RUNNING INSERTS

RUNNING INSERTS
   In early silents, action shots were filmed with cameras on stationary platforms recording the scene as it transpired. Efforts to use mobile cameras were initially resisted as being artificial. Even William S. Hart’s films, while full of action, mainly relied on stationary cameras. Eventually, though, the now common technique of running a camera on a car or on tracks beside the moving subject, often a racing horse, became necessary; thus the running insert (sometimes called the running close-up) was born—a running shot in which the camera moves at a comparable speed beside the subject.
   Cameraman Sol Polito pioneered this technique in Ken Maynard silents by mounting several cameras on a car running beside the racing horses. Besides keeping up with the fast-moving scene, Polito was able to create close-ups of spectacular stunt work, showing the subjects’ facial expressions in action in such films as The Red Raiders (1927). Other effects pioneered in this film include running inserts of charging Indians, a stampede of covered wagons, and a shot of a cavalry charge, beginning at a distance and then, with the camera moving slowly backward, being overtaken by the charge for a breathtaking effect. Running inserts have become much more sophisticated since the early Westerns, but the basic principle remains the same.

Historical Dictionary of Westerns in Cinema. . 2012.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • HOPALONG CASSIDY SERIES —    William Boyd played Hopalong Cassidy in nearly 70 films, followed by a radio show, the first dramatic network television show, comic books, lunch pails, and an entire industry based on the “Hoppy Craze” during the 1950s. Thus Hopalong Cassidy… …   Westerns in Cinema

  • STUNTS —    Spectacular stunt work is, of course, a staple for any Western or action film today. But early Western directors were slow to develop methods of using extra, stunt actors to perform death defying tricks on screen. When the hapless victims are… …   Westerns in Cinema

  • Muscle — is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. There are three types of muscle in the body. Muscle which is responsible for moving extremities and external areas of the body is called "skeletal muscle." Heart… …   Medical dictionary

  • Offset printing — Web fed offset lithographic press at speed …   Wikipedia

  • Holden VE Commodore — For a complete overview of all Commodore models, see Holden Commodore. Holden VE Commodore Manufacturer Holden (General Motors) Also called …   Wikipedia

  • History of film — This article is about the history of cinema. For other uses, see History of photography. Years in film 1870s 1880s 1890s …   Wikipedia

  • Shoe — This article is about footwear. For other uses, see Shoe (disambiguation). Various shoes for sale in Quarry Bay …   Wikipedia

  • Gramophone record — A 12 inch (30 cm) 33⅓ rpm record (left), a 7 inch 45 rpm record (right), and a CD (above) A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record (in American English), vinyl record (in reference to vinyl, the material most commonly used after …   Wikipedia

  • Keratoconus — Classification and external resources The conical cornea that is characteristic of keratoconus ICD 10 H …   Wikipedia

  • Table saw — A table saw, equipped for cutting large pieces of sheet stock. Other names Sawbench Classification Power tool Manufacturer Bosch, Makita …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”