Final answer:
The statement is true; filmmakers commonly edit films to remove dull moments, optimizing the plot/discourse time to maintain audience interest and ensure clear narrative comprehension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement suggests that the most common way a filmmaker can expand a film's plot/discourse time relative to its story time is by cutting out time and space that are not interesting or needed for narrative comprehension. This is indeed a widespread practice in filmmaking and can be considered true.
Considering the pacing and rhythm essential to a successful direction, filmmakers often need to be judicious about what they include in the final cut. By controlling the pace at which the story unfolds, they remove uninteresting elements, thereby enhancing the overall narrative flow and maintaining the audience's attention.
Moreover, due to the non-chronological nature of film shoots, directors must have a clear vision of the story and leverage technical aspects to achieve the desired impact. This may involve nonlinear narratives and using transitions to indicate the passage of time or shifts in space. During post-production, directors finalize this process by selecting the takes that best fit their storytelling goals, shaping the film's structure to its finished state that often differs from the original shooting sequence.