FM4 - Early Cinema and

the Spectator
Lesson 4

Learning Intentions

QUESTIONING
MAKING LINKS
CREATING
ANALYSING

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

Discussion Questions

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

What elements of film form can be seen in Grandmas

Reading Glass (1900)?

QUESTIONING

Discussion Questions

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

What elements of
film form can be
seen in Grandmas
Reading Glass
(1900)?
The Close Up?
The Point of View
shot?
Continuity editing?

Discussion Questions

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

How do you think George Melies achieved the effects in

The Magician (1898)?

Discussion Questions

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

What do you think

the impact might
have been on the
audience?
What are film
makers beginning
to understand
about the nature
of the audience?

Discussion Questions

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

How does
Hepworth
manipulate the
audience in
Rescued By Rover
(1905) so that they
can make sense of
the story?

Life of an American Fireman (1903)

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

Is this film the

birth of western
Hollywood mode of
address?
What reasons can
you come up with?

QUESTIONING

Life of an American Fireman (1903)

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

Closer inspection?

QUESTIONING

The Great Train Robbery (1903)

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

This film was seen as the first American action film, the first
cowboy film and could also be seen as the maturing of
Hollywood narrative form.
Find examples of the following:

moving camera
180 degree rule
cross cutting
location filming
composite editing

QUESTIONING

What does this add to the spectator's experience?

Edwin S. Porters Greatest Discovery

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

The unit of meaning in a film is not the scene

Arrangement of actors, action and set within a frame
creates meaning.
Consider how this has been the case up until this point.

The unit of meaning in a film is the shot

QUESTIONING

How you arrange the shots in time can manipulate the

telling of the story.
Interestingly Porter likened this element of cinema to
narrative devices in literature especially Dickens.

Experimenting with film form

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

D.W. Griffiths
begins
experimenting in
1908 with
Greasers Gauntlet
and 1909 with The
Lonely Villa.
What is so
interesting about
this film?

Birth of a Nation (1915)

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

Birth of a Nation (1915) is the maturity of the Hollywood

mode of address. Why? Provide evidence for what you think.
How is this film similar in construction to modern cinema?

QUESTIONING

The use of establishing shots and cutting in

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

The use of motivated editing

UNDERSTAND the development of editing and

the impact it had on audiences.

EXPLORE editing emerged and developed

during the early years of cinema.

EVALUATE the impact that these

developments had on the spectator of the
time.

QUESTIONING

The Compete Mode of Address

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

By 1915 the syntax of western cinema has been set.

The experiments of Hepworth, Porter, Griffiths and others
has resulted in an editing form that:
Positions the audience
Compresses time and action
Prompts emotional responses

QUESTIONING

Orientates the action

Post Griffiths

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

QUESTIONING

In the Soviet Union film makers examined the editing and

narrative structure of Griffiths films.
They wanted to find out how and why the elements that
had been put together worked to communicate meaning
at a very deep level with no formal learning having taken
place i.e. with language you need to spend time knowing
what things mean but cinema had developed a language
within 20 years but not taught the audience how to read
film.

Kuleshov Effect

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

QUESTIONING

What does the woman feel?

Montage Editing

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

Pudovkin and Kuleshov asserted that the mesning is

created through the interaction of the images when
edited together rather than the construction of the
images in and of themselves.
The Kuleshov effect attempted to prove that the space
between the shots is where the meaning is created.

QUESTIONING

This was taught through the Soviet film school and

adopted by other film practitioners, most notably Sergi
Eisenstein.

Montage Editing

UNDERSTAND the development of

editing and the impact it had on
audiences.
EXPLORE editing emerged and
developed during the early years of
cinema.
EVALUATE the impact that these
developments had on the spectator
of the time.

QUESTIONING

Oktober (1928)

HOME LEARNING

EXPLORE the discussion points

raised in the Home Learning.

EXAMINE the standpoint of the

spectator and why it is worth
studying.

HL INTENTION To INTRODUCE the idea of Hollywood as a

production institution during early film and up to the start of
Charlie Chaplins career.
TASK Watch Paul Mertons Birth of Hollywood Episode 1
available through the website
TASK 2 Construct a timeline of Chaplins work and life

REVIEWING

Task 3 Essay response to the following exam question: From the

films you have studied for this topic, discuss how far it can be
said that they reveal filmmakers growing awareness of the
spectator.