Realism/Classical/Formalism

In this blog post, I shall go into depth about Realism, Classism and Formalism editing styles. I will provide and example for each of these editing styles.

Realism

Realism editing conventions consist of a series of sequence shots for a sequence edit. These are just shots that are recorded for a long and continuous time. This was used in the early stages of film in movies like Arrival of  a Train (1895) by the Lumiere Brothers. Realism preserved the a life like perspective in film because of the non-manipulation of time and space. It usually captures moments in life exactly how they are. The US, France and Britain began making narratives from this style of editing. The Quarantine series and Cloverfield are both films that are supposed to be shot continuously, from a place of view (POV) perspective. Obviously, these movies aren't real or filmed completely in one take, but it is a simulation or rip off of Realism editing. I think the editing style gives an interesting way to tell the narrative of both films. I would not recommend these films to anyone that is suffers from motion sickness. Here are clips from both movies below.

Classism

Classism editing style is when the manipulation of time and space was inputted into film by D.W. Griffith. This was called "Cutting to Continuity" because of the fluid transitions from shot to shot that make a sequence of shots seem all taken at the same time from different angles. This created a cause and effect relationship that sparked certain conventions of editing that were necessary control time and space. These conventions were screen direction, action, etc... Classical Cutting in films created emotions in the viewer by emphasizing certain details over others. An early use of Classism editing was exemplified in Birth of a Nation (1915) by D.W. Griffith. The use of Classical Cutting changed film and made narratives more complex in a way, but simple to follow. This silent epic, Birth of a Nation, really showed an early example of manipulating time and space. This film did have a few traits of Realism editing though also because of the long, stationary held shots.

Formalism

Formalism editing style is when time or space is altered and creates emotion that is not exactly tied to a linear narrative. A Soviet director, Pudovkin, created a theory that all shots individually should provoke a new feeling or emotion when juxtaposed, which was called the Kuleshov effect. Alfred Hitchcock gave a well explained example of the Kuleshov Effect. Juxtaposition in film made the audience interpret their own meaning of a certain series of shots with a somewhat, straight forward intention. An early example of formalism in film is the Odessa Steps Sequence in Battleship Potemkin (1925) by Eisenstein. Formalism exists today in most films and television shows. An example in the show Breaking Bad is when a close up of a boxcutter is in the frame and then it cuts to a shot Walt looking at the boxcutter. These shots provoke a certain feeling or emotion in the audience or viewer. These shots manipulate time and space and emulate a narrative that is easily followed without cutting "classically" from shot to shot.