This lesson introduces the Kuleshov effect and explains the famous editing experiment associated with Lev Kuleshov. It focuses on how viewers interpret an unchanged face differently depending on the shots placed beside it.
The Kuleshov effect is a film-editing phenomenon in which viewers derive meaning from the interaction between two or more consecutive shots. A shot may seem to communicate something different when it is placed beside a new image, even if the shot itself has not changed.
All flashcards
Kuleshov effect
The tendency for viewers to interpret a shot differently depending on the images placed before or after it.
Unchanged footage in the reported experiment
The same expressionless shot of Ivan Mozzhukhin was reportedly paired with different images.
Reclining woman in the reported experiment
Viewers reportedly read Mozzhukhin’s face beside this image as expressing desire.
Historical uncertainty of the experiment
Accounts differed, and no original film or photographic documentation is known to survive.
Audience interpretation
Viewers connect adjacent images and may attribute the sequence’s emotional meaning to a face.
Quiz questions
What did Lev Kuleshov argue about how cinema creates meaning?Answer: Meaning can emerge from assembling fragments into relationships among shots.
Which actor’s expressionless face featured in the classic reported Kuleshov experiment?Answer: Ivan Mozzhukhin
What did Prince and Hensley report after attempting to recreate the experiment in 1992?Answer: They did not find the alleged effect, though their design was vulnerable to noise.
What did Dean Mobbs and colleagues find in their 2006 within-subject fMRI study?Answer: Neutral faces were perceived in keeping with the emotional context of the scenes.
What did research pairing face clips with music indicate?Answer: Happy or sad music influenced participants’ judgments of facial expression.
Based on the Wikipedia article Kuleshov effect, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.