Chosen book for bibliography:
Cutting Rhythms by Karen Pearlman (2009)
This is an absolutely mind-blowing book by the way. If not for Chris’ suggestion to read this book, I wouldn’t have made so many discoveries with regards to the topic of rhythms and movements. I’ve gained an utmost level of respect towards Karen Pearlman for unfolding these findings throughout her research as it is the topic that I have always been very much interested in: the coherence of flow & rhythm in films.
Below are some quotes I’ve derived from her book, and these are my findings around Chapter 5: Physical, Emotional and Event Rhythms.
Cutting the movement energy of events, information, colors, textures, ideas, emotions, and so on is a process of shaping the flow of energy found in the various
shots into the single flow of movement and energy over time known
as “ rhythm ”
The physical rhythm sets up a kinesthetic empathy. The emotional rhythm relies on the physical, which is reframed as emotionally laden, to have its impact. And the event
rhythm relies on both the movement of image and sound and the
movement of emotion to communicate or convey its information.
Emotion moves back and forth, like a tennis ball in play. But
it is the editor who shapes the rhythm of the game. She shapes it by
choosing the shots for the energy they contain, juxtaposing the shots to
make a dynamic and credible emotional arc and trimming the shots to
the frames on which the energy is optimally thrown and caught.
A scene may appear to be about a car crash, for example, but really be about
rebuilding trust between two characters. If the event is cut only for the
text and not for the subtext, then events later on, where the trust is at
stake, will lose their links in the cause-and-effect chain.
.. The editor continually has to put herself in the audience’s position, refreshing her own kinesthetic empathy and antipathy to feel with the rise and fall of the event’s cycles of tension and release.
Therefore from my readings: an editor/animator would always need to be equipped with strong intuition: a strong sense of kinesthetic empathy (which is acquired by ample of experience and practice to enhance their kinesthetic empathy abilities) in order to produce a rhythmically eventful & seamless sequence of rhythmic event to produce emotionally impactful & coherently coordinated film, to put themselves in the audience’s shoes.