Editing: blog task

Editing: blog task

There are some truly fantastic clips for the Editing part of the Film & TV Language unit. 

Your final analytical blog task is to find a film or television clip on YouTube that you feel has been edited in a distinctive way and write a 750 word analysis of the clip.

Use as much media language as you can - and remember to highlight it. Try and use the key words we've learned for editing if possible. You can also use any other aspects of film language that we have studied in your analysis - just like the in-class clips where we discuss how editing combines with cinematography, sound or mise-en-scene.

Video clip:

https://youtu.be/rDTZ6A5zsYc

Analysis:

In the “Little Bitty Pretty One” sequence from Matilda (1996), Danny DeVito uses cinematography and mise-en-scène to communicate Matilda’s growing confidence and magical abilities. The setting of the Wormwood house is deliberately cluttered, with torn furniture, loud colours, and exaggerated decorations that reflect the film’s playful, comic-book style. Matilda’s costume, a simple dress in bright, primary tones, contrasts strongly with this environment, reinforcing her innocence and individuality and showcasing juxtaposition. They also use props, including books, cereal boxes, and everyday household items, that are carefully positioned so their later telekinetic movement is visually clear, creating a sense of controlled chaos. Matilda’s facial expressions shift between concentration, delight, and mischief, while her body movement is light, rhythmic, and playful, reflecting her emotional release as she learns to independently have power and control in the messy environment imposed on her by her parents. Actor placement emphasises her dominance over the space as she often occupies the centre of the frame or moves dynamically within it, drawing the audience’s focus. Her natural makeup and hair further highlight her authenticity, emphasising her innocence and portrayal as a relatable child character. Furthermore, all of these aspects reflect how the little girl creates a magical sense of liberation within the restrictive world that her "family" created for her, which also exemplifies how iconic this scene is but also the key role it plays as part of the whole narrative of the film.

Cinematography and lighting highlight the scene’s sense of magic and freedom. High-key lighting produces bright, even illumination with minimal shadows, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere. This contrasts with the low-key lighting used in scenes featuring rude characters like Miss Trunchbull, reinforcing the safety and joy of Matilda’s private space. Camera movement is dynamic, showing tracking shots, pans, and tilts that follow Matilda and the flying objects, while occasional zoom shots emphasise her focus and control over her powers. Wide shots capture the full atmosphere of the room, showing multiple objects moving simultaneously, while close-ups highlight Matilda’s facial expressions or gestures to show her excitement of being in control. There are also close-ups of the magic being portrayed first hand such as of the bowl of cereal while the spoon picked up the cereal in order to employ deep focus to capture several objects moving simultaneously within the frame. The camera shots also reflect a magical tone as the camera follows items such as the spoon to widen the audience's awareness of her magical powers. The pan movement is placed in the scene to add to the multiple shots that exaggerate the main character/ protagonist's new skills and the crane shot from above the living room in which Matilda practises her powers by making the playing cards fly in a circular motion shows a nice camera high angle shot that explains her creativity. The cinematography works together with props, costume, and actor movement, creating an energetic, immersive spectacle. These choices make the magical action appear seamless and visually engaging, while the colour palette, natural hair and makeup, and playful environment highlight Matilda’s joyful personality and growing confidence. 

Editing and sound are key to establishing rhythm, tone, and narrative impact in the sequence. The upbeat song used throughout functions as parallel sound, reinforcing the scene’s cheerful mood, while acting as a sound bridge and L-cuts to maintain continuity between shots to showcase the flow of excitement and entertainment. The tempo of the music influences the pace of editing, which features rapid straight cuts that keep the action lively and match the rhythm of the song as Matilda's powers keep growing and getting bigger and more powerful as she keeps on practising how to use them. The sequence also employs a montage, showing multiple examples of Matilda using her powers in quick succession to convey her increasing skill and control. This also emphasises the strength of this scene within the whole narrative in the entire film as it is a turning point to face the new equilibrium. Continuity editing, including match-on-action and eye-line matches, ensures the magical movements of objects appear fluid and believable. There is also heightened diegetic sound—from objects whooshing, rattling, or colliding—which blends with the music, enhancing the whimsical tone without creating tension but conveying a positive mood. The scene avoids contrapuntal sound deliberately, maintaining harmony between audio and visual elements to emphasise joy and empowerment. The interplay of editing, music, and sound effects turns ordinary household objects into expressive extensions of Matilda’s emotions, demonstrating her independence and creativity. The editing shown of the different props being swooshed around the room towards the end of the clip showcases great creativity and skill within the post-production process to construct a more imaginative narrative, within a child-friendly context.