OPINION BETWEEN THE LINES

Photograph by Angela Moran
Like many products and ser-
vices, the modern construct of
editing has had predecessors
of sorts. Scene changes were
already taking place in live
theater, flashbacks had already
existed in the novel, and nar-
rated sequences had been part
of visual culture as far back as
medieval altar triptychs. Yet in
the nascent era of film, film-
makers were hesitant to edit.
They were afraid audiences
would become confused by the
splicing together of different
shots. It wasn’t until the early
20th century, with films such
as “The Great Train Robbery”
(1903), that filmmakers discov-
ered that editing could contrib-
ute added depth to storytelling.

January + February 2010