MONTAGE MACHINES
a brief history of the moving image editing tools.
Every film is a kind of a dance, the camera performs, the editing choreographs.
No matter how you do it, when you edit a film you assemble images and often sounds to create feelings, actions and other emotions. Editing is based on time. It is rhythm. It is music. It flows. It is never frozen. It is a constant creative process, an endless succession of decisions. How do you execute them? It is a long, ever changing story.
In the beginning there was film.
Celluloid strips were sliced and spliced together.
If you did not want to end up with a series of confetti on a sting you had to know where to cut.
Then came video.
You could try and preview all the possible in-points and out-points but once executed the cut could not be undone unless you would redo all the edits. It was the time of linear editing. You had to know where and what to cut.
Then came the digital revolution.
Now you could try all the possible cuts and shots order. The power of the computer would allow an immediate execution of your decisions. No more slicing and splicing, no more pre-roll. No more dead time between cuts. Time that would allow thinking and reflexion. Now if you knew where to cut and what to cut you could see the result of you decision instantly and on to the next editing decision. In the process you could fry your brain.
If you were new to editing you could try an infinity of possibilities with no risk. You could go back on your decision at any time. This is the time of non-linear-editing where also you have to know when to cut.
Then as the softwares became more sophisticated the hardwares got smaller.
The whole system could fit in your bag. Now again you had to know where to cut. Meaning where do you setup your working station.
Now some people say that the whole thing can fit in your pocket.
But I am not sure they are talking about the same thing.
