Pudovkin - Editing Techniques

Pudovkin was a lesser known Russian filmmaker, often outshone by Eisenstein and Tarkovsky. Pudovkin, believed that editing, the organisation and placement of shots, was a means of expression that was unique to filmmaking, something that wasn't (and still isn't) done in literature, theater, paintings, or the plastic arts. "The foundation of film art is editing." Pudovkin's 5 editing techniques are: contrast, parallelism, symbolism, simultaneity, and leit motif. Each of these techniques are in every editor's arsenal and used in virtually every film made around the world. These a defined below.

Contrast: Cutting between two different scenarios to highlight the contrast between them.

Parallelism: Connecting two seemingly unrelated scenes by cutting between them and focusing on parallel features.

Symbolism: Something which creates a symbolic connection for the audience.

Simultaneity: Cutting between two simultaneous events to drive suspense.

Leit Motif: A recurrent theme associated with a particular person, idea, or situation. Repeating a particular shot or sequence at key moments.