Kuleshov Effect – A video editor’s most powerful tool

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MIKE WILHELM: The
Kuleshov effect

is the single most important
concept to editing,

if not filmmaking itself.

It's a cornerstone of
visual storytelling.

Through this phenomenon,
we can suggest meaning

and manipulate time and space.

It's a fundamental
aspect of movie magic,

one which every filmmaker
needs to understand.

Lev Kuleshov was a
Russian filmmaker,

considered by some to be the
first film theorist due to his

work dating to the 1910s.

Kuleshov asked the question,
what made cinema a distinct art,

separate from photography,
literature, or theater?

He found that any
form of art consists

of two things-- the
material itself,

and the way in which the
artist organizes the material.

Following this
logic, Kuleshov found

that the organization
of individual shots,

also known as montage, is
what makes film stand apart.

In 1921, Kuleshov set up a
cinematic demonstration, which

gave the phenomenon its name.

In these experiments,
he projected

the face of a well-known actor,
then cut to a plate of soup.

He then showed the same
shot of the same actor, then

a girl in a coffin.

In the final sequence
was again the same shot

of the same actor's
face, followed by a shot

of an attractive young woman.

Viewers responded
that the actor seemed

hungry in the first sequence,
mournful in the second,

and lustful in the third.

In reality, all three shots of
the actor were exactly the same.

His face was
interpreted differently

based on what was put
next to it in the edit.

Additionally, even though there
was no establishing shot showing

the actor together with the
objects from the other shots,

they seem to the audience to
be in close physical proximity

to one another.

Through the ordering
of the shots,

two separate places seem to be
one whole continuous location

to the viewers.

Manipulating space and time
was possible through the use

of editing.

This was a huge
moment for cinema,

with Kuleshov declaring montage
to be the central principle that

defines film as
an art on its own.

Kuleshov's theories were
instrumental in the creation

of a powerful genre of
filmmaking, Soviet montage,

which Stalin
eventually suppressed.

But the Kuleshov
effect lives on,

exemplified in almost every
film or video that we encounter.

These images are from
the Wolf of Wall Street,

and they demonstrate the
Kuleshov effect in practice.

Notice that the exact same
shot of Leonardo DiCaprio

can take on a different
meaning, depending on what shot

is next to it in the montage.

This is the original sequence
of shots from the film.

Dicaprio is seen driven by lust.

Also, although there's nothing
showing the two actors together,

we see them as being
in the same room.

Here, by replacing
just the second image,

DiCaprio's tone seems more
somber, almost mournful

at the damaged Lamborghini.

The difference in
backgrounds makes

condensing space
more problematic,

but the inclusion of the
curtains in the first image

gives an impression
that DiCaprio

could be looking out a window
to see the mangled car.

Again, the exact same
shot of Leonardo DiCaprio,

but here he seems hungry,
clearly transfixed

on the donuts.

Again, although we don't see
them together in one shot,

it seems that DiCaprio
and the donuts

are together in the same room.

So what does the Kuleshov
effect mean for you?

Understanding the
Kuleshov effect

allows editors to better control
the tone and meaning found

in their films.

Through an editor's choices
in how they organize shots,

filmmakers can
create new meaning

by juxtaposing unrelated images.

With the illusion
of condensing space,

we're able to create new
worlds connecting places

that were previously separate.

Thus, the Kuleshov
effect is a huge part

of the magic that is film.

ANNOUNCER: Continued
learning and practice,

as well as taking
refreshers on the basics,

will help keep
your skills sharp.

Check out our video courses
to stay on top of your game.

Find a course by visiting
videomaker.com/courses.

Or click the link
in the description.

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