Using either:
- Prezi
- Timeglider
Include you explanation of:
- Development of Technologies
- Pioneer Editors and their films (Lumieres, Melies, Porter, Eisenstein/Kuleshov, Griffiths)
- Techniques used
- Embed clips from their films
- Compare and explain examples of Continuity Editing (Griffiths) & Soviet Montage Editing (Eisenstein)
- Embed examples of Continuity & Montage in contemporary Films
- Explain the CONTEXT of what led to the development of these different Principles (Continuity and Montage) of editing - think about the Russian Revolution etc...
Technologies
Continuity vs Montage
Griffiths - US Continuity - Emotional Impact & Storytelling in Time and Space
Eisenstein - Soviet Montage - Intellectual Meaning & Transcending Time and Space
http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/362918/History-and-Development-of-Editing-Key-dates/
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/history-of-editing--2
Conclusion
1. How has editing changed or not changed - can you see any influence on the techniques used in current cinema?
2. Why did Continuity become the dominant style of editing?
West vs East – Continuity vs Montage Editing
Isn’t it wonderful how the mind works? No matter what pictures are put in front of our eyes our mind tries to make sense of it. It took a Russian called Kuleshev near the turn of the 20th century to bring it to the world’s attention and had a profound effect on film art and particularly early Russian cinema.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gGl3LJ7vHc
Kuleshev found out that if you linked several unrelated shots to the same facial gesture then different interpretations of the meaning of that gesture could be reached. The mind tries to make sense of the gesture in the context of the what it sees around the gesture. Perhaps, an example will clarify. If we see a person crying but we see a coffin beforehand then our mind will surmise that the tears are expressing sadness at a person dying. However, if we see the same crying gesture juxtaposed with a shot of a mother smiling with a new born baby then the mind is likely to interpret the crying as tears of joy. I hope that explains it better. As editing is the process of putting bits of film together in a particular sequence to convey meaning, this discovery lead to development of two strands of editing – Continuity and Montage editing.
Continuity editing is by far the most prevalent form of editing and is seen as being in the Western story telling tradition. Its whole purpose is to knit together scenes seamlessly in a chronological order in order to provide a continuity of narrative. There is a grammar within this for pauses, new chapters, action etc. Most Hollywood movies use continuity editing although some have montage type sequences within the film.
Montage editing was developed in the early Russian cinema and is based on discontinuity and has affected a lot of European cinema. Art House cinema thrives on it. It is more expressive and “arty” but is still used today. In many of the early Russian films you regularly see two very different short sequences of film followed by a third which leads you in the direction of the meaning. It makes you think (it’s designed to make you think) and is difficult to appreciate at first particularly for people brought up on the Hollywood style of continuity editing. The apparent clash of images brings about new meaning to the shots that follow. In the film Strike by Eisenstein, shots of a slaughterhouse which on the face of it seem out of context are used to depict the killing of strikers by soldiers.
A couple of examples. In The Godfather a series of killings in different locations are cut with scenes of the baptism of Michael Corleone’s child towards the end of the film. There is a sharp contrast betwen the pious religious context of the baptism and the business and culture of revenge. The continuity of the church service soundtrack over all the events gives the cue that the events are happening at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yddysJb-Xmo
Another example can be seen in Apocalypse Now (right) where the execution of the renegade Colnel Kurtz is cut with the slaughter of an ox by the tribesmen who follow him. Interesting that both examples feature in films by the same director, Francis Ford Coppolla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2sSLU8PJk
Even in the film Gladiator the early sequences where the muddy preparations for the battle in the forest and cut with and contrasted with Maximus’ hand serenely stroking the barley in a field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MYxtpGxGJI
Both types of editing can exist in the same movie and produce very satisfying results for the filmgoer.
Continuity editing is by far the most prevalent form of editing and is seen as being in the Western story telling tradition. Its whole purpose is to knit together scenes seamlessly in a chronological order in order to provide a continuity of narrative. There is a grammar within this for pauses, new chapters, action etc. Most Hollywood movies use continuity editing although some have montage type sequences within the film.
Montage editing was developed in the early Russian cinema and is based on discontinuity and has affected a lot of European cinema. Art House cinema thrives on it. It is more expressive and “arty” but is still used today. In many of the early Russian films you regularly see two very different short sequences of film followed by a third which leads you in the direction of the meaning. It makes you think (it’s designed to make you think) and is difficult to appreciate at first particularly for people brought up on the Hollywood style of continuity editing. The apparent clash of images brings about new meaning to the shots that follow. In the film Strike by Eisenstein, shots of a slaughterhouse which on the face of it seem out of context are used to depict the killing of strikers by soldiers.
A couple of examples. In The Godfather a series of killings in different locations are cut with scenes of the baptism of Michael Corleone’s child towards the end of the film. There is a sharp contrast betwen the pious religious context of the baptism and the business and culture of revenge. The continuity of the church service soundtrack over all the events gives the cue that the events are happening at the same time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yddysJb-Xmo
Another example can be seen in Apocalypse Now (right) where the execution of the renegade Colnel Kurtz is cut with the slaughter of an ox by the tribesmen who follow him. Interesting that both examples feature in films by the same director, Francis Ford Coppolla.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv2sSLU8PJk
Even in the film Gladiator the early sequences where the muddy preparations for the battle in the forest and cut with and contrasted with Maximus’ hand serenely stroking the barley in a field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MYxtpGxGJI
Both types of editing can exist in the same movie and produce very satisfying results for the filmgoer.
Prep:
Read over the PPT and make notes on the TECHNIQUES and PURPOSE of editing
http://emisvideoproductionlog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/editing-techniques-history-and-purposes.html
There will be a quiz next week on the Techniques
You will be creating your own portfolio of editing techniques - so you need to know what they are
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