Split Screen

Introduction
• What split screen is
• The history behind it
• Films it has been used in
• Different way it is used to enhance the audiences views.
 Split Screen
Split screen is one of the oldest techniques in media. It is the combination of
two or more scenes filmed separately which appear in the same frame and
can be used as a storytelling technique, a visual effect, and even an invisible
way to bring together two different actors best performances.
Strong use of Split Screen can produce a number of juxtapositions, ranging
from producing different angles of the same event, alternate outcomes, Figure 1 :Carrie 1976
parallel events running simultaneously and even twins.
Religious art exploited the idea of multiple images for centuries. One
prominent example is the Merode Altarpiece, from the mid-fifteenth
century. Triptych paintings featured a main central image, flanked on both
sides by two or more generally related images. The concept of using
triptychs was one of the feature taken by the cinema from paintings.
Traditionally, the split screen was made with the optical printer, which re-
photographed different strips of film that could then be put together. With
the digital age, the same trick can be easily achieved with a software, and
this is the way it is generally done today. Figure 2 : Merode Altarpiece(Robert
Campin)
Split Screen: In the Past
The use of split screening dates back to the 1890s. In early
films, like Edwin Porter’s 1903 film ‘Life of an American
Fireman’, it was used a lot to show the main character
thoughts and feelings, shown in the start of the film were he
thinks of a woman and child. ‘The Four Troublesome
Heads’(1898) is another example of split screen when in the
film, the lead does a magic trick and Melies using multiple
exposures with matte paintings to create the illusion of his Figure 3 : Pillow talk 1959
head disappearing.
Split screen was also used to make it appear as though two
people were in the same place, one example of this was 1958
film, ‘ Indiscreet’ where they used split screen to show the
characters in bed as it wasn’t allowed back then as it wasn’t
breaking the production code and were breaking taboos.
Another film which does this is Michael Gordon’s ‘Pillow
talk’(1959), where the two characters appear to share a bed
and bathtub. These two films both use split screen to
emphasize the fact that split screen can be both performance-
serving and a means to finding a loophole in the face of
censorship, which is what they did. Figure 4: The Four Troublesome
Heads(1898)
500 years of summer
500 years of summer is an example of a more
modern use of split screen but uses the same
concepts as older film, like ‘ The Queen of
Spades’, even nearly hundred year later. Each
use split screen to contrast dreams with reality,
however ‘500 Years of Summer’ is much more Figure 5 : 500 years of summer (2009)
clean and cut then ‘The Queen of Spades’ as
techniques has advanced and techniques has
evolved. The modern technique also doesn’t
take as much time as it once did, because of
these new technique and software which
create these effects. In 500 years of summer,
the split screen is also used as a way of telling
the story through the used of the main lead’s
reality and expectations.

Figure 6: The Queen of Spades (1916)

The Parent Trap and split screen
In 1961 Disney produced a film entitled The Parent Trap, that centered around two
twins that were split at birth attempting to bring their family back together.
However, Disney did not cast a set of twins for the role, instead casting one person
(Hayley Mills) to play both roles. This was created using split screen which was
pretty advanced of the time.
“It unveiled ground breaking visual effects, that were both
astonishing and invisible.” – ABC/Disney (2011)
In order to to do this, the crew would have to record each
scene twice, so that the actress could act for both parts. Figure 7- Walt Disney. (1961). The Parent Trap Original Poster

”We would shoot the scene twice, we would shoot it,

and we would have an actress double standing where
the other twin would normally be standing” – Bob
Broughton (Special photographic effects on The
Parent Trap 1961) (2011)

The clips then needed to be put together.

Figure 8- N/A (1961). The Parent Trap (Original) images the parent trap {1960s}
HD wallpaper and background photos
In order to combine the two reels, they re-photographed each strip one frame at a time, using an optical printer.

“What we would do on the optical printer is we would shoot two

different exposures, one exposure would be the girl on the left, with a
mat blacking out the right side, so no light hit the film. Then we would
back the camera film back, and then we would shoot a second
exposure on the same film, with the mat on the left side, and now
what you have is a complete scene.” - Bob Broughton (Special
photographic effects on The Parent Trap 1961) (2011)

The crew would normally try to help with the splitting of the scene by
placing objects of the background in certain places that would help line up
Figure 9- Oxberry. (N/A). Optical Printer
the footage, or even cutting around photo edges form other scenes.

However, this did cause limitations, as the actress

had to be sure to stay on her side of the split
otherwise she would be at risk of being cut out
form the scene.
Figure 10- ABC/Disney.
(2011). The Parent Trap -
Seeing Double
Figure 11- ABC/Disney. (2011). The
Parent Trap - Seeing Double
 In order to avoid this problem the crew drew out footsteps for
Hayley to follow, so that she wouldn’t step out of line. Yet if you
focus you can see Hayley's arm slightly wave out of the split, so it
gets cut off. However, at the time of production audiences
wouldn’t really notice as they were still mesmerised by the actress
playing her screen twin, in front of their eyes.

Figure 12- ABC/Disney. (2011). The Parent Trap - Seeing Double

In 1998 Disney decided to remake the classic, still keeping with the use
of the split screen, by casting Lindsay Lohan the lead role. As
technology improved, making Lindsay appear to have a twin was a
little easier task. However, the crew still with having another actress
play as the other twin, to help with things such as eye line.

Figure 13- Imdb. (1998). The Parent Trap (1998).

Brian De Palma and Split Screen
Palma’s 1976 horror Carrie uses split screen as a way to enhance the
character of Carrie and the trauma she is faced with at the prom.
“The trauma of abjection provokes a psychic
splitting in Carrie whereby there victim of
shame becomes an enraged avenger” Keesey, Douglas, (2015).
-
This is physically shown through the screen splitting down the
middle. This scene happens just after Carrie gets announced prom
queen and is then covered in pigs blood by people in her class.
Some may argue that this splitting cuts our emotional connection with
the character and distances us, while other argue it brings us closer as
we are able to engage with more angles of carries’ point of view.
The split screen enable us to watch as Carries gaze create havoc for
other people, closing door etc., she always looks to the opposite side
of where she is shown from within the split screen, which allows us
to understand that that is where she is aiming for.

“ I wanted to use it as an extension of her emotions- her feelings that

were completely translated into actions, that only erupted when she
got terribly, excited, terribly anxious and terribly sad” – Brian De
Palma (2015)
In conclusion, split screen has been used in a multitude of ways, whether this is to enhance
the storytelling aspect, back when split screen was used in paintings, and in traditional ways.
Or in new ways using software to manipulate the frames, to get different effects.
 Bibliography
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 Harvard illustrations List
Figure 1-Carrie(1976)[Image] [Online] available at: http://filmfanatic.org/reviews/?p=32268
Figure 2-M erode Altarpiece(Robert Campin 1425-30) [Image] [Online] available at: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/211174960350469
Figure 3 -Pillow talk(1959)[Image] [Online] available at: https://superqueen.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/895572210.jpg
Figure 4- The Four Troublesome Heads(1898) [Image] [Online] available at: https://youtu.be/f-SnqRxXESA

Figure 5- 500 years of summer (2009) [ScreenShot] [Online] available at: https://youtu.be/f-SnqRxXESA
Figure 6- The Queen of Spades (1916) [ScreenShot] [Online] available at https://youtu.be/f-SnqRxXESA
Figure 7- Walt Disney. (1961). The Parent Trap Original Poster. Available: https://disney.co.uk/ . Last accessed 17/01/2019.
Figure 8- N/A (1961). The Parent Trap (Original) images the parent trap {1960s} HD wallpaper and background photos. Available:
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Figure 9- Oxberry. (N/A). Optical Printer. Available: http://www.oxberry.com/oxberry1600_page.html. Last accessed 17/01/2019.
Figure 10- ABC/Disney. (2011). The Parent Trap - Seeing Double. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPDCnTucLK0 Last accessed
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Figure 11 -ABC/Disney. (2011). The Parent Trap - Seeing Double. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPDCnTucLK0 Last accessed
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Figure 12- ABC/Disney. (2011). The Parent Trap - Seeing Double. Available http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPDCnTucLK0 Last accessed
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Figure 13- Imdb. (1998). The Parent Trap (1998). Available: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120783/. Last accessed 17/01/2019.