The Two Paths
(D.W. Griffith, US 1911, 14 min., 16mm)
The Cry of the Children
(George Nichols, US 1912, 28 min., 16mm)
In the Tennessee Hills
(James Vincent, US 1915, 15 min., 16mm)
The Drummer of the Eighth
(Thomas H. Ince, US 1913, 28 min., 16mm)
While stringing together multiple scenes allowed filmmakers to tell more dense and involving stories, there were a few directors in the second decade of cinema who reached beyond to create tension within their films, otherwise known as drama. These directors planned out not only their shots and how it could create empathy within the frame, but also how these shots would work together when edited to provide a rising crest within the narrative. These films would not only make the directors stars, but also provide the basis for entire production companies to follow their lead.
Live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli.