Blog Post 3

In the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, director Edgar Wright uses clever editing tricks to convey tone and add sly references to other media. The story is set in a world that operates on video game rules; enemies explode into a cloud of coins and the main character has a “pee bar” that must be emptied. Wright uses this unique setting to add diegetic sound effects that would not normally be possible. For example, the film begins with a sound effect from The Legend of Zelda that occurs when you open a treasure chest. The accompanying feeling of discovering something new is translated to the film, endearing the viewer to the and making them curious to explore more of it. The scene that best exemplifies Wright’s editing technique is early in the movie when the main character, Scott, takes his girlfriend, Knives, on a date. The day begins at an arcade where they are playing a game together. At this point in the narrative Scott feels adrift in the world, like every day he's experiencing the same events. He is bored with his girlfriend and their age difference isn’t helping. He is clearly going through the motions of the game while Knives is nearly manic in her excitement for the date. The sequence I’d like to focus on begins right at the end of the arcade scene. Unfortunately I could not find this specific sequence online, but it gave me an opportunity to pop in my blu-ray version for the first time in a while (what is physical media anyway?).

Scott and Knives have just lost their game because they were out of sync. Knives does not see the problem so she continues to talk about her inane high-school drama. As she is speaking, a shadow of a person crosses the frame from right to left. Suddenly, Knives and Scott are in a pizza parlor. The transition is seamless, it's as if we’ve lost a large period of time to the void. The same shadow crosses from left to right as the scene cuts again. Now the pair is walking to a Goodwill store. The same kind of cut occurs a few more times at a quick pace. They teleport into a music store and finally back to Scott’s house, all the while Knives never misses a beat. Her dialogue seamlessly continues despite the quick cuts and transitions. Through these clever edits, Wright is able to make the audience feel the same way Scott was; as if he is drifting through life and losing time to activities he has no passion for. However, Wright makes sure to avoid turning the scene into a pseudo-dream sequence, those come later in the film. Wright keeps the action grounded in real life by applying diegetic sound effects to each screen-wipe transition. He adds the sounds of clothes racks clinking when they go to Goodwill, or the honking and screeching of a car as they walk down the street. These effects not only draw the viewer deeper into the world being constructed, they also imply that what is being portrayed should be paid attention to. Even though the character may feel like he is in a dream, the audience understands that what he is experiencing is definitely real. This creates a comedic tension for the viewer. We can sympathize with Scott’s feelings in the moment while also recognizing that he’s wasting time and should probably end his relationship. I love this scene because of the multiple layers of meaning that the audio-visual effects create, I can get something new from it after each viewing. This is true for the entire film, especially after taking this class. I am starting to notice the little editing details of various mediums from movies to YouTube videos. In particular, I noticed a moment in which Scott confronts his previous girlfriend. They have an icy conversation in a coffee shop until she forcefully invites him to her show. She says each word as a sentence and each statement is punctuated by the sound of steam jetting out of an espresso machine. It makes a snake-like character even more sssssinister. I had never noticed this tiny detail until viewing the movie today and paying attention to the techniques I have learned in class. I can't wait to go back and rewatch all of my favorite movies with this newfound knowledge.