TCF112/The Evolution of Narrative Film

Edwin S. Porter (1870-1941)

• E.g., Life of an American Fireman (January 1903)
• E.g., The Great Train Robbery (December 1903)

Differences from Méliès

1. Begins to break scenes down into individual shots
2. Outdoor scenes--on location
3. Primitive camera movement
4. Primitive framing variation
   1. Close-ups--but only rarely

D. W. Griffith (1875-1948)

E.g., The Lonedale Operator (1911) E.g., Birth of a Nation (1915)

1. Variation of camera position
   1. Close-ups
2. Lighting
3. Iris
4. Intertitles
5. Editing
   1. Scenes broken down into several shots
   2. Parallel editing
6. Longer films