Parallel Action
In this clip from 'Strangers on a Train' (1951), Hitchcock uses the parallel action editing technique combined with the shots of the protagonists' feet moving from right to left and left to right, to imply that the two pairs of shoes are approaching each other. There are no facial shots and the only differences are in the types of shoes the characters are wearing and that one has tennis racquets as well as a suitcase. There are 12 shots in this sequence before Hitchcock finally cuts to the two men seated and the conversation begins.
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The Sound Cut
In this clip from 'The 39 Steps' (1935) Hitchcock uses the sound cut to make two points. Firstly, that the main character, Hannay, is on his way to Scotland and that the murder of his mysterious guest, a woman who says she is a spy who is being followed and the country is in danger, is discovered. He wants to link these together as Hannay will now be a suspect in the murder investigation. This technique succeeds in communicating both the shock of the discovery of the body and the transition to the location of the next action, the train. The carry over of the sound and its pitch highlight how we should feel about the murder and the tension of what will happen next.
Cutting on Motion
In this clip from 'Spellbound' the camera follows the characters as they ski towards a precipice. Gregory Peck's character is about to remember a trauma from his past that has caused him to forget his past. The camera cuts closer to Ballantine and then to a close-up as the moment of revelation is acknowledged. In a simple cut from motion to motion, Hitchcock cuts from present to past and the continuity of visual motion and dramatic revelation provides a startling moment of discovery. (from approx 8 mins)
Suspense: The Extreme Long Shot
In this clip, from 'Foreign Correspondent' (1940) Hitchcock builds suspense by cutting from a close-up to and extreme long shot. Notice that we also don't know whether the main character has died. This information is kept from us to maintain the suspense. (from 7 mins)
Levels of Meaning: The Cutaway
In this clip from 'The 39 Steps' the cutaway to the newspaper solidifies the sense of concern and communication between Hannay and the farmer's wife as she realises that he is the escaped killer referred to in the newspaper headline. This communication also serves to mislead the husband about their real fears and feelings as he thinks that there is a sexual attraction developing between them. (from 30 mins)
Intensity: The Close-Up
In this clip from 'Notorious' notice the use of close-ups of the key and of the dwindling bottles of Champagne to heighten the suspense. He also uses subjective camera placement and movement to remind us of Alex's jealousy and his constant observation of Alicia & Devlin's activities. He uses the close-up to emphasise the heightened importance of the key and the contents of the shattered bottle. It also increases the tension building around the issue of discovery.
The Moment as Eternity: The Extreme Close-Up
Dramatic Time and Pace
In this clip from 'Strangers on a Train' (1951), Hitchcock uses the parallel action editing technique combined with the shots of the protagonists' feet moving from right to left and left to right, to imply that the two pairs of shoes are approaching each other. There are no facial shots and the only differences are in the types of shoes the characters are wearing and that one has tennis racquets as well as a suitcase. There are 12 shots in this sequence before Hitchcock finally cuts to the two men seated and the conversation begins.
Rope
Long takes, following the action & hidden cuts:
The Sound Cut
In this clip from 'The 39 Steps' (1935) Hitchcock uses the sound cut to make two points. Firstly, that the main character, Hannay, is on his way to Scotland and that the murder of his mysterious guest, a woman who says she is a spy who is being followed and the country is in danger, is discovered. He wants to link these together as Hannay will now be a suspect in the murder investigation. This technique succeeds in communicating both the shock of the discovery of the body and the transition to the location of the next action, the train. The carry over of the sound and its pitch highlight how we should feel about the murder and the tension of what will happen next.
Cutting on Motion
In this clip from 'Spellbound' the camera follows the characters as they ski towards a precipice. Gregory Peck's character is about to remember a trauma from his past that has caused him to forget his past. The camera cuts closer to Ballantine and then to a close-up as the moment of revelation is acknowledged. In a simple cut from motion to motion, Hitchcock cuts from present to past and the continuity of visual motion and dramatic revelation provides a startling moment of discovery. (from approx 8 mins)
Suspense: The Extreme Long Shot
In this clip, from 'Foreign Correspondent' (1940) Hitchcock builds suspense by cutting from a close-up to and extreme long shot. Notice that we also don't know whether the main character has died. This information is kept from us to maintain the suspense. (from 7 mins)
Levels of Meaning: The Cutaway
In this clip from 'The 39 Steps' the cutaway to the newspaper solidifies the sense of concern and communication between Hannay and the farmer's wife as she realises that he is the escaped killer referred to in the newspaper headline. This communication also serves to mislead the husband about their real fears and feelings as he thinks that there is a sexual attraction developing between them. (from 30 mins)
Intensity: The Close-Up
In this clip from 'Notorious' notice the use of close-ups of the key and of the dwindling bottles of Champagne to heighten the suspense. He also uses subjective camera placement and movement to remind us of Alex's jealousy and his constant observation of Alicia & Devlin's activities. He uses the close-up to emphasise the heightened importance of the key and the contents of the shattered bottle. It also increases the tension building around the issue of discovery.
The Moment as Eternity: The Extreme Close-Up
Dramatic Time and Pace
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