The art of multitasking, split screens in media

January 2, 2009 4:30 PM

Looking for movies with the technique of split screen. Also, I'm looking for free media theory papers on the topic.

I'm already aware of:
http://www.splitscreen.us/
and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_screen_(film)#In_films

Does it happen a lot more on TV. I noticed that there is a screen shot from 24 on the wikipedia site. I'm doing research for a film I'm in the process of writing and need to see what other films have done with it. I would LOVE any kind of media theory papers that anyone knows on the topic, preferably free. Thank you.

posted by codybaldwin to media & arts (19 answers total)

Timecode is a prime example of using audio to separate multiple visuals (as referenced in the Wiki), Run Lola Run goes a long way toward telling mutiple stories at the same time, using split screen. Tom Whalen talks about this a bit.

As far as television, most of the neo-serial stuff these days (24, Lost, Heroes) use it quite a bit, to get the most bang for their buck timewise.
posted by ASoze at 4:37 PM on January 2, 2009

Run Lola Run
posted by nitsuj at 4:38 PM on January 2, 2009

I believe the original Andromeda Strain had some split screen as they were exploring the town at the start of the movie.
posted by sharkfu at 4:38 PM on January 2, 2009

The original Thomas Crown Affair made pretty explicit stylistic use of split-screen work. The trailer gives you one decent example at around 33 seconds. There's more in the heist scene.
posted by Magnakai at 4:43 PM on January 2, 2009 [1 favorite]

A search under keywords for "split screen" on imdb gives 230 titles.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:52 PM on January 2, 2009

Conversations with Other Women
posted by bdoop21 at 4:54 PM on January 2, 2009

Brian DePalma
posted by rhizome at 4:55 PM on January 2, 2009

Down With Love had a pretty memorable/comical scene using this technique (YouTube Link).
posted by plasticbugs at 4:55 PM on January 2, 2009

Not a film so it's maybe not of enormous help to you but a great use of split screen, used to depict two different dimensions in spacetime, was the X Files episode 'Triangle'.
posted by highrise at 4:56 PM on January 2, 2009

Birth of a Nation has some and also Abel Gance’s Napoléon
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:59 PM on January 2, 2009

Not sure if this qualifies, but All The President's Men used split diopters, apparently.

Per wikipedia entry on photographic filters: "A split diopter is a diopter in which only half of the camera's lens area is covered by the filter. A round split diopter has a usual filter ring, but is filled with only a semicircle of glass (or plastic). This allows the photographer to photograph an object which is very close against a background much further away, effectively extending depth of field. Careful composition is required to make effective use of this device."

As someone else explains here: "Some scenes in the film use dioptric lenses, which allow a "split screen" effect on a single take: each half of a shot can have its own focal length (that is, a man in the foreground can be in focus, yet on the other side of the frame, a man in the background can also be in focus--with objects between the two of them out of focus). Use of a dioptric lens requires a sharp dividing line to hide the effect; All the President's Men typically used pillars and desks for dividing lines."
posted by gudrun at 5:06 PM on January 2, 2009

Still hoping for some more film theory, any ideas?
posted by codybaldwin at 5:14 PM on January 2, 2009

Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls does this.
posted by punchdrunkhistory at 5:15 PM on January 2, 2009

Down With Love is basically doing a more obscene version of a famous scene from Pillow Talk. (Linked article is about the film in general, but does talk about the split screen technique.)

This article from jump cut talks about the use of a split screen in Carrie.

Likely-looking interview with a director of a film called Pretend, that lists some other films and TV shows that do that kind of thing.

Also, I haven't seen it, but I'm pretty sure I read that The Tracey Fragments uses split screens a lot as well.

I can't think of much film theory work done specifically around split screens, but here's a piece about Time Code, that necessarily talks about the technique's effect there. I think your best bet is looking up specific split-screen-heavy films on Google Scholar and seeing what comes out; good luck!
posted by SoftRain at 6:12 PM on January 2, 2009

2nding DePalma. Planting the bomb in Phantom of the Paradise, the murder in Sisters.

I did six years of film theory and never saw a paper about split screen. Might be tough finding one.
posted by Bobby Bittman at 6:16 PM on January 2, 2009

Spooks, (known as MI5 when it's being hacked to pieces on US TV) is great and uses split screen prolifically.
posted by merocet at 6:23 PM on January 2, 2009

The best use of it I've ever seen is in "The Boston Strangler." (Incidentally, if you ever thought of Tony Curtis as a lightweight, watch "The Boston Strangler" and "Some Like It Hot" back to back, and you'll change your mind.)
posted by grumblebee at 6:27 PM on January 2, 2009

The 70s disaster movie Airport uses this too.
posted by ClanvidHorse at 1:22 AM on January 3, 2009

Thank you very much, these have and continue to be very helpful!
posted by codybaldwin at 2:07 AM on January 3, 2009