Cinematography-Theory-And-Practice

Figure 6.51 (top). In 2001: A SpaceOdyssey, Kubrick uses an edit that isboth a conceptual cut and a matchcut. In the first frame (top) theape has discovered the bone as aweapon and tool and throws it intothe air. In the next frame (middle)we see the bone traveling throughthe air. Then there is a match cut(bottom) to a spaceship. Kubrickhas not only communicated thatthe original tool (a bone) has led toa world where space travel is possible,but he has also moved thestory forward from the past to thefuture in an elegant way; no need fora clumsy title card that says “10,000Years Later” or some other device —the conceptual cut says it all.The Conceptual CutA conceptual cut is one that depends on the content of the ideas of twodifferent shots more than on the visual content. A famous example ofa conceptual cut and also a match cut is at the beginning of Kubrick’s2001: A Space Odyssey: the cut that spans tens of thousands of yearsis used to transition from prehistoric times to the era of space travel(Figure 6.51). This is a match cut because the direction, movement,shape, and screen size of the bone almost exactly matches that ofthe spacecraft. It is also a conceptual cut, however, in that Kubrickis using the bone as a metaphor for human’s very first use of a tool.The spacecraft then is the ultimate result of the first use of tools—atool that can carry humans into space. These types of cuts are usuallyspelled out in the script as they require a good deal of preparation.What is relevant for the cinematographer and the director workingon the set is that these shots must be previsualized, planned, andexecuted with an eye toward their final purpose.There are other types of conceptual cuts that are not match cuts,meaning that the visual contents of the two shots are not at all related.For example, in a war film, the general might say, “We’ll bomb ‘emback to the stone age,” and slam his fist down on the table. This cutscinematic continuity101