How the Pioneers of modern editing inspire my filming decisions

Inspired by lectures I conducted my research about pioneers of modern editing. I found that Edwin S. Porter used fast pace and continuity for more innovative editing. An expert on film editing, film historian, Ken Dancyger (2007) wrote, “the camera recorded an event, an act, or an incident”. Most early films were a single shot (Dancyger, 2007). Furthermore, he states that editing becomes more purposeful after the work of Edwin S. Poter. Porter, an American filmmaker noticed that if he organised shots in his films differently, that could make his films more vibrant. He begun to see the shot as a thing that you need to use to put the film together. This is the birth of film grammar. I realised how similar it is to my comparison of single shot to a jigsaw.

When watching his film “The great train robbery” I followed the visual continuity and the fast pace introduced by the lecturer. Inspired by Porters’ work I noticed the parallel editing in the movie and realised how important this would be for my editing experience. I incorporated it in my silent movie project about an employee being late for work, using second character and location when the boss was waiting in the office. I felt like this second setting brings depth into this simple story. It also gave space for the viewer to process information, and helped to establish the relationship between the characters of the dedicated employee and difficult boss.

Inspired by Porter, whilst planning my Silent Movie I decided to use use action sequences, typical of Western genres (Dancyger, 2007). I was looking for a dramatic story because as Dancyger states, “the moment of survival is central to the action sequence”. At that stage my colleague Patrick came up with an idea of a bicycle chase or race. We agreed on exaggerating an everyday activity into “a critical life and death moment” (Dancyger, 2007) essential for the action sequence of an employee being late for work. I have decided that the whole film will depend on movement. So when there is no movement in the shot I use camera movement. Following Porters’ action continuity I carefully planned shots so the same sort of action would move from one scene to another. Porter also added all sort of transitions including vertical wipes. Personally those wipes and transitions don’t work for me and I feel like they make the film look cheap or try to cover over something (mostly mistakes).  

I have learnt that early filmmakers had to use their creativity to attract a declining audience (Dancyger, 2007). Likewise, in their editing a variety of techniques were used. This was achieved through a composition of different shots, continuity and parallel editing. Reading Dancyger I understood that the art of editing appears when shots take meaning to the next level of excitement, insight, shock or the epiphany of discovery. It is important that a new shot introduces new information.

(Dancyger, 2007). Technique of Film and Video Editing : History, Theory, and Practice). 

DW Griffith called “The father of modern film editing” – took filmmaking to the new level. ‘Griffith demonstrated that a scene could be fragmented into long shots, medium shots and close shots to allow the audience to move gradually into the emotional heart of the scene’. Dancyger

That made me think that I should incorporate a lot more close ups of faces. However, I didn’t want to use them from the first place. I thought those are not much important for the story. Instead, I focused on excitation expressed by movement within shots and shots itself and “variation in the length of shots” (Dancyger)

Griffith also introduce in his editing dramatic time to replace real time. I start to understand how important the continuity is but also I start to link it with dramatic time. I have remembered from the lecture that we don’t have to tell the story using real time – as real life is boring and slow. We are looking for the exciting bits, and the boring bots we can tell very quickly using important shots, which introduce new information. And then using continuity we can leave space, a pause for viewer’s idea of what just had happened. Eg. Telling the story about someone driving the kids to school in the morning, we don’t have to fill the whole event from the moment of leaving home, through the driving in the car, to the school doors. This story can be illustrated using dramatic time and can be told by maximum of three shots: mum picking the car keys up, getting into the car  and parking in front of school.

Looking into those bios of pioneers it is hard not to think if it was about the invention, the art or the business. Researching for all above made me think what is more important when editing – thinking about money or artistic side of the industry. Do I edit the things to look nice and sweet for Commercial purpose or am I trying to be objective and show what's truthful. Should I manipulate the story to keep audience interested ? Where are the boundaries. Are there any?

Also I start thinking about how important team work is and how one filmmaker influence another one

Things are changing, editing is evolving quickly. – medium which changes constantly moving forward with every movie

All above help me shaping my research assignment.