The Land Beyond The Sunset
R: Harold M. Shaw. B: Dorothy G. Shore. D: Martin Fuller, Mrs. William Bechtel, Walter Edwin. P: Edison Company. USA 1912
Print: George Eastman House
“The Land Beyond The Sunset, written by Dorothy G. Shore and directed by Harold Shaw, is a touching tragedy that goes right to the heart of what storytelling is all about. It also boasts a couple of film techniques common today but nearly unheard of in 1912: the lap dissolve, which is where the end of one scene fades out as the next scene fades in; and the double exposure to show a character’s thoughts.
At the time, these effects had to be created in the camera, by filming a scene then cranking the film back and double exposing it. The lap dissolve was especially difficult because the cameraman had to gradually close down the lens to create the fading out effect, and gradually open it up to fade in. And of course no one would know until the film was developed whether the effect had been successful.”
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