The Kuleshov Experiment

During the 1920's Soviet Filmmaker Lev Kuleshov conducted a famous experiment which showed just how capable filmmakers are at altering the audiences perception of reality. His theory suggests that the compilation of shots assembled together is much more important than what is actually filmed. He believed that the audience project their own emotional reactions on to a series of shots. To prove this he:

1. He filmed a close-up of a man's neutral expression.
2. He filmed clips of other “objects” and “events”.
3. He used the footage of the blank stare in shot A and then inserted one of the other clips as shot B.

4. Shot B(s) included a bowl of soup, a women’s funeral and a boy playing.

The audience is supposed to see each one as a unique shot sequence. For example, sequence 1 is a man’s reaction to a bowl of soup. The second sequence suggests a man’s response to the women’s funeral and the third sequence is a man’s reaction to a boy playing. In reality the man wasn't reacting to anything but the audience however makes assumptions when two shots are put together. Kuleshov's experiment was meant to show that the meaning of shots can be achieved entirely through editing.

If we didn't know the man wasn't reacting to each circumstance, we would would assume that he was and would draw our own conclusions about who he is, what he's thinking and his feelings. Knowing this, we can manipulate images with editing in many different ways. Directors will shape these reactions to fit the “cause” of their emotional intentions.