The intermediaries’ knowledge of cinematic heuristics

Rather than assume that all mental processes take place exclusively in the brain, the Extended Mind thesis [Clark and Chalmers, 1998] considers cognition as also being constituted by extra-neural processes occurring in our environment. This opens up an exciting line of enquiry that is particularly relevant to cinema, specifically the process of editing, where cognitive solutions are found not just in the imaginations of filmmakers but are often consecrated during the edit. In a direct response to recorded audiovisual material we find the editor working between the constraints and contingencies of the cinematic apparatus, attempting to bring continuity and cohesion to what might otherwise be a chaotic, meaningless assortment of events. Considering the nature of this practice it is perhaps surprising to find that the editors experience is often overlooked in both cinema studies and cognitive science. In the past there has been little attempt to analyse the perceptual demands of working with audiovisual material or particular editing tools, or even the particular sense making capabilities of the editor. To truly appreciate the process of transformation occurring between a natural event and its appearance on the screen we need to examine how editors think using audiovisual materials and editing technologies. This paper will analyse the experience of editors and their role as intermediaries between technology and the cinematic experience.