Editing blog task

Hot Fuzz Sea Mine

This classic scene from the 2007 film Hot Fuzz starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is ridden with many clever editing  techniques. So let's get into the details:

There is a clear straight cut at around 0:03 where it features an establishing shot transitioning to a medium shot. This, along with the clear police liveried car, showcases the farm that looks to be an offset and isolated location which is blurred in the background.

It then switches to a close mid shot where we are met with the faces of everyone in the car. The two main protagonists are sat at the front who are looking rather worried. The choice to put the dog very close to the protagonist's face is significant as this is used to emphasise how awkward and new he is to his new police/duty post.

We are then treated to a mid closeup where we meet the cause of the call, that the person, of which we are very uncomfortably close to him, is cutting other peoples hedges. We then immediately, through a straight cut, see the central character visibly perplexed about what he has just said.
There is also an example of an eyeline match and a match on action as the characters are exactly in the same position with the same angle of tilt towards the central character.

The director has made a deliberate choice to momentarily cut to show us the side profile of this conversation. This is done to emphasise the vastness of their surroundings. We also see a correctly executed example of shot/reverse shot. This makes the conversation feel more natural and does allow us to focus on the comedic elements of their conversation.

The conversation continues to use straight cuts to communicate that this is JUST a normal police-citizen conversation. The camera then zooms in onto Simon's face and then straight cuts to the door opening, this is used to evoke a sense of curiosity as we are intrigued to find out what he has in his shed.

The camera then cuts to the hand turning on the lights to emphasise that something big or exciting is coming - our satisfactions are then immediately quenched. The camera then shows a series of rapid straight shots in which we see what 'other guns' he is talking about.

This shot in itself is quiet funny as we as the audience only expect to see around 3 shots to show his collection but it's the fact that the shots carry on for so long makes us laugh at the almost unbelievable extent of his firearms. I think that the director is playing upon a classic Hollywood cliche where it's: switch, lights and then object. This parody of this technique communicate to the audience that we are in for a funny movie and a funny scene just from the few frames in the shed.

It then cuts to the character's expression being understandably shocked and amazed as he is from the city and rarely sees any guns or weapons bar knives. It then straight cuts into a slow pan where we start to see the vastness of his collection as the officer walk through this leading us up to the main focus of this scene which is the Sea Mine.

It then cuts to this high angle shot which shows us how quickly this comedic scene has escalated into a situation of mild panic. It then cuts to a few more shots where they start talking about the mine. The farmer then bangs the mine where it tips over and makes a ticking sound, indicating to us that an explosion is imminent. This whole mine scene is reinforced with convincing eyeline match as well as match on action shots. You could also pick out the shot/reverse shot use from the mine to the characters.

The fast pace of this scene is communicated through a few rapid shots where it switches from the mine to the expression of the characters. The next shot cuts to an outdoor location located just outside of the shed. The initial wide shot quickly switches to a mid shot as the characters rush out of the barn to find cover to evade the explosion. This mid shot then uses a tracking shot where the two main characters run from the door to the hedge directly in front of them.

This wide shot of the barn exists with  the characters out of shot and just us focusing on the door stays on screen for a good 10 seconds which not only builds suspense but also comedic effect. The mine then fails to explode leaving the officers feeling embarrassed. The wipe/sudden cut shows Simon Pegg making a radio call which emphasises how time has passed as well as his disappointment in not finding anything. The last shot in this clip is when the camera cuts straight top a mid shot with the farmer in the background hitting the mine with the butt of his shotgun. This adds comedic effect as well as a sense of denouement as we are provided with a half empty catharsis at the end.