The Cinematographic Principle and the Ideogram

Eisenstein’s “The Cinematographic Principle and the Ideogram,” elaborates on the production of meaning through visible editing as well as with the use of visual elements. While we have read about editing techniques and film concepts in past readings, Eisenstein’s reading is the first in which we decipher the way physical qualities of images and the ways in which they are edited convey various types of meaning. The use of Japanese script to represent meanings rather than the English use of letters alludes to the ways in which Japanese and English cultures produce film. Eisenstein elaborates on how Japan conveys meaning differently from many other cultures, evidently in both the writing of storytelling as well as in film. Eisenstein well establishes the difference between cinematography and cinema in relation to film production. Cinema, the conglomeration of shots producing different levels of meaning, strays from cinematography which is the montage of shots. Moreover, cinematography involves the combining of multiple shots to produce intended meaning. By differentiating between these two processes, Eisenstein offers readings a better understanding of all meaning produced in the film realm. While I somewhat understood the difference between these concepts prior to reading Eisenstein's thoughts, the film master actually addresses numerous interesting points to help readers differentiate between very similar ideas.