VM100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: The Lonedale Operator, Proscenium, Edwin S. Porter
1 Jul 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
VM 100 History of Media Arts !
Prof. Michael Selig
Semester 1 Lecture 3
Continuity- Conventions of editing to create illusion of continuous (or simultaneous) time and
space between shots
Matching action- Action seems to match, happen in order in series of shots
Overlapping action- One after the other
THE SHOT (1903+)
Take/shot of an incomplete action edited together to create a single scene
-Several shots for one scene
Early attempt at continuity- Contiguity editing and cross-cutting
-Great Train robbery often fails at meeting continuity editing standards
Contiguity editing- Not a common term! Edit for illusion of contiguous spaces…continuous time
(ie; leaving a room)
Cross-cutting (intercutting)- More common term, edit between spaces for illusion of
simultaneous time..most common use —> THE CHASE SCENE
-Typified in films in Edwin Porter (Edison employee)
-The Great Train Robbery (1903)- Use of the shot as basic unit of meaning (attempts at
contiguity editing and cross-cutting)
Proscenium arch-style- Long shot, long take with an eye level camera that doesn’t move
-GTR uses novelty shot- close up with no narrative purpose, can be used at beginning or end
-What conventions of continuity editing yet to be developed?
Analytical editing
BREAKING the proscenium arch style
DW GRIFFITH- Premiere producer of American Biograph (larger producing company)
Conventions of analytical editing- Long shot (LS) to medium shot (MS) to close up (CU)
-The opening long shot is also called…the establishing shot or master shot
-Visual style is determined by the narrative or story
Style should NOT draw attention to itself
Example: The Lonedale Operator vs. A Girl and Her Trust
The Birth of a Nation: Racist but good editing?
What about the representation of subjectivity? (vs. objective or physical space)
Porter’s Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906)- Special effects to represent subjectivity
Document Summary
Continuity- conventions of editing to create illusion of continuous (or simultaneous) time and space between shots. Matching action- action seems to match, happen in order in series of shots. Take/shot of an incomplete action edited together to create a single scene. Early attempt at continuity- contiguity editing and cross-cutting. Great train robbery often fails at meeting continuity editing standards. Edit for illusion of contiguous spaces continuous time (ie; leaving a room) Cross-cutting (intercutting)- more common term, edit between spaces for illusion of simultaneous timemost common use > the chase scene. Typified in films in edwin porter (edison employee) The great train robbery (1903)- use of the shot as basic unit of meaning (attempts at contiguity editing and cross-cutting) Proscenium arch-style- long shot, long take with an eye level camera that doesn"t move. Gtr uses novelty shot- close up with no narrative purpose, can be used at beginning or end. Dw griffith- premiere producer of american biograph (larger producing company)
