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The Great Train Robbery
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In November, 1903, Edwin Porter directed Great Train Robbery , a one reel film that although short–it was only 10 minutes long–introduced many innovations. Rather than stay in the studio, Porter filmed at various locations in New Jersey, then intercut 14 separate scenes in which he used the camera to pan across the action, and had the camera move. (At the time most films mimicked the experience of a theater goer, shooting the action from a fixed location with a single camera.) Porter's editing of different scenes into a continuous story thrilled audiences and helped demonstrate that making films could be a money-making venture.



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