Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Blog #3
Referring to Marilyn Fabe's essay, "The Beginnings of Film Narrative: D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation" describe three characteristics of early film, using at least two scenes from Edwin Porter's Jack and the Beanstalk (1902).
Using at least two scenes from D.W. Griffith's The Girl and Her Trust (1912) and Fabe's essay, describe how Griffith's use of the cross-cut and setting impacts the film's realism and storytelling capabilities.
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Some of the characteristics of early films as described by the essay were:
the length, usually each film was a max of ten minutes. They went along in strict chronological order, and they used a series of loosely spliced scenes or tableaus, shot with a static camera in long takes. Also the camera usually remained at a fixed distance from the action. Edwin Porter's Jack and the Beanstalk adheres to all three of these descriptions. All of the shots are long takes from fixed positions with no close ups are alternate angles. The scene with the cow outside and the scenes inside the house are at the exact same distance. The entire films is only 7 minutes 37 seconds long, another characteristic of early films. The film “The Girl and Her Trust” is enhanced by the mis-en-scene. Everything in front of the camera looks realistic. The props, the set pieces, the costumes, etc. everything looks completely opposite in comparison to the awkward looking “Beanstalk”. Also the cross cutting between the woman in the station, and the men outside, gives the audience a better perspective of whats going on. It fleshes out the plot so that it's more believable.
Fabe talked about how DW Griffith used fade-in and fade-out transitions, which Porter used to switch from the giant and to the bottom of the beanstalk.
Porter also used a form of iris-in transition when the fairy was showing Jack the castle after he climbed the beanstalk.
Fabe also talked about how DW Griffith didn't use dialog cards, instead he had the actors act more realistic instead of exaggerating expressions a lot. He also cut scenes back and forth so the audience knows what the characters are saying/thinking. This is shown in Porter's film by not using dialog cards and cutting scenes more often than before.
DW Griffith used cross-cutting in the scene when the tramps are looking through the operating window and the girl is in there looking out the window too. It brings tension and suspense to the scene.
DW Griffith used the setting in The Girl and Her Trust by again showing tension when the suitor walked passed the tramp hiding in the rail tracks with objects in between. This adds tension because the audience can see both characters and the audience knows that the tramp can see the suitor, but the suitor is oblivious. It makes the scene feel realistic by being right next to the tramp and feeling part of the action.
Three characteristics of early films were long shots with a static camera in long takes, the camera remained at a fixed distance from the action, and the actors had flamboyant actions to convey meaning. In Porter’s Jack and the Beanstalk, all of the scenes are long shots of the actors filmed by a static camera. There are no close-ups and no one actor stands out from the others or the scenery. The scenes are all single long takes with no interruption within the scene. In the first scene, the characters show exaggerated actions in order to convey the meaning of the action. There is no break in filming between the fairy disappearing and two additional characters entering the scene. The exaggerated actions are seen again in the scene of the children discovering the beanstalk and playing around it. Once again, the camera remains in one place and the film continues to run without interruption.
One example of the effect of the cross-cut technique in Griffith’s The Girl and Her Trust is the early scene where the man returns to his room. You see him pacing and looking to the viewer’s right at the door. Meanwhile, the film cuts to the girl who is wringing her hands and looking to the viewer’s left at the door. This is effective because the door is a common prop in both scenes. That helps convince the viewer that they are right next door to each other. Another example is in the scene where the two characters both look out the window. The next scene shows the train arriving. Without the two characters looking out the window, the scene of the train would be confusing. You wouldn’t know what the relationship was between the train and the characters.
TA: D. Moses
Film 114 section 801 BR3
Li Wang
According to Fabe’s essay, before 1908, the early movies which do not tell stories very well have many characters. For instance, they usually last no more than ten minutes. Most shots were long shots with human figures filling only small portions of the frame. The temporal and spatial relations between the shots were unclear. Edwin Porter’s Jack and the Beanstalk is a typical early film with the above characters. It is a short film which lasts only seven minutes and thirty-nine seconds. It was the beginning of a long shot that Jack’s mother got pretty angry with Jack and his beans when he came back. Until Jack went into house, the shot was ended. Jack and his mother’s figures occupied very small portion of the whole screen. They were so tiny that I almost could not see clearly their actions. At the scene that Jack came to the monster’s house following the fairy’s instruction, there was no obvious hint about the changes of the location. I thought that Jack was back to his house at the first time I saw this scene.
Compared to these early movies, The Girl and Her Trust apparently has better ability of telling a story by using more sophisticated editing techniques. In the scene that the train chased the tramps, Griffith used cross-cut by showing the viewers that the tramps struggled to run away in the railway and the train was following behind. This cross-cut produced the intense effect and indicated that two events were occurred at the same time though different locations. Thus, audiences were getting involved in this story as it came to the end as well as climax. Through the movie, the notebooks hung unorderly on the wall of the office and the dusty suits of the tramps, impressed me very much in that they served as the settings of film making the environment looks very realistic.
The retelling of the simple fairytale of Jack and the Beanstalk (1902) by Porter uses several of the techniques of Griffith to develop the narrative of this story. The beginning scenes of the countryside and simple home of Jack suggests a hard life (no father who could add support) and basic looking home suggested by a sparse bedroom with little furniture. The use of realistic props, costumes and natural acting style, the film’s mise-en-scene, would be a technique developed by D.W. Griffith. The climbing of the beanstalk is shown in several edited shots to create drama and tension. Jack appears first at the home site starting the climb of the beanstalk, as he nears the sky, as he reaches nearer to his destinations with nightfall suggested with the moon, and then through an iris-in shot showing the castle of the giant and finally the inside shot of the Giant’s home. Griffith’s technique of breaking down a scene into numerous shots is evident in the film of Porter.
D.W. Griffith's The Girl and Her Trust (1912) uses extensively realistic scenes, props and actions to create a believable story. The girl seated in the telegraph/train station, her use of the telegraph, the storage of delivered goods at the station all create the functional aspects of a train/telegraph office at the time of the story. The cross-cutting-cuts are used in several sections of the film to create tension. The coming of the train, views of the evil tramp, the train staff getting the money, back to the thieves, back to the storage of the money etc. creates tension between the main players in the story. The chase scene between the repeated scene of the hand-pump cart with the tramps, interspersed with the hero in the chase, the train coming to the rescue, the approach of the train, the side view movement of the train all add to the tension and drama of the chase.
In the earliest days of film there was much room for exploration and innovation by those that created and shaped it. Films made between 1895 through 1910 have very distinct characteristics about them because they were made during a time where the medium was changing. The films were not very long by today’s two hour standard and only last about ten to fifteen minutes each with a single scene perhaps lasting as long as ninety seconds. Film narrative was more difficult to tell at the time since audio technology was not up to par so directors had to rely on cuts to written dialogue and the actors themselves to convey words and others sounds. In Edwin Porter’s Jack and the Beanstalk there are many far shots, for instance when the girl is sleeping in her bed the camera stays stationary without zooming in or out. Another characteristic from the film that Marilyn Fabe addresses in her article, "The Beginnings of Film Narrative: D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation" is the use of the painted backdrop. In Porters film many of the backgrounds and props are painted to look real, like when Jack is climbing the beanstalk and behind is clearly a painted canvas to look like a vast landscape. Fabe notes that as D.W. Griffith was exploring film he wanted a more realistic three dimensional look so all the props and backgrounds were real ushering more directors to do the same. Moreover Griffith’s use of the cross cut in films like The Girl and Her Trust was able to tell two narratives in one story thus making the film more exciting. Cross cutting between the girl and the two robbers creates suspense for someone who does not know the outcome. Similarly when the robbers finally rake the girl and her money and are being chased down by a barreling train the cross cut between these two creates much suspense and is what we know today as a chase scene. These innovations made film more real than it had ever been before with a story that was more developed and intriguing to the viewer.
Kevin Witkowski
TA Dayna Moses
The most distinguishable characteristic of early film found in “Jack and the Beanstalk” is undoubtedly the type of shot shown throughout the film. This is of course the long shot. One particular scene that uses it is the opening scene with the house. You can see every thing you need to in one shot. Fabe’s essay states that another characteristic of early film found in “Jack and the Beanstalk” is “the camera remaining at a fixed distance from the action” (Fabe p. 2). This can again be found in every scene but for the sake of mentioning a scene, I’ll say the scene with Jack and the Giant in the Giants house. This static camera movement also happens to be part of early films mise-en-scene. According to Fabe, mise-en-scene “denotes all the elements of film direction that overlap with the art of theater” (Fabe p. 3). This is probably the biggest characteristic of early film. When you watch “Jack and the Beanstalk” and other films in that era, you feel like you’re watching a play, not a movie.
The setting in The Girl and Her Trust is a real Western town. The film is not entirely shot in a studio and some scenes are shot outside. For example, the scenes with the train are obviously not a studio so the settings of a real train station being outside makes the movie seem much more real and allows for more better and easier to understand storytelling.
The cross-cut is what Griffith is famous for and it brings the audience into the film even more than the setting. The cross-cut is “an alternation from one line of action to another, giving the impression that two or more spatially separated but plot-related events are occurring simultaneously” (Fabe p. 7). It brings the audience into the film because it “gives the spectator greater knowledge than the characters have” (Fabe p. 7). When you have more knowledge about the film, you get more involved with it and it becomes more realistic and the story begins to overwhelm you. The scene where the girl is telegraphing for help is a great example. Not only can we see her telegraphing, we also see the tramps trying to open the door, and we see the men she is telegraphing. This brings together three different scenes and shows how they’re connected. This technique builds tension for the audience and gets them more involved in the film which allows for a more realistic experience and easier to follow storytelling.
Sorry about the word count. I felt it was necessary to answer the questions.
Kevin Witkowski
TA Dayna Moses
In Porter’s Jack and the Beanstalk we find many of the characteristics of early film. The entire film utilizes long takes with each scene lasting over ninety seconds, and the camera is fixed in a long shot similar to the viewing distance an audience would have in a traditional theatre. Surprisingly, this film does not utilize title cards for exposition or dialogue. Instead, Porter relies on the actors gesturing and pantomiming. This is quite noticeable during the scene in the giant’s house when the giant is asking for his magic harp and goose. However, because of the type of shot set-up Porter uses, we can barely distinguish what the actors are trying to convey or what the props are. Take, for example, the opening scene. We see a man begging a fairy for something to put in his hat, and then trading it for a cow. Without previous knowledge of the basic story this scene would hardly make sense. At least D.W. Griffith was wise enough to utilize close-ups of props to allow the audience a clear view of them. In The girl and Her Trust, Griffith uses cross-cutting and setting to give the story more realism. During the scene at the telegraph office, Griffith cuts between events taking place at an actual train station for exterior shots and events happening on a set. He does this to make the interior shots seem more real, as if they are filming in an actual telegraph office. He also creates more realism by showing the tramps sneaking around the windows of the train station and then showing the tramps shadows in the interior sets windows.
Nathan Irish
TA Dayna Moses
One early characteristic is the non-use of different camera angles. The lone shot angle is probably the most blatant about early film. It is almost as if the camera is simply set up in the middle of the crowd at a movie theater and is filming what is going on. Another characteristic of early film is the way they don't introduce everything to the viewer smoothly. For instance, in the beginning of Jack and the Beanstalk, the man is walking back and forth and then one frame shows nothing, and the next frame suddenly a witch has appeared. The usage of "appearing" items gives the illusion of magic in the film. This technique is especially used in fairytales such as Jack and the Beanstalk, seeing that there probably is no such thing as a real beanstalk that leads to gold. The third characteristic early films have is the way the shots are framed. The beanstalk itself is centered in the frame, and it continues up out of the shot. The reason for this is to make the viewer assume that the stalk is leading somewhere. Then, the man climbs the beanstalk up and out of the frame. The next shot is one that is apparently up in the clouds. The usage of shots that frame items, therefore making the viewer assume something, is commonplace in this film as well as many early films, and even today.
In "The Girl and Her Trust" the cross-cut is used extensively to make this film flow. An example is the first and second shots. He kisses the girl, she tells him to leave, and then he walks out of the door. Right as he is walking out of the door to the left, the shot changes and we see he coming into the picture through the door from the right. This tells us that he went through the doorway, and without any difficulties at all, we know exactly what we are looking at. The setting does a nice job of making this story believable. The fact that these are fairly average looking people, and in a lower end looking setting, is the reason the story worked for me. I think that had this been a more wealthy set up and richer atmosphere, the story might now have worked.
Tyler Arthur
801
Three characteristics seen in Edwin Porter's Jack and the Beanstalk are one continuous, medium shot of an object or person, the use of static camera shots, and using fading shots and continuity to edit scenes together. For example, the movie used mainly medium shots to show the events that occurring in the film. Porter kept the camera as a medium shot when the beanstalk begins to grow for the first time. Next, static film is evident at the beginning of the film when we are introduced to the characters. Finally, continuity is used when the man climbs the beanstalk. When he reaches the top of the screen in the first shot, the motion is continued in the next shot.
Griffith's use of the cross-cut and setting impacts The Girl and Her Trust's realism and storytelling capabilities because they help to keep the attention of the audience. For example, cross-cutting is used to show the man and the woman talking in the office, while the robbers are waiting to get on the train. This adds to the realism because it makes the audience think that both scenes are happening at the same time. Also, it gives the story suspense because the audience is waiting to see what is going to happen next. In addition, the use of a real train helps to tell the story because it makes how the robbers travel realistic, instead of having them run through the scenes. Finally, the movies has scenes that are outside instead of being in a studio. This makes the story line stronger and more believable.
Erik Wagner
Section 801
T.A. Dayna Moses
Fabe’s essay discusses long shots, short running time, and less complicated narratives in early films. Stories were seen very much like one would see a play were they sitting in the audience, with long shots and little close ups. It kept the characters a part of the whole scene, and not as seemingly more important by themselves. Jack and the Beanstalk is mostly viewed from a distance, and the audience is always aware that they are in the audience, and not a part of the story and character on a more personal level. Another characteristic is the length of the film. Jack and the Beanstalk is a simple story that doesn’t require today’s usual two hour time frame. Everything that needs to be gotten across is conveyed efficiently. For early film, ten minutes was deemed an accurate amount of time to tell a story, especially because the narrative was less complicated. This has to do with lack of sound and increasingly more intricate editing style. It hadn’t reached the montage complexity, but the use of the iris in in the beanstalk scene portrayed an interesting transition.
The use of cross cuts in The Girl and her Trust heightens tension and anticipation for the audience. The cutting between the girl and the tramps creates suspense because the time seems to go quicker without us knowing what will happen. The story is told in parts, making it more realistic. Instead of seeing everyone in one area, we see the girl with the telegraphs, but also the tramps. It makes time more relatable, because we know that these things are happening at the same time, without seeing them together. People are able to be in different places in short amounts of time, adding to the levels of their character. We are left wondering what they’ll be up to next.
Cassie Hutzler
Dana Moses
I think that the mise-en-scene in Jack and The Beanstalk goes along with what was commonly done in that time; when Jack is almost to the top of the Beanstalk, the background clearly looks painted, thus detaching from the realism. On the other hand, in the scene inside the giants home, I was unable to tell whether the axe on the back wall was painted or not. The editing in Jack and The Beanstalk also has very choppy editing, like the one described in the reading. The choppy editing is visible when the fairy disappears after giving Jack directions, one second she is there, the next she isn't, and Jack is standing in a slightly different spot. According to the essay, the majority of film dramas did not do close ups where the shoulders and head of the actor would fill up most of the screen. Instead the camera would be kept back, in order to give a bigger view of the action.
The Girl And Her Trust uses the technique of cross-cutting in many scenes. It uses it in obvious ways by showing the train arriving early one, and in more subtle ways, like cutting to the other room to see what another character is doing. This technique is very helpful, as far as progressing the story, and really making the spectator feel more involved with the story. In my opinion a lot of the realism is added on by the actors. For example when the camera cuts to show something outside of the room where the actors are, then returns, the actors are as if nothing changed at all, as if the other sequence really is happening at the same time.
Antonio Vargas
Section 801
Matthew Dwyer
Film 114
Section 33068
In Porter’s work, “Jack and the Beanstalk” two scenes stand out as perfect examples of early cinema: the selling of the beans and the conclusion. Both consist of one constant long shot that is uninterrupted throughout the scene. The long shot consisted the camera being placed and remaining at a large distance from the subject. Resembling the stage in theatre.
The Girl and Her Trust resembles the modern-day film narrative in it’s use of setting and cross-cut. With the idea of setting, scenes aren’t determined simply by a fade-out. With cross-cuts and simple editing of different angles and shots, locations do not determine the length of each scene. With Jack and the Beanstalk, each scene was trapped to only last a minute or two, due to the lack of variation in shot and camera movement. With the first scene, the first suitor to the girl exits and reappears in an adjoining room. The viewer makes that assumption simply by the editor’s use of cross cutting. In the first scene by the train tracks the camera cuts from the main character to the new one exiting the train. Starting with a wide shot and then cutting to a more medium shot allows the audience to get a picture of this new character.
In Jack and the Beanstalk, we see the film-maker keeps the camera at a constant distance from the action, viewing everything as if from a stage audiences point of view. We are also shown the entire story in chronological order. Another characteristic of Jack and the Beanstalk is that of length. The whole film is only 7 and a half minutes long, and each scene lasts 90 or more seconds, therefore all the action in the movie has to take place in elongated scenes.
In the second example, we see the film-maker uses cuts between different angles and zoom levels to highlight different aspects of the action, like switching between the men propelling the wagon, and the speeding train. Also, the settings, acting and costumes are far more realistic and life-like than in Jack and the Beanstalk.
During the film “The Girl and Her Trust” the film portrays the terms cross-cut and setting in a few different ways. First, the constant changing of the scenery leads to the definition of cross-cut. Pretty much, the girl is having her own tale being told on the screen. As this is going on, we as the audience also see the reaction from the guys that are admiring her. These are examples of cross-cut because they are two semi- different story lines that are put together to make a single film.
The setting was built in the idea of giving the audience the idea of being in the old times. We have the setting built like the olden days where in the end we have a chasing scene, and there is a girl being chased by some guys, and then there is a train chase scene as well in the end. This is a common ending scene in the olden films.
In the film “Jack and the Bean Stalk” the film is illustrated to fit D.W. Griffith’s 3 characteristics which are 1. Mise en Scene, 2. Photographed scenes in an imaginative way and 3. Complexity of narratives through editing. The Mise en scene is displayed through the setting. “Jack and the Bean Stalk” has thought out scenery for its time, giving the audience the idea of a fantasy place. There is a fairy, and also magic beans that makes bean stalk grow beyond the framing of the camera. Also in “Jack and the Bean Stalk,” the camera shot was always staged far back from the action being done on the stage. This is an example of 2nd point in making the story seem imaginative. I believe the shots were viewed closer in, so that the viewers would still be able to keep the setting in place of the story line. Last point that Griffith points out is point of view. I would have to say it come from Jack point of view because it seems like the film is being revolved around him, like from the beginning of him going to town, to the middle of him being on the bean stalk and being in the cabin above to the end, where his life is changed because of the giant killing over.
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