Blog- Advanced Editing Notes- Overview/Classical Paradigm

1. The camera work from the two short films "Arrival of a Train" and "Damsel in Distress" differs quite significantly. The Arrival of a Train short film is composed of one static, stagnant shot throughout the film, which probably portrays the time period during that time. This shot is derived from a realist stand point where the angle is at about eye level and is composed of people going off and on the train. The idea behind the director is more on the surface, since no editing technique or different angles were incorporated by the director. In the Damsel in Distress short film, there is a more clear narrative going on through the different shot sequences. This is eminent through classical films that have a more fast paced cutting that seems to build tension for its audience. The diverse shots of close ups, long shots, and tracking shots build a greater tension for its audience.


2. As I noted from above the Arrival of a Train short film has a more realist feel to it because the distanced shot is held for quite awhile without moving. This is also probably due to the lack of technology at the time and is what appealed to the audience at the time, realist films and shots that are straight forward. The other short film had the classical approach where the cutting was fairly fast from one sequence to another to build a dramatic tension for the audience. The different shots like wide shots, long shots, close ups add to the story and make the story feel a lot more fast paced, even though this short film was a lot longer than the first.


3. In the first short film there is no clear cut narrative, I believe the director did this on purpose because he wanted the audience to make their own interpretations. The angle the director chose is a stagnant spot that seems pretty wide, so people can be show going in and out of the train, which supports the realist view. The other film with the damsel focuses on her and seems to have a dramatic narrative that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. This narrative is a lot more clear cut because there is a plot, an antagonist, protagonist, a climax and a resolution.