Early American Cinema in Transition: Story, Style, and Filmmaking, 1907–1913

Appendix A: Notes on Method

APPENDIX A: NOTES ON METHOD As the research portion of this project included studying a large number of the available extant films from the period, I should provide some explanation regarding selection and viewing procedures. Even though the number of titles of relevant American films held by archives constitutes only a small percentage of the total output of this period, more exist than I could hope to see, given my own restrictions oftime and money and the detailed viewing procedures I followed for each print studied. Even so, I wanted my sample to be broad and representative of the output of the period (insofar as current holdings allow); for that reason, I often deliberately restricted my choices from production companies that offer a relative surfeit of extant titles (Biograph being the most obvious example), while attempting to see all available releases of those manufacturers whose remaining output seems scarce in comparison. In table A.I, I have itemized the titles seen, with a breakdown according to year ofrelease and production company. For the most part, titles viewed were full (or nearly full) prints, with fragments viewed only when necessary (as in the case of an underrepresented year or production company). Given the exigencies offilm acquisition and preservation, not all titles exist in equally viewable condition, nor can one possess full certainty that subsequent distributors have not altered the print in some fashion. Obviously, any tampering with a print would tend to compromise certain findings such as shot count and running time, but for the most part, these have not caused substantial problems for my calculations. For each title viewed, I followed a consistent set of procedures: while watching the film on a Steenbeck viewing table, I performed a shot-by-shot analysis, which included keeping track of running times for each shot, as well as changes in shot scale and camera position and notes concerning any significant elements of the mise-en-scene. When possible, I photographed still frames from the viewed films directly off the Steenbeck screen to record notable instances of representative stylistic traits. The early years, in particular, rarely provided an excess of available titles. However, because the number ofproduction companies proliferated in the tail-end of the period under study, it became more difficult to see all available prints for those years, even in the case of smaller firms. In the case of the larger companies, 217 Table A.I. Sample devised by year and production company PRODUCTION CO. 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 TOTAL PER CO. Edison 8 6 4 5 7 9+1v 7 47 Biograph 20+1v 34+9v 06+12v 30+8v 10+9v 3+9v 7v 158 Vitagraph 5 7 11 17 9+1v l1+lv 5 67 Lubin Iv 1 19 5 6 1O+1v 2+lv 46 Selig 2+lv 1 0 2 12 9 1+lv 29 Kalem 1 1 0 15 10 2+1v 31 Essanay 0 6 7 9+1v 1O+1v 3+lv 38 IMP 3 7 16 8 3 37 NewYorkMP 3 4 3 9 0 19 Powers 0 4 1 4 5 14 Thanhouser 5 2 6+2v 6 21 American 2 2 10 5 19 Nestor 0 5 2 1 8 Reliance 2 2 2 7 Solax 2 4+lv 1+2v 10 Am. Kinema. 2 3 0 5 Rex 1 6 2 9 Keystone 1+lv 1+8v 11 Miscellaneous 2 3 9 11 26 Total per yr. 39 59 65 100 118 143 78 602 Note: I have designated titles viewed outside an archival context as "v" for video. In cases where I have viewed fewer than three titles of a company's output, I have grouped the films together under "Miscellaneous." Notes on Method 219 especially Vitagraph and Biograph, I was forced to be particularly stringent. Biograph posed special problems. The output of that company exists in disproportionate plenitude relative to the rest ofthe industry. And because at least three recent book-length studies of Griffith's work at Biograph have taken advantage of the availability of his films made there, I saw no point in privileging Biograph titles to the point where they would dominate my sample out of proportion to the company's position within the industry. The problems with Biograph do not end there. Because we know more about Griffith and Biograph than any comparable filmmaker and company of this period, we...