The document discusses the historical development of editing in film from the late 19th century to present day. It begins by covering the single-shot films of the Lumiere brothers in the 1890s, then discusses how George Melies began connecting shots to create episodic films. In the early 1900s, Edwin Porter used editing techniques like parallel action. D.W. Griffith helped develop classical cutting with The Birth of a Nation in 1915. Continuity editing was designed to make cuts invisible. Soviet filmmakers like Eisenstein developed montage editing using collision and juxtaposition of shots. More recently, MTV and commercials have influenced faster editing styles.

1. The Graduate

2. Editing

3. CUT
Scene 1 till 3:37 The Cutting Edge

4. CUT
Is the joining of two separate shots

5. CUT
Is the joining of two separate shots
So that the first shot is instantaneously
replaced by the second

6. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING

7. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s

8. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s
- Lumiere Brothers invented the Cinematograph

9. Lumiere Bros. Cinematograph: camera, projector, developing machine

10. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s
- Lumiere Brothers invented the Cinematograph
- Lumiere Bros. (Auguste & Louis) early films
contained no editing

11. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s
- Lumiere Brothers invented the Cinematograph
- Lumiere Bros. (Auguste & Louis) early films
contained no editing
- Single-shot recordings (sequence shots)

12. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s
- Lumiere Brothers invented the Cinematograph
- Lumiere Bros. (Auguste & Louis) early films
contained no editing
- Single-shot recordings (sequence shots)
- Lasted the duration of one roll of film (1-2 minutes)

13. HISTORICAL AND AESTHETIC
DEVELOPMENTS IN EDITING
MID 1890s
- Lumiere Brothers invented the Cinematograph
- Lumiere Bros. (Auguste & Louis) early films
contained no editing
- Single-shot recordings (sequence shots)
- Lasted the duration of one roll of film (1-2 minutes)
-The duration of the shots and the event were equal

14. George Melies
created episodic films by connecting
shots: cutting to continuity

15. George Melies
created episodic films by connecting
shots: cutting to continuity
- Editing and camera placement still based
on live theatre

16. George Melies
created episodic films by connecting
shots: cutting to continuity
- Editing and camera placement still based
on live theatre
- Camera is stationary, outside of the action

17. George Melies
created episodic films by connecting
shots: cutting to continuity
- Editing and camera placement still based
on live theatre
- Camera is stationary, outside of the action
-Similar to curtain coming down and opening
in a new location

19. Editing Breakdown
What is the shot selection? (MS, CU,
etc.)
What is the angle? (High, Low, etc.)
Is there camera movement? (Dolly, pan,
etc.)
Transition between shots? Is it a
straight cut or is there a dissolve, dip to
black, etc…

20. Cutting to Continuity
“Cutting to continuity tries to preserve
the fluidity of an event without literally
showing all of it” (Giannetti 132).

21. • The Cutting Edge scene 2 3:37-6:14

22. 1903
-Edwin S. Porter made Life of an American
Fireman and The Great Train Robbery

23. 1903
-Edwin S. Porter made Life of an American
Fireman and The Great Train Robbery
- Porter used editing to create parallel action

24. 1903
-Edwin S. Porter made Life of an American
Fireman and The Great Train Robbery
- Porter used editing to create parallel action
- Shots are not linear - shot B does not pick up
where shot A left off – linked instead by the
continuity of an IDEA
The Great Train Robbery (1903), Edwin S. Porter

26. The Cutting Edge 10:25-12:55

27. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
- D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation

28. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
- D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting

29. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity

30. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity
-Expand visual explanation-

31. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity
-Expand visual explanation-
-juxtaposing long shots,

32. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity
-Expand visual explanation-
-juxtaposing long shots,
-medium shots, close ups, etc.

33. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity
-Expand visual explanation-
-juxtaposing long shots,
-medium shots, close ups, etc.
- varying the length of shots

34. 1915 “The Father of Filmmaking”
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Classical cutting
-Editing within scene to vary dramatic intensity
-Expand visual explanation-
-juxtaposing long shots,
-medium shots, close ups, etc.
- varying the length of shots
-shifting the attention within a scene

36. 1915
-D. W. Griffith makes The Birth of a Nation
-Also changed film acting
- acting for a close up = greater subtlety
- less like stage acting

37. CONTINUITY EDITING:

38. CONTINUITY EDITING:
Designed to make editing INVISIBLE

39. CONTINUITY EDITING:
Designed to make editing INVISIBLE
- cutting on action: action begins in one shot and ends in
another

41. CONTINUITY EDITING:
Designed to make editing INVISIBLE
- cutting on action: action begins in one shot and ends in
another
- cutting on dialogue: motivated by whoever is
talking (or listening)

42. (shot, reverse shot)

43. CONTINUITY EDITING:
Designed to make editing INVISIBLE
- cutting on action: action begins in one shot and ends in
another
- cutting on dialogue: motivated by whoever is
talking (or listening)
- cut on the glance: edit follows the eyes of a character

45. Scene 13-1:04:13 The Cutting Edge

46. CONTINUITY EDITING: AKA Classical Cutting
Master shot: A long shot of the entire action without
cuts.

47. CONTINUITY EDITING: AKA Classical Cutting
Master shot: A long shot of the entire action without
cuts.
The action is then repeated a number to times using
medium shots, close ups, etc.

48. CONTINUITY EDITING: AKA Classical Cutting
Master shot: A long shot of the entire action without
cuts.
The action is then repeated a number to times using
medium shots, close ups, etc.
Without a master shot editors many not have
adequate footage

49. Tsotsi
(2005)
Directed by Gavin Hood
Presley Chweneyagae .... Tsotsi

50. 1. How is editing used to inform the viewer
about Tsotsi’s childhood?
2. How is continuity editing used in Tsotsi?
Be specific and use editing grammar to support
your claim.
Response Questions - CHOOSE ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS TO RESPOND TO
RESPONSE PAPERS: Throughout the course of the semester, we will screen at least twelve films. You are required to write half-page
response papers for at least five of the films. These papers are due one week from the day they are assigned. Each paper is worth a
maximum of 2 points. These papers may constitute cumulative total of 10 possible points. All papers must be typed using 12 point
Times Roman font, with 1” margins and be double-spaced. No handwritten pages accepted. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation
are taken into account. Plagiarism is strictly prohibited.

51. • The Russians *scene 6

52. Moscow Film School used film as
propaganda

53. Moscow Film School used film as
propaganda
Their editing style was in direct
opposition to American classical cutting

54. Moscow Film School used film as
propaganda
Their editing style was in direct
opposition to American classical cutting
Soviets believed that the power was in
the juxtaposition

55. Moscow Film School used film as
propaganda
Their editing style was in direct
opposition to American classical cutting
Soviets believed that the power was in
the juxtaposition
Cuts called attention to themselves

56. Moscow Film School used film as
propaganda
Their editing style was in direct
opposition to American classical cutting
Soviets believed that the power was in
the juxtaposition
Cuts called attention to themselves
The meaning was made in the edit

57. 1920s
- Lev Kuleshov, Soviet film theorist

58. 1920s
- Lev Kuleshov, Soviet film theorist
- Experimented with juxtaposition

59. 1920s
- Lev Kuleshov, Soviet film theorist
- Experimented with juxtaposition
- Shots cut together to create ideas not
contained in either shot on its own
= meaning through editing

60. 1920s
- Lev Kuleshov, Soviet film theorist
- Experimented with juxtaposition
- Shots cut together to create ideas not
contained in either shot on its own
= meaning through editing
MONTAGE EDITING

68. MONTAGE EDITING
Sergei EisensteinSergei Eisenstein
- shots COLLIDE to make meaning

69. MONTAGE EDITING
Sergei Eisenstein
- shots COLLIDE to make meaning
-often fragmenting time and space

70. MONTAGE EDITING
Sergei Eisenstein
- shots COLLIDE to make meaning
-often fragmenting time and space
- montage calls attention to itself,
unlike Continuity editing
-the contrast and conflict of images

71. Montage clip from Eisenstein’s STRIKE (1925):

73. • Scene 12 till 1:00:00

74. SHORT ATTENTION SPAN:
MTV/30 SEC. COMMERCIAL INFLUENCES

75. SHORT ATTENTION SPAN:
MTV/30 SEC. COMMERCIAL INFLUENCES
- “MTV Generation” - grew up watching 30 second TV
commercials, and rapidly-edited music videos

76. SHORT ATTENTION SPAN:
MTV/30 SEC. COMMERCIAL INFLUENCES
- “MTV Generation” - grew up watching 30 second TV
commercials, and rapidly-edited music videos
- Shots often last a second or two (or less)