The Great Train Robbery and Edwin Porter

Edwin S Porter's 'The Great Train Robbery was made in 1903, and was huge advancement in film editing. Before this, films were very similar to stage productions, with all the action taking in place in one place at one time. In fact, if you look at films my Thomas Edison prior to The Great Train Robbery, you will see that it is one continous shot - the length of the film reel used.

The Great Train Robbery was largely different. It used 20 shots. And alongside those shots was action happening in different locations. Porter's decision to edit these shots together, rather than all the action happening one place, allowed for a much larger area to be covered, whereas previously only the frame of the film was the physical area in which the action could take place - much like theatre.

It was this film that used the first ever example of the technique known as 'cross cutting' which shows events happening in multiple places at one time.