Week 2: Early Silent Cinema
Why Editing Works
This reading discusses one of the rules Griffith established in greater detail, that of continuity editing. Read this document to understand the importance of continuity editing and the five rules associated with maintaining it within a film. This reading may also be referenced in the final essay, if editing is to be included in the analysis.
http://www.classicalnotes.net/griffith/part6.html
Admiral Cigarette – 1897 (film & reading)
Read about the short Admiral Cigarette (Heise, 1897) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer a variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
https://www.filmpreservation.org/sponsored-films/screening-room/admiral-cigarette-1897-sfg
The Gilded Cage – 1915 (film & reading)
Read about the short Gilded Cage (Lowe, Jr., 1915) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
https://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/the-gilded-cage-1915
U.S. Navy of 1915 (film & reading)
Read about the short U.S. Navy of 1915 (1915) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/u-s-navy-documentary-1915
Mutt and Jeff: On Strike – 1920 (Animated) (film & reading)
Read about the short animated film Mutt and Jeff: On Strike (1915) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/mutt-and-jeff-on-strike-1920
Pathé News, No. 15 – 1922 (News Reel) (film & reading)
Read about the short newsreel Pathé News, No. 15 – 1922 (1922) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/pathe-news-no-15-1922
Hollywood Snapshots – 1922 (film & reading)
Read about the short newsreel Hollywood Snapshots (1922) before watching the film. This is among a collection of early shorts to view and learn about to inform you for your first discussion for this week. Each short has been selected to offer variety of filmmaking styles, history, and content. Reference to this short and the five other shorts should be made in your discussion entry for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserved-films/screening-room/hollywood-snapshots-1922
Rise of the Studio by the Timeline of Cinema
The first lecture for this week provides a timeline for the rise of the studio system, one of the most powerful industries in the early 20th century. This lecture builds upon the knowledge you gained from last week when you learned of innovators and early filmmakers forming the origins of cinema. Watch this lecture to gain a better understanding of the structure in which filmmakers such as D.W. Griffith and Edwin S. Porter were helping to form and work within during the early days of the studio system.
The History of Cutting – The Birth of Cinema and Continuity Editing
Watch this lecture to better gain an understanding of the editing process in the early days of cinema. This lecture builds upon the first and second reading for this week to provide a firm foundation for understanding the importance of editing in cinema. This lecture should be referenced in the first discussion for this week and Paper One. This reading may also be referenced in the final essay, if editing is to be included in the analysis.
The History of Cutting – The Soviet Theory of Montage
Watch this lecture to better gain an understanding of the editing process and the impact of the Soviet Montage and its filmmakers. This lecture builds upon the first and second reading and the first lecture for this week to expand upon your understanding of the importance of editing in cinema. This lecture should be referenced in the first discussion for this week and Paper One. This reading may also be referenced in the final essay, if editing is to be included in the analysis.
The Great Train Robbery 1903
Watch The Great Train Robbery (Porter, 1903) for your first screening for this week. This film has been mentioned in last week’s reading and lecture material. It has also been discussed in the second lecture for this week. As a result, you are very familiar with its important role in cinema history. Watch this film while paying particular attention to the editing technique. This screening should be referenced in the first discussion for this week. This has background music, but no voice-over.
https://archive.org/details/TheGreatTrainRobbery_555
The Gold Rush – 1925
Watch The Gold Rush (Chaplin, 1925) while taking into account the information you learned through this week’s readings and lectures. You will be addressing this film in this week’s second discussion.
The summary link is:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gold_Rush
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