The History of Videography

Video editing has seen much improvement as time has progressed; from the first video ever created by the Lumiere Brothers in the 1800s, to the unbelievable CGI and special effects we see upon our cinema screens today. Footage has seen us through many moments in history and used to inform the nation during times of crisis. Due to the advancement of technology, people could look to their devices to provide them with a message.

The ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, by Civil Rights Activist, Martin Luther King Jr, is another incredible example of a video edit that has had an immense social impact throughout history. King addresses the nation that there should be equality throughout the world, in hope of a better tomorrow. If it weren’t for the use of cameras and videography, his word would not have reached the vast amount of people it did, and we would arguably have not seen the change in society that has occurred today.

The response to the Coronavirus outbreak is a great example of the modern day of the impact of videography upon society. News channels across the world are currently using cameras and editing to provide us with guidelines, facts and figures to help us understand how to react in such a strange situation.

The Lumière Brothers

Auguste and Louis Lumière were the first people to record videos. They used a single stationary camera and could not edit their footage. They are best known for their video in 1895, which showed workers leaving their factory. Their other work includes a video of a train arrival, taken in 1986.

This was the beginning of something incredible. The brothers are now described as the ‘Fathers of Cinema,’ as they birthed an idea that has developed over time, to allow us with the technology we use in the modern day.

Alfred Clark

The recreation of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots was the first known example of special effects used within videography, in 1895. Alfred Clark used an in-camera pause to replace the actress with a dummy, to create the effect that her head had been chopped off.

Georges Méliès

Georges Méliès had a large influence on how we create movies today, as he was one of the first people to edit videos using the in-camera editing technique of pausing video to create jump cuts in 1896. He recorded a short movie titled, ‘A Trip to the Moon,’ in which he demonstrated many jump cuts, which are still used now.

Fun Fact: A big constraint Méliès faced was that if one of his shots did not go as planned, he would have to restart recording from the very beginning, as he did not have the ability to post-edit during this time.

Edwin. S. Porter

Edwin. S. Porter created the first movie with a narrative running throughout in 1903. This was the first time advanced editing technique demonstrated, as he used cross-cutting. Porter pieced together scenes shot at different times and in different places to create parallel stories.

D.W. Griffith

D.W. Griffith was the first person to use editing techniques such as eye line match and tracking shots in his moving image pieces, in the early 1900s. These techniques can be seen throughout his works and are still used today, to follow a characters movement during action.

Luis Bunuel

Arguably the most influential person upon today’s editing is Luis Bunuel, a surrealist editor. He used shocking, irrational and absurd imagery, to intrigue and disturb the audience. This is important to videography today as it has helped modern-day directors to create something surreal and unique, to make the audience feel uncomfortable. An example of this can be seen in the Clockwork Orange eye scene, which is a famously recognised film for making the audience repulse what they see upon the screen.

All of these examples of historical influence are extremely important to us, as they have helped shape videography into what it is today. They were original ideas that were unique to their time and they help inspire people, like me, who find passion in creativity.

In 1924, a man named Iwan Serrurier invented a machine that would change video editing for the rest of time. The Moviola was used to trim and cut unwanted footage and is still used in Hollywood to this day.

The advancement of technology means that video editing software is now available to any person with access to a smart phone or computer system. Editing software can be found online or installed, some accessed at affordable prices and others free (often with a watermark). Smart phones hold many downloadable applications, such as Instashot or Filmora, in which people can edit within minutes.

Video editors are extremely influential upon today’s society. People are always in search of entertainment. Couch potatoes are forever looking for something to end their constant boredom. It is for this reason there will always be jobs available for editors in film and television editing, and according to sources, the “Overall employment of film and video editors and camera operators is projected to grow 18 percent from 2019 to 2029.”

Videos are forever in existence and are constantly influencing those who watch them: either through entertainment or by inspiring people to take action upon the message that the video portrays.

REFERENCES

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2. YouTube. (2020). Coronavirus in the UK: The first 100 days – BBC News. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/dc11uZ7_PnU.

3. 1895, Lumiere, Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory (1895 (2011). 1895, Lumiere, Workers Leaving the Lumiere Factory (1895). [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/DEQeIRLxaM4.

4. Queen, M. (2016). 1st Film with Special Effects – The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots 1895 by Edison Laboratory. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/KrbHwz9_NQk.

5. Lady (2011). The Vanishing Lady (1896) – GEORGES MELIES – Escamotage d’une Dame au Theatre Robert Houdin. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/f7-x93QagJU.

6. The Great Train Robbery (2017). The Great Train Robbery. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/In3mRDX0uqk.

7. The Birth of a Nation 1915 1080p (2018). The Birth of a Nation 1915 1080p. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/nGQaAddwjxg.

8. Andalusian, A. (2016). An Andalusian Dog 1929 – Luis Buñuel. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/79h05vqezJ0.‌

9. Bls.gov. (2019). Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. [online] Available at: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/film-and-video-editors-and-camera-operators.htm.

10. The Beat: A Blog by PremiumBeat.( 2020). Professional Video Editing Tips And Techniques. [online] Available at: <https://www.premiumbeat.com/blog/professional-video-editing-tips-and-techniques/&gt;.