Genre Investigation: Editing

Editing: Inception

In the film trailer 'Inception' multiple editing techniques have been used to show the genre of the film and entice the audience through editing techniques and links to theories.

• In the first scene of the trailer we see that non-diegetic dialogue is used saying "What's the most resilient parasite?". The rhetorical question gives the impression that the genre of the film is mystery making it enigmatic. Through Stuart Hall's audience reception theory it suggests that the audience remained enticed, through direct mode of address.

• We then see parallel editing of the non-diegetic music coincide with the speed of the shots as the trailer becomes more intensive. This is shown through when the city becomes to create the illusion that it's overlapping. We then see a cross cut to the glass of water trembling. The build up of iconography shows that the trailer is foreshadowing of the plot which shows restrictive narrative. Tadorov's theory of equilibrium is used to show that there is a build up and then chaos during the middle of the trailer and then dissipates towards the end. However at the end of the trailer it does not revert back to calm. Instead the editing techniques show that non diegetic blasts of sound has been used to show that the narrative has not been restored creating enigma.

• The two shots of the glass of water and the main character falling back on a chair into water is also a major talking point of the trailer. Through montage editing it creates the narrative of the film. We first see the close up of the water beginning to tremble in the glass but during the middle of the trailer the water tilts to the side. Through the use of montage editing the water parallels the disequilibrium the narrative of the film. We also see that the use of the main character falling into a bath which creates mystery as we see him falling back on his chair. It cross cuts to him falling into the bath and then there is a two shot of the character coming out of the bath which creates enigma. The visual effects show that the previously filmed shots are given meaning by enhancing the existing objects.

• Towards the end of the trailer we hear diegetic dialogue of a woman shouting "Wake me up!". This adds to the mystery genre of the film because it gives the illusion of a dream, making it enigmatic through the use of restrictive narrative. This relates to audience theory because it affects the audience through mystery, questioning the plot of the film as they affected through the use of editing techniques in the media.