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Split Screen is a weblog dedicated to the art of the split screen and other types of multi-layered visuals.

I'm a big fan of the typical split screen: the frame is divided into two or more areas, and each area shows a different scene or a different view of the same scene, so that multiple images are shown at the same time. More generally, I'm interested in the simultaneous use of multiple layers of imagery - side by side, superimposed, and otherwise visually orchestrated - to add depth and richness in narration, meaning, emotion and representation of time and space.

I'm going to use this weblog to compile a list of split-screen and other many-as-one visuals. I'll be focusing on media based on moving images: movies, TV shows, music videos, commercials, video art, live performance visuals, computational art, video games. Links to video clips will be provided when possible. I might occasionally post about related artforms such as comics, collage and photomontage. I'll also present some of my own experiments in split-screen filmmaking.

For information on the history of split screens, check out the Wikipedia page and this 2002 Salon article.

If you have ideas and suggestions, in general or about possible topics, please email them to: lossless at gmail dot com.

Enjoy.

Comments

[neil]

Some nice clips you've got here James, Im into the same kind of thing - in particular the work of Michel Gondry.

Im hoping to do something similar for my research project, using orchestrated visuals as you call them to form a narrative.

If you get a chance have a look at Echopraxia by Fu Pok Yan, a nice example of using visual geometry (or iteration?) to create a story.

[James]

Thanks neil. I'll check out Echopraxia.

[Spike]

James I'm directing a commercial this month which involves a person looking at multiple reflections of themselves in mirrors. The creative team's reference was the showdown in Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. I notice you haven't mentioned it here. Is that because technically, it's not really split screen having been achieved in camera?

Anyway I'm glad I found this site. It's been a great inspiration. Thanks.

[James]

The mirror scene in Enter the Dragon would definitely be worth a post - thanks for the reminder. I try to keep a loose and wide net with respect to post topics. I'm happy to feature a work if it serves as an inspiration to me or might do so for others.

Right now, there are many well-known split-screen works without a post here, especially in terms of movies. It's partly because I wanted to watch the movies - again or for the first time - before I posted about them, and last year, I was not good at making time to do so. It's also because my goal isn't to build asap and maintain a comprehensive database of split-screen works, but to collect and present nuggets of multi-layered visual goodness on an ongoing basis. Having said that, some holes are fairly glaring (no De Palma?!?), so I'll be striving to fill those soon this year.

BTW, another good fractured mirror scene is the ending of The Lady from Shanghai:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040525/

Please let me know about your commercial if it becomes available online. I'd love to see it.

[Gustavo Muñoz]

Very interesting page. I didn't know anything about this slipt screen art. I got here because of Röyksopp's Eple video. Thank you so much for all this beautiful information. I learnt something new today.

[Urs Hofer]

Hi,
I'm currently working on my thesis in film science about split screens. I therefore read this blog with interest!
I already wrote a paper about split screens, it's in GERMAN, but free for everybody to download:
http://www.tr51.org/Urs+Hofer/16/33

[igi]

Hallo, I just finish my bachelor theoretical work about split screen (sorry in Czech) but I toke some informations from this great sites. I´d like to give som piece of my work here, so this is my movie from first year on FAMU.
Enjoy it!
http://www.jan-peml.com/Tramvaje.wmv
PS: I´ll be happy about any reaction.

[Matt]

Don't forget "Woodstock: The Movie". It's all split screen, and the Who's performance is superbly filmed.

[Carlos]

Hello everyone, I found this blog looking for information about split screens. I have been trying to figute out how to do something for a long time and can't find a way, I thought maybe someone here know how.

I am a video artist. I have a panoramic video with format 8 x 3 (normal is 4 x 3). I want to split this video in 2 screens running from a computer, I have done it in the past with a video syncronizer and 2 DVD players but this solution is expensive and complicated.

I have a Mac Pro with 2 screens. If you have ever try this what would normally happen is that your computer would choose one or another screen to play the video, but it would not split it. I think this could be done with software but I haven't found one which does it.

Does anyone know of a solution for this? For samples of what I mean, go here:
http://digitaltigers.com/dual-monitors.shtml

is the same thing, but instead of a picture, would be a video.

Thanks

[Pete]

I would like to get an overrall view (newbie) of how the technology wokrs. I am building a restaurant and want to incorporate digital signage into it. What hardware/software does one use to set up a series of screens that work in concert or in sequence? Doe one computer do it or is there some sort of switching mech. I realize this is probably basic stuff but I woud like to know what to expect to achieve my desired effect.

Thanks in advance.

[Juergen Thiel]

Hello,

is there any software out there that can generate a split-screen out of two live feeds? All the editing software I've found can't do that.

I am looking for software, where you can input:

- streams
- video files
- TV Card / Live devices

...which outputs the stream in...

- mpeg2
- wmv

...which has a picturte-in-picture function / split screen like they have on those news channels

...and where I can use all major title-formats like *.tga, *.cg and so on.

Is there software that can do all of that or do I need hardware if I want a decent product?

[ian]

Just wanted to say that apart from a really good site but the video from jan-peml impressive peice of work I would like to do something similar but with no budget and just the basic windows movie player split screens are difficult to produce.. anyone have any ideas

[Urs Hofer]

There are several application available, most of them in the field of vj-ing. A very interesting project is gephex, an open-source framework which allows you to combine several live sources in realtime and apply filters to them. That means also mixing them together in various ways, overlay, side by side. Check out: http://www.gephex.org . Personally, I used it for real time video-art-installations. This piece makes also use of split screens as an aesthetical solution: http://www.tr51.org/Urs+Hofer/13/11

[jay-ar]

i'll be editing a video for a company and they asked me to do it split screen! although i'm used to doing splits and multi-layers for music videos, using split for a narrative had me at wit's end! good thing i found out about this site! really helped a lot! thanks!

[Matthew-Alexander Zweig]

Love the webpage - it's exactly what I've been looking for. I'm doing a shoot where I have to horizontally split the screen and show 2 people going about various activities. Have you got any tips for me on the technical things I should be doing ON SET when shooting SPLIT SCREEN SEQUENCE?

[James]

Matthew-Alexander - I've found it helpful to have a visual timeline/map of what needs to be happening on the multiple subframes at key moments. I believe Mike Figgis had a very detailed diagram for Timecode, but for my needs, all I needed was a simple timeline with storyboards flowing along the line on both sides of it, each showing one of the two split screens.

Depending on your needs, it might also help to have a timer and a way to tell your actors about timing, like an alarm that goes off at or before key moments, so that they can pace themselves.

Good luck + please email me if you have clips from the shoot that you might want to share. I'd also like to hear your experience of shooting, since readers may find it helpful as well. Cheers.

[Matthew-Alexander Zwegi]

Hey James, thanks for the advise!! The shoot is today (weather is shocking but that's ok). I'll be sure to get you a final edit of the production as soon as it's done. Again, THANKS for the advise on timing - it's makes so much sense, I really should've thought about it. Look out for the clip in the next month or 2.
Matt (from South Africa)

[Alisha.it]

woah I wish I found this page earlier.
I just directed my first music video for a contest and decided to go for the split screen technique, and i was desperate to find out as much as I could about previous music videos done like that (I found out a few but certainly not all the ones you got here)

anyway, just in care you care, here's the link to the video and the explanation to it all http://www.alisha.it

[Riley]

Hello, I found this website and am interested. If you check out two of my videos I have found a way to split the screen with my video editing program
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFd_UivcOco

or also

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMbjIXaX-CM

if you need some help trying to split the screen for your videos, just write to me on youtube!

[Blarko]

How about some split screen software recommendations for Mac?

[James]

Boy, I am very late to responding to some of the later comments. Thanks everyone for kind words, and pardon me for not getting back to you sooner.

Re: hardware/software for split-screen editing, I use Final Cut on a Mac. I've used Adobe Premiere but it was a long time ago. I haven't done any editing on a PC. So I'm afraid I don't have too many quick answers to your queries regarding hard/soft tools.

Alisha.it - I can't find a link to the video on your site. Can you provide the link to a page where the video is embedded?

Riley - Thanks for the links, I'll post them soon.

[Alisha.,it]

hey there James :)
yeah the video's not there anymore, but I uploaded it here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVRT4_BL5Gw

You know in the end, it won the contest I entered it into :)
take a look and tell me what you think about it :)

Cheers

[James]

Alisha - Belated congratulations! That's fantastic.

[Katrina]

This was an amazing video connecting the lives of a couple through split screen.
But I fear the video has been taken down. I'll just put it up anyway in the hopes one day it'll return.
http://www.wongfuproductions.com/MVsMraz.html
It's a bit reminiscent of Daniel Powter's Bad Day music video.

Oh this video is also what inspired my love for split screen. I'm so glad I came upon your website =]

[James]

Katrina - Thanks, I'll post that video soon. I found another copy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Knj4HotX4g