Filmatic Time

We learnt that, in editing, the film clips can be manipulated in order to "slow down", "speed up" or keep in "real" time. These are known as "expanding time" and "shrinking time".

Real Time:
In a clip, if the action shown happens in 2 minutes, then the time it would take to happen in real life would also take 2 minutes. For example, if a clip shows somebody getting into their car and going on a ten minute journey, then it woud take that long.

Expanding Time:
This is used to make time seem as if it is taking a while, and dragging out. It makes the scene (seem) much longer, as extra shots are added in, such as close ups of things like the subjects' eyes, tapping fingers, a clock ticking etc. For example it is often used when someone is bored/waiting for something, and is becoming impatient. If time was expanded in a clip, if the action being shown would normally take 30 seconds to complete in real life, it may take 90 seconds to show in the film, and can be used to build suspense and tension.

Shrinking Time:
Shrinking time is used to make the time the action is happening seem as if it is going by more quickly. It is not decreasing the action time. For example, if the action shown woud normally take 5 hours, the clip shown could cut this down to about 5 minutes, and would only show the "highlights" of what happened. For example, if someone got into a car, and drove for an hour, the editior would shrink this time, and only shown the subject getting into the car, driving for a very short period of time, if any, just to establish with the audience that the journey has happened, and the subject getting out of the car. This relies hugely on the audiences' assumpion that the actionhas happened without them being shown. It can create a sense of urgency and panic, and uses lots of quick, different shots being edited together.