The image is as unforgettable as the action is startling. He worked collaboratively, producing, directing, and editing a variety of films, including the first blockbuster motion picture, the great train robbery in 1903. Porter, pioneer american film director whose innovative use of dramatic editing piecing together scenes shot at different times and places in such films as the life of an american fireman 1903 and the great train robbery 1903 revolutionized filmmaking. Porter s technical uses with film set him apart from others of his time, and many believed that was all there was to his filmmaking, however, by examining his background, early films, and techniques there of, porter s narrative side emerges. Life of an american fireman was really innovative at the time because of its multiple camera angle perspective. The techniques used in this film were better applied to his next film the great train robbery 1903. The art of movie making and the art of editing are parallel to the art of composing a symphony. George melies and his contributions to cinema history. Creative contributions were thus shared by the cameraman. Porter came along and showed that film didnt have to be one long still in 1901. All but forgotten today, american director edwin s. Porter edwin stanton porter was an american film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the edison manufacturing company and the famous players film company. He did this through the use of cutting shots and jump cuts between different scenes taking place at the same time. Porter continued to develop his film editing techniques in his best known and most popular film.
Porter, in an attempt to resist the new industrial system born out of the popularity of nickelodeons, left edison in 1909 to form his own production company which he eventually sold in 1912. But this wouldnt be his only contribution to film and editing, porter would go on to create the film he is wellknown for, the great train robbery. Porter, who had been making and projecting films for edison since 1896, attempted to incorporate the latest trends in film editing and photography in the great train robbery. Its fantastic and is under appreciated by the general public. Todays post is the first part of a lengthy two part essay in which i analyze one of the most significant early films, edwin s. Dec 31, 2011 part 3 analyse a clip from a film they have worked on in terms of editing techniques, consider the following. Life of an american fireman 1903, directed by edwin s. In 1901, porter began operating the camera, and was responsible for directing film, from there, porter was credited with almost all of the innovations of the pre1908 period by making first story film titled life of an american. Porter built upon the innovations of contemporaneous filmmakers by developing the narrative in film making. Porter discovered that these scenes could be made to correlate to one another. Porter also used footage to tell a different story unrelated to what the footage originally was meant to portray. The edit points occur between the scenes, in order to link them together.
Porter also contributed to film actualities, a kind of precursor to. His major contribution was the arrangement of shots to represent narrative continuity. The development of editing editing actor, film, voice, cinema. Porter s approach to film editing, and how his background as a film exhibitor led him to those develo. The greatest pioneers of early cinema were thomas edison, edwin s. Porter contributed the following editing styles and techniques to film. Films were mostly enjoyed by the audience for their spectacles. Porters the great train robbery from 1903, as well as tell the story of its making. Porter rejected it for having too many scenes, but hired the young handsome griffith to star in one of his films. Porter 18701941 was a prominent innovator in the early years of cinema.
They invented cinematographe, it was a three way machine that recorded, captured and projected a motion picture. This was a big step forward for the evolution of editing but it wasnt until 1902 that edwin s. George melies and his contributions to cinema history the film industry encompasses technological and commercial organizations of filmmaking. Trace the development of editing from the lumiere brothers through georges melies, edwin s. Although he may not have invented things like closeups and certain concepts of editing, he was able to exploit them and reinvent them into something that today is prevalent in every film. Griffith, and george melies film techniques 872 words 4 pages. Still, porter s one important contribution to filmmakinga freer style of editing was a turning point in the development of film as a. At a time when most film makers were content with crude onetake shorts of straightforward dramatic design, porter was. It show us a fireman rescuing a woman and a child from inside the building and from outside the building, which was an unusual editing technique of crosscutting. He suggested that in doing so, you can have the ability to provoke emotional responses in audiences. From the beginning of early cinema, it was a cinema of attractions, enjoyed primarily for the spectacle, not for the story. Jun 11, 2014 back in the 1900s, films were all done in camera which means that no editing involved and that the whole film was done in an order that would be seen in theatre which was basically just a one reel of film played at once.
From the earliest editing innovationsgeorges melies turn of the century illusionist effects and edwin. Porter was the first to use stock footage to help create a film. Still, porters one important contribution to filmmakinga freer style of editingwas a turning point in the development of film as a narrative art form. Although he may not have invented things like closeups and certain concepts of editing, he was able to exploit them and reinvent them into something that today is prevalent in every film, short or feature. It is not clear that he means for the parallel editing to establish that the two lines of action are in fact happening simultaneously.
Film pioneer edwin stratton porter knew what scared and thrilled an audience. How does a film editor typically fulfill his or her responsibilities for the spatial relationships between shots. Porter 18701941, presents the same narrative eventsa fireman rescuing a woman from a burning buildingas seen first from inside the building and then from camera setups outside the building, repeating the same narrative action. Jan 26, 2016 from mastering old techniques to bringing mistakes purposely to a scene, editing has developed and enlarged its codes through time. Edwin s porter was an expert builder of photographic equipment and a film projectionist, he worked for thomas edison. He used the footage found in edisons library and spliced that together with staged filming to create a fictional narrative. In 1891 he helped to invent a piece of equipment which would allow the light intensity of electric lights to be varied.
Porter he worked assembling programs of edison films common, spanish american war. The first film to utilize editing, intercutting of scenes, and a mobile camera to tell a story was. The development of editing editing actor, film, voice. Edwin directed mostly short films from 1898 to 1915 and created over two hundred and fifty films in his time, the most important included life of an american fireman and the great. William henry fox talbot s greatest contribution to photography was. He was also the first to make a film from found footage, using footage that wasnt intentionally supposed to portray the film he made. W griffith was a great influence on how editing evolved, edwin.
Porter is often credited as the first american film director. One of the milestones in film history was the first narrative film, the great train robbery 1903, directed and photographed by edwin s. By using multiple shots, rather than just one, he intrigued his audience. Porter, pioneer american film director whose innovative use of dramatic editing piecing together scenes shot at different times and places in such. George melies and his contributions to cinema history essay. It was a primitive onereeler action picture, about 10 minutes long, with 14scenes, filmed in november 1903 not in. Porter 18691941 was a great trendsetter to the development of editing. He saw editing as an art, and was the first to create a foundfootage film, using footage that wasnt intended for his film, and adding a new context to the footage. Edwin s porter was an american film director born in april 1870. But through the contributions of talented artists, a new cinematic language of editing emerged. The storytelling concepts used in magiclantern slide shows and later comic books were used to create a language of film. He reworked other people ideas and made them better. Edwin stanton porter april 21, 1870 april 30, 1941 was an american film pioneer, most. Porter facts, bio, family, life, info sticky facts.
He used a dissolve between every shot just and he frequently had the same action repeated across the dissolves. May 11, 2017 in this episode of crash course film history, we talk about the development of the language of films by filmmakers like edwin s. Knowing about the history of film editing can help you understand how best to use these tools today, as well as point to where film editing might go in the future. The process of selecting oneshot films and arranging them into a 15minute program for screen presentation was very much like that of constructing a single film out of a series of separate shots. Nov 12, 2012 although the lumiere brothers had a great invention, edwin s. Reluctantly, he agreed to act in the new motion picture medium for edwin s. Porters life of an american fireman in 1902 is considered the first edited film.
He has created over 250 films, some of them still well known and recreated today. Editing is an extremely important process with tv and film because it allows the addition of sound effects, special effects and smoothens out footage to create a picture an audience will enjoy. Where it all began the lumiere brothers kicked it all off in 1895. Porter and his contributions to the development of early cinema, but unfortunately the way the narration goes there are so many other people and events discussed that the film doesnt give true justice to porter and what he did at the dawn of motion pictures. Of over 250 films created by porter, his most important include jack and the beanstalk 1902, life of an. Edwin s porter he was the first to use techniques such as closeups and intercutting for narrative purposes. What was edwin porters contribution to film history. The lumiere brothers most important contribution to the development of the movies was their introduction of narrative, aided by editing. He was known the most for his role as a director with thomas edison s company.
Film historians commonly cite this as an early example of parallel editing, showing two lines of narrative action happening at the same time, although porter s use of this device here is ambiguous. Edwin s porter s contribution to the history of the movies is enormous. Life of an american fireman is the motion picture in which the principles of modern film editing were first appliedi. In 1897 griffith set out to pursue a career both acting and writing for the theater, but for the most part was unsuccessful. The great train robbery is a 1903 american silent short western film written, produced, and directed by edwin s. Edwin stanton porter was one of the earliest film pioneer in the history which is well known in his directing movies such as life of an american fireman and the great train robbery in 1903. Part 3 analyse a clip from a film they have worked on in terms of editing techniques, consider the following. Porter was the first to push the cinema toward the cinematic. Porters contribution to the invention of motion pictures.
It was a primitive onereeler action picture, about 10 minutes long, with 14scenes, filmed in november 1903 not in the western expanse of wyoming but on the. Jack and the beanstalk 1902, rescued from an eagles nest1908, the great. For instance, he helped to develop the modern concept of continuity editing, and is. This movie is worth watching for the sake of history. Editing began with edwin porter, proving edison wrong when he said there was no future for cinema. Porter was a projectionist, inventor and entrepreneur before starting work in 1900 for the edison company, where he was swiftly promoted to head of film profuction. Most films of the time sought to replicate the perspective of someone viewing a play from the best seats in a theater. By placing shots together so that the sense of the overall space suggested on screen shifts and expands. In chronological order, here are 20 revolutionary works in film editing. Porter s contribution to the invention of motion pictures. Development of editing and techniques andy with the film goop.
In them, he helped to develop the modern concept of continuity editing, paving the way for d. From the standpoint of continuity as it would develop in cinema, this duplication of event was a deviant use of editing. Porter, in an attempt to resist the new industrial system born out of the popularity of nickelodeons, left edison in 1909 to form his. Porter was well known for producing, directing, studio manager and cinematographer. Important people in film editing history the art of the. Although this may not be true in the literal sense, it is not unjustified to give porter this title. Porter s significant contributions to the development of early narrative film was he pioneered the use of continuity editing. Porter, 1903 the great train robbery features many of the early silent cinema codes. With the life of an american fireman porter realized that by placing scenes back to back they could be made to seem as though they were happening simultaneously. Porter in 1903 is frequently acknowledged as the first narrative film. The story of the kelly gang was the first feature film to be produced and its production was done in australia.
It was then that thomas edison s assistant, edwin porter changed the ideas of film makers that the industry would have no future. His works demonstrate that when films are broken into pieces and joined together to become one, they create greater impacts than using a single shot bordwell and thompson p. Porter is the first american filmmaker to edit his films. Porter was the first to use editing to tell a story. Cutting from a long shot of an actor standing by a tree to a similar shot of just his face near the tree. The development of editing by gemma hall, media year 1. The films popularity stemmed largely from porters formal innovations, significantly, his use of editing to cut together disparate shots into a narrative of shifting. Griffith was the first film director who became a superstar in the world of cinema in his day. The makers of this documentary tried their best to keep the focus on their subject, edwin s. Griffith who would expand on porter s discovery that the unit of film structure was the shot rather than the scene. This therefore improved the equipment used in films and made lighting the set far more simpleeasier.
He then left edison and founded a company to manufacture simplex motion picture projectors. Life of an american fireman 1903 directed by edwin s. Certificate course in digital video editing it is often said that the secret to any great audiovisual experience feature film, telefilms, television show or soap opera, documentary, advertisement film, corporate film is great editing. Principles of editing film blog film blog freelance.
W griffiths and edwin s porter s contribution to the history of editing are a significant factor. From mastering old techniques to bringing mistakes purposely to a scene, editing has developed and enlarged its codes through time. Porter s crosscutting in the great train robbery 1903the simple proposition of selecting and joining takes has been one of the defining features of the medium. Noted film historian charles musser cowrote and directed this definitive tribute to edwin s. The history of cutting the birth of cinema and continuity. May 11, 2018 in this video, i discuss the unique aspects of edwin s. The art of film and video editing part1 videouniversity. Porter was an instrumental force in the development of motion pictures. Porter, who had previously worked for thomas edison as a cameraman, takes the plot from a story based on a real train robbery, written by scott marble in 1896. Edwin stanton porter was one of the earliest film pioneer in the history which is well known in his directing movies such as life of an american fireman and the great train robbery in. Mar 24, 2015 porter was the first to use stock footage to help create a film. Griffith who would expand on porters discovery that the unit of film structure was the shot rather than the scene. Her film editing carer began in 1960, when irving lerner hired her to edit studs lonigan. Cinema began as a novelty projecting dancing shadows on a screen of simple every day scenes.
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