International photographer (Jan-Dec 1935)

Ten The INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER January, 1935 The Relationship Between Continuity and Cutting By Paul E. Bowles part II. (For Professional As Well As Amateur ) [In Part I we discussed the special filmic resources at the hand of the continuity man. The frame as an aid in concentrating the attention of the audience on the selected material from life, and the resources within the camera itself (focus change, panning and tilting, the dolly and crane shots) were brought to the attention of the reader. Filmic time and filmic space were pointed out as the time and space element in a new world — a new way of seeing things and sensing the passage of time, the cinema. These two peculiarities of the film, filmic time and filmic space were presented as elements of particular value in the presentation of a cinematic idea. — Author's Note.] |T is with the compression of time and the contemplation of a smooth interflow of movement and thought that continuity and eventually cutting have to do. In Part I of these notations it was pointed out that only the material which was most essential, most important to the development of the drama should be allotted the emphasis of the closer shots. The closer shots, especially the close up, are to put over some point in the story that would not be perceived by an audience in the longer set ups. The close up moves the audience from its accustomed passive view of life and presets a point of action or re-action in a greatly magnified form. Consequently the close up is of value to create new interest in the inner emotions of some character in whom heretofore the audience has had only a partial interest, their attention having been divided between two or more characters. The close up is a moment of emphasis and shock to the lethargic audience-mind and can be used as a very powerful resource when properly employed. Don't make the mistake of using the close up to "speed up" your action and leave yourself with no means of insistance or emphasis for your story and character high points. You don't cut tempo into your picture ; tempo (or timing) is inherent in the movement of the\ material and the climactic suspense of the plot. It is the selection of moments, reactions and characteristics within a situation and the anticipation of the way they are to fall one against the other that dictates the basic build-up of shots within a scene. What in a scene most pointedly puts across my idea? What are the essentials to which belong the special emphasis of the closer shots? These are the continuity man's questions. It is the part of the scene and not the whole, it is the selection of details and their juxtaposition that is important to the development of the continuity ; the value of a reaction, the arching of an eye-brow or the contraction of a muscle packs the scene with detail which serves to make the situation convincing. These few points must constantly be borne in mind by the continuity man. Psychological Value of the Long, Medium, and Close Shot Let us consider a few of the various shot positions before going further, because the long shot, medium shot, and the close up are others of the cinematic resources at the command of the continuity man. In life we can see all around us at a glance ; but if interested we focus on small points if we desire intimate knowledge of a situation. Our scrutiny passes from hand to lip to eye uninterruptedly. When we are engrossed in what is happening our attention is always on the point where the expression is most intensified. In a room full of people we are attracted to the point in the room where the discussion or action is most intense. If we do not see clearly we go closer. If it is two who are engaged in some interesting activity a medium closeness is enough — but only for the nonce, in a moment we are focusing for actions and reactions, seeing each person in close up view. The cinema is the only medium which can simulate this smooth interflow of attention. Wonderfully enough the camera and cutting make possible in the cinema the same mobility of vision that we know in life. Unlike the stage, the cinema affords us the opportunity to sit in one place and view a scene from many angles and degrees of closeness. Curiosity is the force that drives us closer and closer to the subject of interest. While the spoken word may give us a clear enough idea of the situation we are following, there is somehow bound up in our experience the desire to watch closely the little movements of bodily expression which carry the subtilties of communication and manifest the mental processes of thought. These little movements make the situation interesting and human ; they create in the spectator a conviction of reality and cause him to more readily participate in the vicissitudes of the hero. They are a language in themselves without which we would feel robbed of the true meaning of a scene. They may be called the language of the body, and are the uncontrollable sensory reactions to thoughts and inner emotions. Words may be twisted, carry double meanings, be misconstrued, but in the language of the body we have learned to read through the hypocrisy of the spoken word and interpret the registry of true expression. The cinema is the only medium which can dig into a character's very soul by so enlarging his physiognomy that each sensory reaction is inescapable. Plotting Action To Meet the Demands of Cinematic Presentation The very course of a story and the chain of dialogue, or titles, is a Thought Continuity in itself, and, while it offers cutting problems all its own, the main cinematic problem lies in the regulation of action through the Action Continuity. The movements of the material in the cinema serve to blend or tie up the whole scene or the whole picture. The Action Continuity must be developed to control the movements of the actors so that they (the movements) will blend in from shot to shot during the actual cutting of the film. In most cases cutting on movement is the most used method of blending in a sequence of shots. Still, we must ramble here for a moment to consider some other types of continuity, each of which has its own blending force. (A blending force is a means — pyscological, idealogical, or visual — of tieing together two shots.) In the main Please mention The International Photographer when corresponding with advertisers.