The Origins of
Editing Styles and
Techniques
COM 320—History of the
Moving Image
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing

1. Intercutting (between 2+ different spaces; also called parallel editing or
crosscutting)
 -e.g., D. W. Griffith’s Broken Blossoms (boxing match vs. girl/Chinese
man encounter)
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing

1. Intercutting (between 2+ different spaces; also called parallel editing or
crosscutting)
 -e.g., D. W. Griffith’s Broken Blossoms (boxing match vs. girl/Chinese
man encounter)
 -e.g., lack of intercutting: The Life of An American Fireman (1903,
George S. Fleming & Edwin S. Porter (uncredited))
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing


1. Intercutting (between 2+ different spaces; also called parallel editing or
crosscutting)
2. Analytical editing
 -Breaks a single space into separate framings
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing



1. Intercutting (between 2+ different spaces; also called parallel editing or
crosscutting)
2. Analytical editing
3. Continguity editing
 -Movement from space to space
 -e.g., Rescued by Rover
I. The Beginnings of Classical
(Hollywood) Editing




1. Intercutting (between 2+ different spaces; also called parallel editing or
crosscutting)
2. Analytical editing
3. Continguity editing
4. Specific techniques
 1. 180-degree system (violated in Cabinet of Dr. Caligari)
 2. Point of view (POV)
 3. Eyeline match
 4. Shot/reverse shot

1. l80o system
Yes
No

2. POV shot

3. Eyeline match (and the Kuleshov Effect)

4. Shot-Reverse-Shot series
II. Soviet Montage Editing
II. Soviet Montage Editing

1. Many shots
II. Soviet Montage Editing

2. Rapid cutting
II. Soviet Montage Editing

3. Thematic montage
II. Soviet Montage Editing

4. Creative geography
II. Soviet Montage Editing

5. Kuleshov Effect


Established (??) by Lev Kuleshov in a series of
experiments (poorly documented, however)
Nature of the “Kuleshov Effect”—Even without
establishing shot, the viewer may infer spatial or
temporal continuity from shots of separate
elements; his supposed early “test” used
essentially an eyeline match
II. Soviet Montage Editing

5. Kuleshov Effect
Kuleshov Effect—Preliminary
Empirical Evidence
Essential
Kuleshov
FRAMES Study 2011
SOUP
COFFIN
GIRL WITH
TEDDY BEAR
= ???
= ???
= ???
Kuleshov Effect—Preliminary
Empirical Evidence
Essential
Kuleshov
FRAMES Study 2011
SOUP
COFFIN
GIRL WITH
TEDDY BEAR
= HUNGER
= SADNESS
= ANGER
Kuleshov Effect—Possible sequences
Essential Kuleshov
Condition 1
Condition 2
Condition 3
Condition 4
Condition 5
Manipulation
II. Soviet Montage Editing

6. Contradictory space

Shots of same event contradict one another
(e.g., plate smashing in Potemkin)
II. Soviet Montage Editing

7. Graphic contrasts

Distinct change in composition or action (e.g.,
Odessa step sequence in Potemkin)
II. Soviet Montage Editing

8. Cubism?

From Yuri Tsivian’s analysis on the Strike DVD:
Multiple views of the scene are presented, views
that are not POVs of any characters in film–like
the work of a cubist artist
Cubism—Subject is “cut up” (decoupage),
then re-assembled using various angles

e.g., Pablo Picasso
II. Soviet Montage Editing

9. Intercutting

Expanded use from Griffith
II. Soviet Montage Editing

10. Overlapping editing



Repetitions expand the time of the event shown
Later example–Babe (in-class showing)
Later example—Mission Impossible 2
Overlapping Editing
1
1
2
2
3
Angle A
3
4
4
5
6
7
8
9
Overlapping Editing
1
1
2
2
3
Angle A
3
4
4
4
5
5
6
6
Angle B
7
7
8
8
9
Overlapping Editing
1
1
2
2
3
Angle A
3
4
4
4
5
5
6
6
Angle B
7
7
8
8
9
7
8
Angle C
9
Overlapping Editing
1
1
2
2
3
Angle A
3
4
4
4
5
5
6
6
Angle B
7
7
8
8
9
7
8
Angle C
9
Overlapping Editing

Mission Impossible 2, John Woo, 2000:
II. Soviet Montage Editing

11. Elliptical cutting/Jump cutting



Opposite effect of overlapping editing
A portion of the event is left out (often via jump
cuts), so the event takes less time than it would
in reality
Later examples–Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Basquiat (in-class showing)
Elliptical (Jump Cut) Editing
1
2
1
3
2
4
3
5
4
6
7
Angle A
7
8
8
9
9
II. Soviet Montage Editing

12. Nondiegetic inserts


Elements from outside the “story world”
(diegesis) are inserted for symbolic or
metaphorical purposes
e.g., Slaughterhouse/police attack in Strike
II. Soviet Montage Editing

12. Nondiegetic inserts



Elements from outside the “story world”
(diegesis) are inserted for symbolic or
metaphorical purposes
e.g., Slaughterhouse/police attack in Strike
Later examples–Naked Gun 2-1/2, My Own
Private Idaho, Basquiat (in-class showing)
Non-diegetic Inserts--Example

Naked Gun 2-1/2

12 inserts during sex scene:












A flower opening
Raising of a pillar in ancient Egypt
Rocket blasting off
Man putting a hot dog in a bun
Man being shot out of a cannon at a circus
Train going through a tunnel
Oil rigs moving up and down
A roller coaster going upside down
A submarine firing a torpedo
A levee breaking
Fireworks
A basketball being dunked
Non-diegetic Inserts—Other Examples?




Fight Club (peaceful forest, flames)
A Clockwork Orange (explosions, hanging,
vampire fangs)
???
???

end