Iñárritu’s newest film Birdman through its editing techniques. Birdman appears to be one long continuous shot, flowing through the entirety of the film. Of course there are edits between footage to create this effect, however it us unseen to the audience. This limited number of edits in Birdman creates a completely different effect. There is a lot more emphasis on the special effects, with animated characters and flying scenes as defining moments in the film. I thought both of Iñárritu’s films were amazing, both with very different editing styles to create success in the outcome.