Manipulation of diegetic time and space

Manipulation of time and space is the editing technique used to show time unconventionally. This can be done by showing the audience large amounts of time that is compressed into a short piece of footage, or you could show the audience a situation that is longer than it would be in real life. You are probably thinking why would you do that? You would do it because it will create suspense for the audience due to their attention being attracted to what is happening.



The main type of technique you would use would be flashbacks. Flashbacks are when the character sees images from the past. Flashbacks can be used for characters to see the future however they would have to have a certain ability to do so.

It can also be used to show the location or and object changing over a period of time. An example of this would be the beginning scene of the film 'UP'.

In this scene the editor has used this flashback to set the scene with the audience. The audience sees the characters life compressed into 5 minutes before the film starts. You might think why? They do this because the audience can understand the characters features and mood in the present tense. All in all, it makes it easier for the audience to understand characters when they have background information on them.