presentation script

Does Edgar Wright's unique editing style make him an auteur?

speaker:

In Andrew Sarris' “Notes on the Auteur Theory” (item 16) he defines the three important factors that make someone an auteur as "technical competence", "distinguishable personality" and an "interior meaning" in their films. This theory has been applied to many directors over time but I believe one of the best modern examples of this theory is Edgar Wright.

Edgar Wright is a British filmmaker famous for movies like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Anyone familiar with his work will recognize the repeated use of montages made up of fast cuts exaggerated by sound effects. Although fast cutting is not unique to Wright he manages to add parody and comedy and make the style his own. This is mostly created by editing shots in fast motion using close ups and using everyday items in extraordinary situations. In these situations he often times the cut with the sounds of the ordinary objects such as cutlery. This use of montage to add parody and comic timing constitute Edgar Wright’s signature style. This improves the timing of the comedy in the scene one of the best examples of this is shown in Hot Fuzz.


Projector: plays line up scene from Hot Fuzz (item 1)
Speaker: 

This scene is edited as if it is a tooling up scene from an action film. Most shots are only around a second long and include a zoom to a close up. The speed and action is exaggerated by the use of sound effects and movement of the camera as the edit takes place. However, the content is not preparing guns and weapons but it starts with Angel filling in paperwork, includes the sounds of a pen top and pen on paper and the flash of photographing underage drinkers. In many other movies this content would be very ordinary and quite boring but what Wright has done is applied the editing techniques used in action films to make it interesting and to produce comedy. Juxtaposing the mundane with action is core to Wright’s work and the main premise of Hot Fuzz, set in a quiet English village, is in line with that. Not many comedic directors use and many comedy movies focus more on dialogue than editing. "Woody Allen's films, in my opinion, relied much more on dialogue than cinematography"(item 9). Using editing in comedy shows more skill and technical competence in the field of film making him more of an auteur. There is a clear difference between a scene from one of Wright’s movies and other similar scenes from a different filmmaker.

Projector: play 1:16-2:00 of video essay (Item 14)

Speaker:

The video essay clearly compares a Wright movie to other comedies and argues that Wright uses of pictures and sound as well as dialogue to film simple, mundane scenes in new ways where others are usually very generic and dull. The example of a character moving place is used where a comedy will use shots with action moving left to right, signposts, driving and music. Wright instead uses fast edits  and real sounds such as the train itself at different volumes edited to the music to create a jarring and humourous effect. He also drop in clues like the mobile phone losing signal to indicate leaving civilisation but the speed of these keeps the viewer on their toes and engaged. The fact that the editing is different from the other films which shows that Edgar Wright has his own unique, distinguishable style.

Although this kind of editing was not invented by Edgar Wright, he was inspired by others to do it. On speaking about how the Coen brothers inspired him he said "To do comedy in a very imaginative visual way was something not everyone did" (item 15). This evidence could be used to argue against Wright as an auteur proving others have used fast cuts before so it is not his own style. However, all directors learn from others and the fact he put his own spin on it, using more sound harsher cuts and making it noticeable to the audience is what makes him an auteur.

Over time Edgar Wright has gone from being a smaller casual filmmaker to be considered an auteur. Even before he was directing feature films his short films and TV work such as Spaced contained comedic fast edits as his style was developing. When talking about an earlier film he says "there are some similarities in terms of the style but the thing that I really notice is how bad the sound is" and later on in this same interview (item 8) he says "I think doing TV, and especially Spaced, was really like learning my craft and learning editing and writing". This shows his style was learnt over time before it was fully put into practice in first big budget movie Shaun of the Dead (2003).


Projector: plays planning scene of SotD (item 2)

Speaker:

This scene best shows Wright’s style and all his editing trademarks. It is a scene which constantly repeats the same against the clock style with Shaun having the make a plan and Wright’s editing used to show his thought process to the audience. The camera is panning through the montage of shots with the ticking sound in the background creating a rhythm to the scene. The sound effects are taken from the real objects, the constant use of close-ups to ordinary items such as a mug and doorbell as well as the non-diegetic music which is all to edited together, often with side or vertical wipes, makes the viewer feel like there are catching up with the action.

It then repeats edits and shots like the close up of the doorbell, the long shot of the car driving and the medium shot of them all drinking, each made slightly different each time but still created with the      same tone and timing. Whenever they are going back to reality the editing slows down with few medium shots taking longer with no music or sound effects in the background. The scene goes back and forth between these two tones.

Both Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz have been categorised as part of the "Cornetto trilogy" which has been described as "a thematic continuation from one film to the next, re-using certain gags, ideas, actors, and the overall theme of friendship to create a logical end-point" (item 11) while this series may have Edgar Wright's involvement this is not exclusively his auteur style. As well as others, writer and star Simon Pegg is involved in both productions. So far there is nothing to say it is Edgar Wright that is the auteur of these movies until we look at a film outside of this trilogy.

Scott Pilgrim vs the World (item 3) not only uses different actors and crew but unlike the others it is a Canadian production instead of a British one. It is also his first movie to be based on a previous source material. This shows his technical competence as a director as he can write and direct a range of different films, all of them critically acclaimed - the lowest rated film he directed was at 82% on rottentomatoes (item 12).

As different as the film is it still uses the same Edgar Wright editing techniques as the others to make the plot work. What stands out in this film is the transitions are made more experimental and stylised than his earlier work showing more of the skill and visual techniques of Edgar Wright. For example, the door opening scene uses light, text, a fade to white and a wipe transition to a different shot to ignite the scene. You can see that doing these transitions this quickly involves a lot of work and dedication in the form of editing.

Projector: plays 1:01-1:45 of video essay (item 13)

This part of a video essay analyses in detail one transition from Scott Pilgrim. This shows the use of split screen but linked by the actor’s gaze moving across the split. Then a left to right wipe follows the onomatopoeic letter of the school bell sound in a curved downward motion. While normally this would look like a typical fast Edgar Wright cut if you slow it down as the video does, we see how wipes in the editing control the movement of the transition with creativity and attention to detail. Another scene in this film that uses Wright’s signature style is the shoe lace scene.

Projector: plays shoe laces scene for Scott Pilgrim (item 3)

Speaker:

In the scene Wright uses all the close ups and sound effects of actions scene with the close up shots of him zipping his coat and putting on wristbands to loud, action film music and real sound effects, much like the tooling up scenes parodied in SotD and Hot Fuzz. This time it is interlaced with a longer lasting shot of Scott tying his shoelaces much slower without the music to show he still not that good at laces even though he is now the hero. This creates a comedic juxtaposition showing Scott to be different from the typical action star and an imperfect hero as in Wright’s other films. On this scene Edgar Wright says "if you have good comedy timing you can make that work with just a finger or just a hand" (item 10). This quote applies here as it is made funny through how unique and different the editing is used to present the character of Scott.

Edgar Wrights editing style is similar to a Hip-Hop montage. This has been described as "a series of edits of quick extreme close-up shots accompanied by exaggerated sounds" (item 17) It is clear that this is what we are looking at in Wright's films. This method is usually used to describe the style of Darren Aronofsky but with Aronofsky's films he uses the style for drama when Wright uses it for comedy. The genre aspect of his style is what makes him an auteur as it sets him apart from others. On this genre Edgar Wright says "comedy is an art form, and it’s not to be taken lightly. I want to keep trying to perfect that," (item 4) Wright believes that comedy should be taken seriously although by many it is not. In his films he is showing that he can have the technical competence in comedy that he can have in other genres.

Sarris defines interior meaning as “extrapolated from the tension between a director's personality and his material" (item 16). Wright’s personality and passions are clearly visible in all his work. Wright is clearly a fan of action movies and he goes out of his way to show this in Hot Fuzz "many references made to films and filmmakers of the classic action era" (item 7). Importantly, his editing style is used to pay homage to the films he loves while also using parody to make them funny. The Somerfield tooling up scene in Hot Fuzz (item 1) perfectly illustrates Wright paying homage to Michael Bay and Martin Scorsese action films and sequences where the character is getting ready to fight. But he deliberately introduces comic elements such as the Somerfield car park sign to make an action scene comedic.

In conclusion I feel that Edgar Wright is an auteur as he clearly shows each one of Sarris’ factors of "technical competence, distinguishable personality and an interior meaning"and makes himself known in his films with the editing. Although it could be debated whether his films really do have an interior meaning or whether they are just simple comedies or that his style is that distinguishable from other similar filmmakers. However, I believe that the way he edits is sufficiently different and personal in terms of creating comedy and that shows himself as a modern auteur.

Item 5 "3. Getting Us In And Out Of Mundane Moments Quickly

Since his first major film, Edgar Wright uses a series of close-ups in quick succession as a mini-montage to move the characters along. 

"I'm a big fan of getting into a scene late and leaving a scene early. That's what they always say in writing... Come in late and leave early. I think using close-ups for me is a good way of doing that." 

Wright uses this method in all his films, giving him a distinct style that is easily recognizable:

These quick sequences cut down the time it takes for characters to travel from one point to another, make mundane tasks like paperwork seem more impressive, show how one character is not drinking beer, etc. This type of editing also makes the visuals of the movie more varied, so it isn't all a standard mix of wide shots, medium shots, close-ups, rinse, lather, repeat. Short little bursts break thing up to keep the audience from getting too bored. 

Visual Storytelling Done Wright

Movies are inherently a visual experience, yet a lot of directors waste their screen time with images that don't add anything to the dialogue. Edgar Wright conveys his stories by showing us the characters through cinematography, editing, and visual gags that move both plot and character forward. 

His unique style makes him both recognizable and inspiring to other filmmakers. In a world of sequels, prequels, franchises, and adaptations, Edgar Wright is making new movies with classic sensibilities."

Item 6 

SHAUN OF THE DEAD

Editing: Shaun bends down out of frame to pick up a pen and then reenters the frame from the bottom instead of the expected diagonal angle. Wright uses a jump cut here to get a comedic moment in an unexpected place.

Sound Effects: Cut to a pair of feet shuffling toward camera. Cue the odd moaning sound effect. The viewer knows it isn’t a zombie. It’s too early in the film for that. As the camera pans up the moaning sound is clearly a yawn attached to Shaun’s contorted face. And that yawn–with a calculated camera movement–just created a comedic moment other comedies would have missed.

HOT FUZZ

Shot Composition: Angel (Angle) is getting grief from his colleagues and then receives a call about an escaped swan, from one Peter Ian Staker (P.I. Staker). He obviously thinks it is a joke and calls PI Staker out on it, except cut scene to Angel helping P.I. Staker by taking down his real statement about a real swan that is lost.

Sound Effects: Angel and Danny are working hard at cracking a murder case as they sit in their police car on speed patrol. They are so engrossed in the investigation they don’t notice car after car speeding by, with the speed gun going crazy. I was too busy laughing to hear what they were discussing.

THE WORLD’S END

Shot Composition: Gary takes Sam into the bathroom to ask about the twins who are acting a little weird. They talk in front of a mirror, each of their twins reflected back at them as they discuss the twins. It’s a subtle chuckle.

Sound Effects: As the group gathers at the arriving train station they discuss which one of them is the dumbest for deciding to come along on this journey. Whistle. Pan left to Gary. Speeding bus sound effect.

SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD

Editing: Wright blends scenes together with mirrored transitions. In one scene Scott is standing and staring at Ramona, before the scene is blended into Stephen entering the frame from the left yelling into Scott’s ear as he continues to stare. Now Scott is standing in a living room practicing with his band. Stephen then walks away from Scott to frame right before the scene shifts into an outdoor setting with Stephen turning around to answer Scott’s question. This swift three scene transition keeps viewers’ attention as several settings and points are covered, and it also gets a chuckle.

Shot Composition: As Scott is telling Ramona where his band will be playing the next night, Wright cuts to an exterior shot of the venue with the sign displaying the name, just as he is about to yell it. This creates a clever comedy moment where other movies would use normal exposition

Item ? -

item 7 - The first thing that stands out about Wright’s films is how well-directed they are. His firm grasp of editing’s potential to bridge time and space, disorient, clarify, and act as a punchline is laid out in the opening scene of Spaced’s broadcast pilot, in which Tim (Pegg) and Daisy (Jessica Hynes) are introduced seemingly in the midst of a shot/reverse shot argument with Tim on the street begging to be taken back as Daisy shoos him away. Suddenly, a cut outward reveals the two to be in different locations, amusingly disrupting what scant information has been given to the audience so far while also stressing a personality link in the pair’s respective dead-end lives.

It’s a minor touch that pays instant dividends, and it prefaces an entire career of in-camera and editing tricks that hide satire and character behind flash. Take the first car “chase” in Hot Fuzz, in which Pegg’s Nicholas Angel and Nick Frost’s Danny Butterman go after a speeding motorist. The camera leaps into the perspective of Danny, weaned on action movies, but it also depicts the dull reality of police work, revving up into a hyper-cut frenzy for barely two seconds before cooling back down as the “perp” instantly complies. The joke is obvious, but the style evokes a mind-meld of Danny’s boyish enthusiasm for amped-up action and Nicholas’ no-nonsense, by-the-book reality, a swift visual foreshadowing of two opposing personalities finding common ground.

Item 4 So you’ve made five films to date, all comedies. Do you identify yourself as a comedic filmmaker—or can you see yourself doing something outside of that genre in the future? 

Yeah, I think so. I think at the moment, I would, absolutely. And I have plans to make a horror film, one that’s “straighter.” But I do think that comedy is frequently sniffed at, that somehow it’s sort of a lesser genre. And anyone who’s made a comedy film knows that it’s just as hard, if not harder, to make a comedy that works. I used to make comedies when I was an amateur filmmaker because I thought nobody would take me seriously if I did them straight. It was almost like a defense mechanism. But now I’m older, I realize that comedy is an art form, and it’s not to be taken lightly. I want to keep trying to perfect that, to make movies that are better. But I’d love to do other, straight genres, or something completely different.

 How much has your approach to filmmaking changed since those early days?

Item 8

Wright: I think it’s just learning what the hell I’m doing, basically. It’s funny, on the Hot Fuzz DVD in the U.K. we’re going to put on the cop film I made when I was 18. Watching it back, there are some similarities in terms of the style but the thing that I really notice is how bad the sound is, and how important a really detailed sound mix is. The stuff I used to do when I was making amateur films, like this cop film I made, Dead Right, I basically didn’t have any access to library music or sound effects at all, so there’s like no sound effects on it and the whole thing feels so airless, it’s weird. With A Fistful of Fingers, it had the spirit of ‘Let’s do the show right here,’ but the worst thing about it is that it’s quite ramshackle and lame, and it feels like a Bugsy Malone production because it’s all 18-year-olds pretending to be badass Americans – it’s funny. Basically, I wanted to do another independent film, but I wasn’t really that happy with A Fistful of Fingers and how it turned out. It was alright, some people liked it and I got my break through [Little Britain comedians] Matt Lucas and David Walliams, who saw A Fistful of Fingers and really liked it, and recommended me to their agents at ICM, and then also asked me to do their first sketch show. So when I started doing TV stuff, I was very lucky again to work immediately. The first show I did was with Matt Lucas and David Walliams, and Jessica Stevenson was in it, the second show was with Simon Pegg, Jessica Stevenson, Julian Barratt and Bill Bailey. I completely lucked out by working with some brilliant people very early on. So [what helped was] working with great actors and feeling more confident as a writer. I don’t ever think of myself as a screenwriter, even though I’ve written two screenplays, mainly because I’ve written out of necessity, because I can feel the films that I want to make in my gut. I think doing TV, and especially Spaced, was really like learning my craft and learning editing and writing.

item 10

Edgar Wright, however, takes advantage of seemingly mundane cinematic devices , like transitional sequences and exposition scenes, and pulls as much comedy out of it (or puts as much in) as he can. He leaves no comedic stone unturned! Zhou shares a bunch of great examples of contemporary films and TV shows that do take advantage of these devices using cinematography, like Arrested Development, Django Unchained, and even Jaws (even though that's not really a comedy -- though it does have funny moments). However, he also compares them with films and shows that don't, which really hits home how much comedic real estate exists in any given project.

So, take a look at Zhou's video essay below. Just remember, it's not about whether you think Wright's films are funny. It's about asking yourself if you're utilizing all of the opportunities within your film to make your audience laugh. (That doesn't mean cracking a joke ever 2.2 seconds -- it's just about being aware of the potential.) Also, ask yourself if you could be using more cinematographic moves, whether that means camera movement, mise-en-scène, lighting, etc, to get your audience chuckling.

Explore how stylistic choices contribute to the representation of the urban experience in the films you have studied.

In the apartment scene of La Haine the mise en scene shows the flat to be visually very different to the other locations in the film. This is where we are induced to Benoît and his flat. The mise en scene of the furniture in the first wide shot shows everything to be more expensive with sofas, a glass table and painting. This is different to before when then they are in the project then the mise en scene shows them to be living in poverty. Even the drugs being used in the apartment are higher class this time showing cocaine. The close up to both the drugs and the gun show how even in a higher class society there is the same crime and danger.

The cinematography in the apartment scene there are many references to circles including the long shot where they are going up the stairs the shots is frame to be oval shaped and that the audience cannot see where the staircase starts and ends, looking like it just goes on. This is a reference to the Charles Baudelare quote that the "world only goes round by misunderstanding" and the fact that french society just becomes circular and nothing really changes. This is further referenced as the mise en scene the painting in the apartment is "Ascending and descending" by MC Escer. This is shows a never ending staircase which ties in to theme of the film that they can't get out. The painting is in the background of the wide with all the characters showing how it applies to them.

The music in the Apartment is scene classical which is different to any music seen before as it shows a higher class and a new environment for the characters. The characters see visually out of place in the apartment. The mise en scene of the clothing shows them wearing same thing as they would wear in the project. This contrasts the general environment and miss en scene of the area.

In an earlier scene where the characters are still in the project the mise en scene shows them to be portrayed more like animals and in a position of poverty. In the filming scene it uses low angle shots in the cinematography to show the they are bellow the other people in society. The mise en scene shows them to be also physically lower then the rest as the park is similar to an animal encloser with bars. This is also referenced by the characters themselves.

While the characters are being filmed the editing cuts being a point of view shot from the camera. This only happens when Vinz is aggravated although when they are filming before they are calm and there is no footage. This shows how the media only takes want they want to show in terms of representing those living in poverty and that general public are not shown the bigger picture. The close up shot shows purely Vinz's emotion and the words he says saying. This edited after the other shot the show the contrast between what is actually happening and what is being shown.

In the opening scene of City of God we see a chicken which is used to be a representation of the people in the favela. The uses close ups and extreme to emphasise the fear and violence to the chicken feels the extreme close up of knife cutting the chicken representing the violence that is happening to the others in the favela. This and the close up of chickens face reenforce the idea that they are scared of whats around them and the "Kill or be killed environment" with the chicken attempting to run away with all the people trying to kill it.

In a later scene we see as a mid shot of lil dice who is seen on top of a pile of bricks discussing his plans infront of the others. The mise en scene of the bricks are there to show the foundations of the city which Lil dice wants to be on this forshadows the characters role later in the film. The characters is with the older boys Shaggy, Clipper, and Goose giving them ideas which they eventually act on. The shot is framed to which lil dice is dominant person in this.

The party scene shows more what the characters roles in the film. The lighting and mise en scene of the clothing shows in the shot shows contrast between Lil Ze and Benny. Lil Ze is shown more in shadows when Benny has light shined on him. This shows hows Liz Ze is bad and Benny is good as the lights reflects their own personillity. Benny is dressed in black lower class clothing while Benny has died his hair lighter and wearing brighter cloths from out of the city. This shows Benny is moving away from what he used to be becoming less like Lil Ze.

Later in that scene we see constant flashing cuts to black this is used to make the audience feel  disoriented and hide the mystery of the killing if Benny in the scene. The diegetic music creates the opposite effect of the scene having up-beat party music constrast the dark violence that is happening. This creates a juxtaposition.

Overall la haine and city of god are similar in the themes of the urban environment. They both show circles in the risen scene and cinematography to show how the world goes round and that problems repeat without really being solved. The differences in the film come in the style with their being a lot more verisimilitude in La Haine.

catalogue

Catalogue

Does Edgar Wright's unique editing style make him an auteur?

Films

Item 1 - Hot Fuzz (2007)
I chose this as my focus films as it most shows Edgar Wright's signature style as both director and screenwriter. Hot Fuzz makes use of the distinctive fast edit on numerous occasions. 

The train scene shows the passage of time, moving from place to place in a comedic way which Edgar Wright has explained was one of his main purposes for the style.

The line-up scene also uses music and flashing lights quickly cutting between short shots to give an ordinary sequence the feel of an action scene. It does this by cutting approximately every second with an instant zoom to a close up accompanied by realistic but overemphasised sound effects such as the clicking of the pen top or scraping sound of pen on paper as well as flashes of light associated with a camera flash. This is obviously styled like a montage where the main characters are getting weapons ready but starting with very ordinary household equipment and the most boring aspects of police paperwork. This type of parody of a ‘tooling up’ scene is typical of Edgar Wright’s style, using the editing associated with action films but in an irreverent way. I intend to use scenes of this film in my presentation to demonstrate Wright’s auteur style.

Item 2 - Shaun of the Dead (2004)
This was one of the first big budget Edgar Wright films so this is where many of his trademarks started. This film defines the style which carries over into others and confirms Edgar Wright as an auteur.

The planning scene in SotD is useful as it involves repeated fast cuts emphasised by sound effects as the character is imagining how different plans will turn out. It is also a good example of how Wright cuts between shots, sometimes from the side as if the camera is trying to catch up with the action as with the close up of Pegg’s mug. The editing is therefore an obvious part of the story rather than incidental to the scene. This makes the movie stand out from other zombie films by adding pace and humour. I will use this clip to show how Wright’s style carries from one film to another.

Item 3 - Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2009)
I selected this film as it is not in the same series as the others and does not share all the similarities and actors. In particular, frequent collaborator Simon Pegg was not involved in the production of this film so the fact that it still contains Edgar Wright’s signature style shows it is the director who is responsible for the auteur style. It shows more of the skill and visual techniques of Edgar Wright whilst still using the same method of editing as before but in a different context.  This film is more experimental and stylised using brighter colours and noticeable on-screen text in its transitions to give to the movie much less verisimilitude to the others making it more like a cartoon or video game than real life. For example the door opening scene uses light, text and transition to a different shot to ignite the scene.

Also, Wright manages to use fast editing as a comedy tool in itself by rapidly cutting between close up shots of getting ready then a deliberate slow shot of the main character slowly struggling with his shoe laces. It therefore uses editing to emphasise his usual narrative of the awkward, imperfect hero.

The fact that this is not a British production also shows that his style can carry over to different audiences and actors.

Articles

Item 4 -  slantmagazines.com Edgar Wright interview

This interview shows how Edgar Wright sees himself and his approach to being in the comedy movie genre. Wright shows that he wants to puts as much effort in comedy as other genres. He shows how even if the genre is somewhat looked down upon, in comedy he can still have an artistic style and show his skills as an auteur. This is important as it is the way Edgar Wright uses fast cutting not just to build excitement but as parody in comedy which makes him an auteur rather than the use of similar techniques in horror or action films. He does this by adopting the cuts and close ups of an action or horror sequence and juxtaposes this with ordinary objects or unlikely heroes. In my presentation I can quote him about the comedy genre as key to defining his style.

Item 5 - https://moviepilot.com/p/edgar-wrights-visual-storytelling/4359427

This article describes the kind of editing Edgar Wright uses as a series of quick close-ups as a mini-montage to move the characters along. In his own words he explains the idea of arriving late and leaving a shot early. This is the key to his editing as the viewer is kept surprised an interested. It also explains the benefit of using fast edits to eliminate the process of characters moving from place to place and the fact that fast edits break up the rhythm of shots to make it less boring. I can quote this early on to set the scene so that my audience understands what each clip is trying to achieve.

Item 6 - http://www.audienceseverywhere.net/edgar-wright-and-the-craft-of-comedy/
I selected this item as it gives an in-depth look at Edgar Wright’s uses of editing such as mirrored transitions and wipes when moving from between shots. The article uses all of the films I am reviewing plus World’s End and mentions technical aspects of the editing, shot composition and sound effects. I can use this overview could be used to show how each clip is part of a consistent auteur style.

Item 7 - http://moviemezzanine.com/fanboy-contra-fanboy-the-genius-of-edgar-wright/
This article discusses in detail Edgar Wright’s use of editing for timing, specifically for comedic timing. The article focuses on analysis of particular scenes from Edgar Wright films so is a useful secondary research source for my presentation. It is not necessarily a balanced review but rather the view of a fan. The fact that Edgar Wright has a loyal fan base adds weight to the idea that he has a distinctive style and I will be presenting about whether his style is distinctive as a key part of the auteur definition.

Item 8  Filmmaker magazine Edgar Wright interview

This shows Edgar Wright himself and his perspective on his comedy and how his style has developed over time from his earlier stuff that would. He talks about his entire film history and how he has learned to find himself as a filmmaker. This adds useful context as it shows how he would become to be seen as an auteur.

Websites

Item 9 http://nofilmschool.com/2014/05/edgar-wright-physical-comedy-using-cinematography

This covers how Edgar Wright’s devices help with his comedy. In particular, it argues that his strength is in using every aspect of the film to be funny, the editing in particular. It also compares Wright with other comedic directors such as Woody Allen who rely more on dialogue alone. This contrast is something I will use to show how unique he is.

Item 10 Slate.com blog by Forest Wickman http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/01/29/edgar_wright_on_film_close_ups_world_s_end_scott_pilgrim_and_shaun_of_the.html

This item includes an interview with Edgar Wright and shows examples of how cutting between close ups is key to his auteur style. Wright talks about the practical side of ensuring enough close up shots are filmed so that there is enough material for a montage. He also provides explanations for some of the comedy such as the action movie parodies in both Hot fuzz and Scott pilgrim. In that he uses fast cuts of typical scenes of the actors then but into montages that are more typical to the genres he is parodying.

Item 11 https://nerdist.com/the-three-flavours-cornetto-trilogy-explained/

I can use a quote from this source to explain the similarities between the films in Wright’s cornetto trilogy listing the trademarks of the series. The quote explains that the three movies are linked by gags, ideas, theme and actors and includes Pegg and Frost as well as Edgar Wright. This presents the counter argument that Wright’s style is a collaboration of talents. I use Scott Pilgrim as evidence against this idea.

Item 12 https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/edgar_wright

This source demonstrates technical competence which is one of the criteria for an auteur. It does this by reporting the review ratings of all Wright’s films and showing them to be critically acclaimed with a lowest rating of all his films as director of 82% for Scott Pilgrim. This fact has been used as evidence of technical competence in my presentation.

Videos 

Item 13 - Nerdwriter1- Scott Pilgrim: make your transitions count (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pij5lihbC6k)

This video analyses Scott Pilgrim which is one of the films I have selected and reviews how Edgar Wright’s use of editing is demonstrated in that film. It also shows his use of transitions which is very important to his editing style. It slows down a faster transition to break down everything that goes in the editing this can be used in my presentation when going into detail about his style within this film. This is a video essay to teach filmmaking skills and the fact that others can learn from Wright implies his status as an auteur meeting the criteria of technical competence. I will show a video clip of this in my presentation before describing what is happening.

Item  14- Every frame a painting - Edgar Wright - How to do visual comedy

This video compares Edgar Wright's films and style to other comedy films and shows how Edgar Wright uses editing. It shows a clip of an Edgar Wright back to back with another modern comedy film and shows I intend to show this in my presentation shows how Edgar Wright fits the unique style aspect of auteur theory.

Item 15 What Influences Scott Pilgrim Director Edgar Wright

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zfmbJdYfNE)

This is useful as it is the voice of Edgar Wright himself telling how he got the inspiration to his films to show where his style actually comes from. I will use this to add some balance to the argument of a unique style in that all directors learn from others but to point out that Wright’s influences such as the Coen brothers did not use the same editing technique.

Books

Item 16  Andrew Sarris - Notes on the auteur theory

(https://dramaandfilm.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2011/06/Sarris-Notes-on-the-Auteur-Theory.pdf)

I chose this source as this is the first definition of the auteur theory from the person who originally defined the term in 1962. This also goes through exactly what defines someone as an auteur. This helps me see if Edgar Wright has these traits and quote some of this to define and compare the auteur theory. The traits include technical competence, unique style and interior meaning. 

It was the start-point for debate and challenges such as whether directors were responsible alone for their style.

I intend to structure my presentation around the points Sarris makes and assess how well Edgar Wright meets each of them in order to be considered an auteur.

Item 17 Jill Nelmes (2003). An Introduction to Film Studies

I used this book to further understand the detail of fast cuts as used by other directors and the definition of a hip hop montage. It quotes the definition of the hip hop montage, the style used in Edgar Wright’s films as well as others. It is described as like a sample is used in hip hop, with a few moments of film or video, respectively, repeated throughout the work for effect. I will use this to point out that Wright’s uniqueness relates to how he uses the techniques for comedy not that he invented them.

Rejected items

Edgar Wrights style explained - The AtZ show 

As well explaining Edgar Wright's style this shows how he views genre in his films including interview clips that are relevant to the topic. I rejected it because it does not focus on the editing as much as the other videos and is not a particularly credible source.

 Andrew Butler - film studies 

(https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9id-Rdi1rJqZUZCQ1duYmd3alk/view?usp=sharing)

This book shows and explains the concept of the auteur theory. It explains how auteur theory is currently understood and allows me to test whether Edgar Wright qualifies as an auteur. I rejected this item as I have used another book on the same thing (Andrew Sarris) which is more authoritative as it is the original source of the theory.

The Worlds End (2013)

I rejected this film as, although very much shows Edgar Wright's style, it is technically categorised as been in the same series as SotD and Hot Fuzz. Instead I picked Scott Pilgrim to show that is Edgar Wright’s entire filmography and not just the films he intentionally made to be similar. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Wright

Although Wikipedia contained a good overview of Edgar Wright’s work and his collaborators, it does not focus in detail on his editing style and whether or not he is an auteur. Any relevant information is already covered in more detail in the other sources which I have used.

Son of Saul

Box office-$1.7 million

budget - $1,6 million

Won best foreign film at 2014 oscars and 15 other films.

Hungarian film
Genre is  historical


Mostly posistive reviews earning a rotten tomatoes


"A story about morsels of humanity rescued from an unspeakable hell. If there's a film to feel trapped in, this is it."
phil de semlyn from empire\

The Witch

Budget 3 million

 director Robert Eggers.

The movie made $40.4 million at the box office.

The film was first released for the Sundance film festival on January 27th then publicly on February 19th.

It is a supernatural horror movie.

The movie was distributed by universal pictures.

The film got lots of critical acclaim earning a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes with variety calling it "A fiercely committed ensemble and an exquisite sense of historical detail"

The film was original aimed at a more independent audience but once released to the mainstream it was seen by many horror fans some suprsised by its artists non conventional approach to horror rather then conventional.