Having been a film buff for the majority of my life, I believe I can put up with any quirks that a film may throw my way. But I do have my limits.
The one technique utilized in many films that really makes me squirrelly, and I mean drives me insane, is when a caption appears on the screen and it reads, "6 months later", or any denomination of time.
Why?
Because I am not an idiot. You do not have to lead me by the hand. I can figure out that time has passed. That location has changed.
There has to be a better way to show us, the viewer, that we have moved on with the story.
There is, and the following examples prove it.
In the third Indiana Jones installment, the film starts with a young Indiana on a mini-adventure; he's in a cave, on a train, deals with snakes and finally loses possession of an artifact to an older adventurer. The last shot of the sequence has the older man removing his hat and placing it on young Indiana's head, which is then lowered and the hat takes up the whole frame.
The next cut is of the hat rising to reveal a grown man, who is promptly punched in the face. The scene opens up and we find ourselves on a boat in the middle of the storm. A fight ensues.
So, here is the question.
Who is this older man?
Answer. An adult Indiana Jones. Even if you haven't seen the other films, you know its him. Why do we know it’s him?
Here's a general rule when it comes to editing. Last thing seen in a scene and first thing seen in the following seen, have a connection.
There is no caption reading "30 years later". It doesn't matter the exact number of years. We know it's Indiana, and we know that he has been living the same adventurous lifestyle as when we last saw him.
One cut did that. No explanation needed. None given. We are smart enough to figure that out.
And here’s another, several actually, all from the same film; Citizen Kane.
In the beginning, Charles Foster Kane is given up by his parents. He is sent to live with Mr. Thatcher. Young Charles leaves his sled behind and the camera moves into it. Through a series of dissolves, the sled is covered with snow.
The dissolve tells us that time has passed. No other trick is needed.
The following scene has young Charles rip the wrapping off a Christmas gift. It’s a brand new sled, but he isn’t happy. Mr. Thatcher says, “Well, Charles, what do you think?” The answer is a petulant “Merry Christmas”.
The next cut has Thatcher dictating a letter. He starts “And a Happy New Year. Charles, on this, the celebration of you 26th birthday …”
How much time has passed? Twenty years. How do we know? It was revealed through the script. No captions required.
The final example from this great film is when Charles, owner of the Daily Inquirer, stands in front of his competitor's office. In the window is a photo of the paper’s reporters. Charles wants them, but is told that it took twenty years to build such a staff. The camera moves into the photo and a flash goes off. The camera moves out and we find that Charles is standing in front of the men. “Six years ago I was told it would be impossible. Now, six years later …”
How much time has passed?
The great filmmakers know that their audience is smart. They know that to truly enjoy the experience, you must be part of the experience. Text popping up on screen, telling you what you already know, just ruins it all.
I love films, but please, no captions.
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