Scales are a standard a icon of balance. In most representations of scales there are two plates suspended by chains hanging on either side of a pole that teeters on a post. Put anything on one side and the arm dips until an equal amount of weight on the opposite plate brings the scale back into balance. It is a wonderful emblem that cannot be achieved with electronic scales or industrial scales. Changing from scales that balance to scales that quickly provide a digital number is a great metaphor for our times and our lives. We have access to more information in a minute then our great grandparents could gather in a lifetime. This information has led to great advancements in many fields from industry to medicine. It has also accelerated our lives. Where once there was a spring where information bubbled up, now we are in the midst of an ongoing flood of information impossible to consume or digest. Films are a great example of this changing pace.
In the past editing a film used to be done on a flatbed. An editor would pull clips of film from a bin which has strings of celluloid hanging from little hooks and drops into a giant canvas bag on wheels. The editor would choose what he wanted to insert into the film, go to the bins, find the clip, cut the film on the flatbed then splice and tape the piece to be inserted. The editor repeats this process for the dialog and sound track. Every editdemanded a labor intensive effort which took time. Aware that each cut was a commitment to time and effort, the editor would be thoughtful about the reasons for the edit, considering the reasons and visualizing the outcome prior to cutting the film. Every slice of film meant sacrificing a frame and a half of the work print. Every edit was deliberate and thought through ahead of time.
The introduction of digital technology changed the way films are edited and viewed. What once took hours to accomplish can now be done in minutes or even seconds, without damaging or altering any work product. If an editor has a questionable idea, he doesn’t have to think it through. He can try it and see if it works. Creative thinking is replaced by quick action, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. The limitations of finding, slicing and taping clips are gone. Because of the ease of making an edit the number of cuts in a typical scene has increased dramatically. The old rules of editing are changing and the language of film has evolved.
Examine a movie from the ‘50’s and compare it to a film made today. The amount of information fed to an audience is radically different. Films are frenetic, exciting, stimulating assaulting the senses and immersing the audience in a full out rapid fire experience. Comparing old movies to new movies is similar to the difference between being moved by a painting and being literally moved by a roller coaster. Many kids and young adults today find the pace of an older film slow and dull. The constant stimulation and movement of films made today reflect the larger social trend; while we are capable of processing more information quickly, it has accelerated our pace of life to almost addictive frenetic levels.
There are many advantages in our ability to collect and process massive amounts of information quickly. However, if we lose our capacity to sit quietly and reflect on what the information really means have we gained anything?
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