Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein, one of the fathers of Russian editing and cinematography. He was born February 4, 1898, in Riga, Latvia, He studied architecture in school and latter theater, he graduated as a director, and held and interest in “bio-mechanics” or conditioned spontaneity. From what I can gather he was a very interested in the conditioning of the though possess, which I believe is one reason so many of his films hold a strong social political view. And are propaganda pieces.
Eisenstein’s interest in film started after viewing D.W. Griffith. This editing style influenced him to produce his first cinematic endeavor, the 1923 five-minute newsreel parody Dnevnik Glumova.
After that he attended Lev Kuleshov’s film workshop. The workshop taught Cinema theory, with out the use of film. So the student practiced there editing skills with what ever was in stock.
Some of the techniques and theories that came out of this experience are as follows, and these are still sometimes argued as to whom actually came up with these techniques, even though Eisenstein himself credited much of them to his teacher Lev Kuleshov.
Types of editing theory:
Metric montage, a montage of forced time .The opening of Adaptation, is a good example of a metric montage. It starts slowly with California 40,000 years BC and quickly progresses to his birth. This is an effective montage because it helps build some tension into the piece to try to set it up as the slightly schizoid film that is to follow. Eisenstein used this also in the opening of the Battleship Potemkin, as an opening sequence showing clips from sea to shore. Gradually getting faster and building into the film.
In the Virgin suicides there is the use of the rhythmic montage. Set to music cuts from girl to girl in a very paced manner; try to convey a mood about these lonely oppressed girls as invasioned in the minds of 4 young boys. Eisenstein at the end of Alexander Nevsky uses a similar montage; where the women are walking the battlefield in search of survivors. The mood of the piece is set by cuts back and forth between bodies sand half alive soldiers as a women sing out to them. It is set to the music and is more tuned towards setting a mood of sorrow.
Tonal it is a sequence focused on movement on this set of cuts it is Germans falling in to the ice.
(Time code1: 22:00-1:24:00) Tonal montage not only tries to set a mood it tries to do it with the action, so by cutting between the Germans who have lost the battle falling in the ice it shows an absolute victory for Alexander. Some elements of this seem may also fall under the over tonal category also. As they represent the feel common through out the whole piece, which is a wish to rise up against their oppressors .On a more modern not we can see this scene reflected in modern film,
Germans being eaten up the ice similar to the victory over Mordor in the last of the lord of rings trilogy
And the last montage credited to Eisenstein is the intellectual montage. This is a montage that uses many thing s to try to convey not only a feeling but get a point across. A few scenes in Bowling for Columbine contain these. …
were working on a script then story boards . and i’m doing some programing. should be fun .
