We also get a sense of how the process is often messy, but very rewarding and transformative. How to edit a documentary frontline editor steve audette delivers a fine lecture on how to edit documentaries in a gripping fashion. Essaystyle documentaries clearly not every documentary filmmaker sets out to tell a story. It is informed by peirces theories of signs, and realist and symbolic film theory, as well as some of the understandings common to broadcast journalists.
In the 1920s, russian filmmaker lev kuleshov conducted a series of. As effective then as they are now, pudovkins principies are. In the words of pudovkin, to show something as everyone sees it is to have accomplished nothing pudovkin 63. Vsevolod pudovkin, in full vsevolod illarionovich pudovkin, born february 28 february 16, old style, 1893, penza, russiadied june 30, 1953, moscow, russia, u. How to edit a documentary phil ebiners process youtube. This post is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation. Explain that this document is the guiding compass that will create the documentary you. Editing documentaries and interviews with premiere pro part 1 duration. Pudovkin kindle edition by pudovkin, vsevolod illarionovich.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. While all of the major soviet directors of the day russians sergei eisenstein, dziga vertov, vsevolod pudovkin and the ukrainian aleksandr dovzhenko believed that editing should form the basis of how movies were made, they each had very different ideas about exactly how and why montage should be employed. Syllabus revised 20110831 department filmvideo course number and title 24440301, 24540301 class time and day tuesday, 6. For that reason alone, i ordered and read it, finding the observations from the infancy in film both fascinating and instructive. You may ask how this pertains to commentaries, well, it may not, but this place is an overall addendum to the commentaries i am. But all documentaries have a point of view, even if it is not readily admitted. Film technique and film acting the cinema writings of v. Publication date 1954 topics motion pictures publisher.
Pudovkins five editing techniques posted on december 7, 2012 by digi finally got the book cinematic storytelling which ive wanted to read for quite some time, and wanted to share this particular page that listed the techniques of film editing from a soviet filmmaker and theorist, vsevolod pudovkin. Russian actor, filmmaker and film theoretician vsevolod pudovkin. The 2020 annual meeting for the ade will take place in dickinson, north dakota from 2527 june 2020. I find these often more entertaining and certainly more enlightening than many dramatic features and shows. Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the postproduction process of filmmaking. According to pudovkin, who was present at the demonstration. Editing is a lot about patience and discipline and just banging away at something, turning o. Also called stock footage, this is film or video that can be used in other film productions. Vsevolod pudovkin noted that the editing process is the one phase of production that is truly unique to motion pictures. Pudovkin by pudovkin, vsevolod illarionovich, 18931953. Leitmotif for pudovkin the purposefui use of editing could guide the audiences emotionai response. A brief look at some of vsevolod pudovkins theories on editing as well as some examples from more recent movies.
Pudovkins film technique and film acting in the side pocket, and that it wasnt unusual to see stanley reading it on a set. In this module, you will learn how to manage your footage, organize interviews and broll, how to find and narrow the story, how to maintain your objectivity in the thick of the process, know what to cut, and how to finish the film. Petersburg was written for the tenth anniversary of the 1917 revolution. Wabash avenue, chicago, il 60605 document datesemester fall, 2011. Kuleshovs most outstanding student was vsevolod pudovkin, who went on to promote the workshops techniques in influential writings. If youre interested in reading some of pudovkins writings, his book film technique and film acting. The documentary filmmaker often acts as a representative of the public.
Editing documentary interview with editor steve audette ace. I had the opportunity to interview frontline editor steve audette ace one night in a hotel bar in london. If you want to learn how to tell a story, edit a documentary. Pudovkins masterpieces are often contrasted with those of his contemporary sergei eisenstein, but whereas eisenstein utilized montage to glorify the power of the masses, pudovkin preferred to concentrate. Pudovkins film adheres to the formalistic conventions of soviet cinema, particularly the use of montage. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading film technique and film acting the cinema writings of v. Pudovkin 1960, like eisenstein, attempted to take full advantage of films symbolic, iconic, and indexical qualities. See kuleshov experiment he took an old film clip of a headshot of a noted. Pudovkin states that through editing, every object goes from photographic to cinematographic, meaning that it is the construction and placement of shots that make images come alive and form a story. Joe told me that every time he saw stanley in his chair, there was a copy of v. Vsevolod pudovkins soviet montage theory the motley view. Five editing principies fu the 1920s vsevold pudovkin set down five editing techniques tbat remain the foundation of modern day cutting. We learn about shooting ratios, as well as editing and refining strategies and more. Pudovkin, filmmaker and film critic 4 editing gianmc04.
The people involved play themselves social actors that is people in their everyday roles and. Vsevolod illarionovich pudovkin was a russian and soviet film director, screenwriter and actor who developed influential theories of montage. For example if you were shooting a documentary about fish stocks in the. Pudovkin expanded kuleshovs film theory in his book film theory and criticism. Theres more than one way to learn how to tell a story. Universal pictures the foundation of film art is editing. In the 1920s when the great russian theorists scoped out what the new elastic medium could do, they focused on the storytelling potentiai of editing. When it comes to russian filmmakers, the first names that come to nearly everyones mind are andrei tarkovsky and sergei eisenstein.
Find out how editing a documentary can greatly improve your storytelling skills. A documentary is a factual film which is dramatic according to pare lorentz, the most influential documentary of the 1930s. Editing is one of the most powerful filmmaking tools. Film technique and film acting by vsevolod pudovkin. There was a time when october was plundered for documentary footage of. Pudovkin on editing the end legacy to show something as everyone else sees it is to have accomplished nothing. They were used extensively for documentary and drama production within the bbcs film department. The film is loosely based on maxim gorkys novel, and, while the mother symbolizes the ideology of the revolution and the prospects of an untried utopian state, she also possesses the traditional patriarchal ideologies of the crumbled regime, which creates a unique commentary on. Hampe, barry 1997 making documentary films and reality videos. Ill sometimes add temporary music during this step to get an overall vibe of the documentary while editing. Stanley kubrick was a fan the most instructive book on film aesthetics i came across was pudovkins film technique, which simply explained that editing was the aspect of film art form which was completely unique, and which separated it from all other art forms. Petersburg 1927 vsevolod pudovkins film the end of st.
Each of these techniques are in every editors arsenal and used in virtually every film made around the world. Russian and soviet cinema in the age of revolution, 1917 1932. How to edit and structure your documentary videouniversity. Stock footage is often images of cities and landmarks, historical events of importance or images of the natural landscape and wildlife. He was fascinated by the efforts of his teacher, the filmmaker lev kuleshov, in exploring the effects of montage. Pudovkins film differs slightly by concentrating on several characters and their experiences through the years. Vsevolod pudovkins mat mother, 1926 was one of these films. If youre interested in reading some of pudovkin s writings, his book film technique and film acting. Vsevolod pudovkin was born in penza into a russian family, the third of six children. Here, we explore how documentary editing is different from any other type of editing in terms of structure, strategy, and workflow. Both were exceptional, and eisenstein is seen as the father of modern montage theory. Ive said it before and ill say it again, if you want to make movies and tell stories in general, learning how to edit, even if not at a professional level, will be such a strong ally, if only to understand better how this key phase in making a film can save or kill it. Peter thompson course information columbia college address 1104 s.
Form and style documentary techniques the partridge nest. Steve has edited for over two decades for frontline and nova, and explains the way he edits documentaries to make them as gripping, engaging and entertaining as possible. As pudovkin eventually did in his own work, kuleshov often created highly emotional moments by rapidly intercutting shots of diverse content. Some short videos analyzing pudovkins editing and showing 1920s footage of st. This study describes the editing techniques used in four renowned television news documentaries that aired between 1954 and 1982.
A brief look at some of vsevolod pudovkin s theories on editing as well as some examples from more recent movies. Vsevolod pudovkin author of film technique and film acting. However, a lesserknown filmmaker, vsevolod pudovkin, proves just how integral russian film was to cinema at the beginning of the. Editing strategies in television news documentaries. Pudovkins techniques describe several ways editing can be used to. Its not just about sitting down with a writing utensil and a sheet of paper or a computer and keyboard and letting one come to life on the page. Pudovkins masterpieces are often contrasted with those of his contemporary sergei eisenstein, but whereas eisenstein utilized montage to glorify the power of the masses, pudovkin preferred to concentrate on the courage and. In the 1920s vsevold pudovkin set down five editing techniques that remain the foundation of modern day cutting. Documentaries present challenges for the editor, but in no other form does the editor play more of a role in shaping. His father illarion epifanovich pudovkin came from peasants of the penza governorate, the village of shuksha and worked in several companies as a manager and a doortodoor salesman. The annual of the association for documentary editing is an openaccess, digital publication. The ades premier journal in the field of documentary and textual editing, scholarly editing.
Leitmotif for pudovkin the purposeful use of editing could guide the audiences emotional response. Every other aspect of filmmaking originated in a different medium than film photography, art direction, writing, sound recording, but editing is the one process that is unique to film. The five principles of editing adam westbrook ideas on digital. Im hoping to start making a lot more of these videos soon, going into more depth and analysis on aspects of cinematography, editing, etc. This tradition thrives today in the films of michael moore, whose agitprop opus fahrenheit 911. Finally got the book cinematic storytelling which ive wanted to read for quite some time, and wanted to share this particular page that listed the techniques of film editing from a soviet filmmaker and theorist, vsevolod pudovkin.
Vsevolod pudovkins major contribution to the cinema is as a theorist. Historically, pbsstyle documentaries often favored a didactic essay format, structured around a central hypothesis. Pudovkins book, film technique and film acting, which is available to read for free online. Unlike narrative films, documentaries are shot without a script or structure until they enter the editing room. Pudovkins five principies show how editing choices can evoke specific audience emotions. Works, then to editing the documentary and then to the desired document. Now richard taylors rewritings and retranslations of evgeni filippovs earlier translations from the 1970s are available for the. Of the many projects i work on, documentaries and documentarystyle productions are my favorite. This video is about vsevolod pudovkin, a soviet filmmaker whose theories on editing technique are used in virtually every movie you see today. A practical guide to planning, filming, and editing documentaries of real events.
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