Scott Higgins

Editing and Special/Visual Effects brings together a diverse range of film scholars who trace how the arts of editing and effects have evolved in tandem. Starting with the “trick films” of the early silent era, they demonstrate the key role these two crafts have played in cinematic history. Along the way, readers learn about a variety of filmmaking techniques, from classic Hollywood’s rear projection and matte shots to the fast cuts and wall-to-wall CGI of the contemporary blockbuster. 

Covering everything from Batman to Zorro’s Fighting Legion, Matinee Melodrama is the first scholarly study of the cinematic adventure serial as a distinct artform, one that uniquely encouraged audience participation and imaginative play. It suggests that the serial’s incoherent plotting and reliance on formula, far from being faults, should be understood as some of its most appealing attributes, helping lay the groundwork for today’s blockbuster action movies, interactive videogames, and active fan cultures.