Re Edited / Photo Credit: Paul Anderson – Change.org - Resident Evil
WHAT IS A RE-EDITED FILM? (In the Entertainment industry.)
What is a Re-edited film?
On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique, and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. The job of an editor isn't simply to mechanically put pieces of a film together, cut off film slates, or edit dialogue scenes.
A re-edited film is a film that has been modified from its original theatrical release. These films are typically preceded by the disclaimer, "This film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen and edited for content." Reasons for this type of editing may range from the distributor's demands to accommodating different audience groups. Fan-made movie edits are often met with controversy, as they bring up issues of copyright law.
There are three main types of film editing: format, length, and content.
Format: Feature films are commonly produced in a widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio or 2.40:1 aspect ratio. which is different from the screen formats television currently has – A standard 1.33:1 (or 4:3) aspect ratio of analog television and the growing standard of 1.77:1 (or 16:9) aspect ratio for digital television. Prior to the beginning of a film presented in the 4:3 aspect ratio on VHS tapes or DVDs, a disclaimer appears (mainly a black background), reading, this film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen. Since the adoption of HD television, some theatrical films intended for 2.39 or 2.40 aspect ratios have been reframed for 1.78 (16x9) for television and home video, and also require the modification warning as per DGA rules.
Length: Films may be shortened for television broadcasting or for use on airlines. DVD releases of films may also contain longer cuts. In a growing trend, more and more films are being released in an Unrated cut of the film. Prior to when TV airings of the film begins, a format screen appears reading, "The following film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen, to run in the time allotted and edited for content" (see below). The end credits on TV airings of films sometimes speed up to make time for the next show or film to start, or to free up more airtime for advertisements, which has become an increasingly-common practice.
Content: Some films have content deemed "objectionable" to "family audiences": sexual content, obscene language, graphic violence, and perceived racial insensitivity. To make these films suitable for younger or more typical audiences, or to appeal to advertisers when a film is shown on basic cable or broadcast TV, alternative versions are created with such content removed or replaced. Often, profanities are replaced with minced oaths. The editing of these versions is performed by a censor and not the producer or director of the work. In addition, a film is often times edited if it receives the NC-17 (No one 17 and under admitted) rating from the MPAA, as NC-17 rated films are not screened at mainstream cinemas or advertised on television. Therefore, studios will often re-edit the film to achieve an R rating instead.
Re-editing techniques
There are two main techniques for re-editing films:
Manual re-editing
Purchased film content is downloaded onto an editing work station hard drive and third-party editors manually re-edit the video and audio tracks, removing objectionable content. The re-edited version is then copied onto media (VHS or DVD) and made available for rental or purchase provided an original version has been purchased in correlation with the re-edited copy. Some manual re-edits are done by fans (see The Phantom Edit) to cut a film to their own – or their peers – specifications.
Although the recent court ruling prohibits business from manually re-editing commercial films, the law still allows for individuals to self-censor and edit their own films for personal use.
Programmed re-editing
Programmed re-editing occurs when software (such as that employed in a DVD player) is used to skip portions of the video and/or audio content on-the-fly according to pre-programmed instruction sets which are knowingly used by the consumer.
Opening disclaimers
In any case, theatrical films that aired on television in the 1970s and most of the 1980s would simply have an "Edited for Television" disclaimer superimposed right after the opening credits, or, in a few cases, superimposed over the movie title card itself, just below the title. However, today, when a theatrical film or television special is aired on network or syndicated television or is re-issued on video in a form different from its original version, variations of the following disclaimers appear:
"This film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen."
"The following film has been modified from its original version. It has been formatted to fit this screen."
"This film has been modified as follows from its original version: It has been formatted to fit your screen."
Depending on content and time, the disclaimer will add: "...to run in the time allotted and for content." or "...and to run in the time allotted." or "...and edited for content."
Disney films prepared for television by Disney-ABC Domestic Television and other select TV stations will have: "This film has been edited for television", or "This film has been modified from its original version. It has been edited for television and formatted to fit this screen."
Many DVD releases that contain versions of films different from the theatrical releases, such as Universal Studios Home Video's Legend director's cut DVD will have: "This film has been modified from its original version to include additional material not in the original release."
In the instance of black-and-white films that have been colorized, there will often be a disclaimer such as the following: "This is a colorized version of a film originally marketed and distributed to the public in black and white. It has been altered without the participation of the principal director, screenwriter, and other creators of the original film."
References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks, Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, History Channel, Film Daily, New York Film Academy, The Balance, Careers Hub, The Numbers, Film Maker, Film Site, TV Guide Magazine, Blurb, Media Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Chron, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, WGA, BBC, Daily Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Studio Binder, Career Trend, Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America, Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media, Production Beast, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros, UCAS, Frankenbite, Realty 101, Careers Hub, Screen Play Scripts, Elements of Cinema, Script Doctor, ASCAP, Film Independent, Any Possibility, CTLsites, NYFA, Future Learn, VOM Productions, Mad Studios, Rewire, DP School, Film Reference, DGA, IATSE, ASC, MPAA, HFPA, MPSE, CDG, AFI, Box Office Mojo, Rotten Tomatoes, Indie Film Hustle, The Numbers, Netflix, Vimeo, Instagram, Pinterest, Metacritic, Hulu, Reddit, NATO, Mental Floss, Slate, Locations Hub, Film Industry Statistics, Guinness World Records, The Audiopedia, Imagination for People, Literary Devices, On Post Modernism, Prashant Gupta
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Re Edited / Photo Credit: Paul Anderson – Change.org - Resident Evil