ABSTRACT

Apple offers what it calls “The Ken Burns Effect” in its editing software, referring to the technique of moving on still images popularized by Burns and pioneered by such rostrum artists as Edward T. Joyce (The Frame Shop, Newton), Ken Morse (Ken Morse Ltd., London), and others. But something drives those moves, just as something drives each decision about using stills or motion picture, oral testimony, or interview; and the selection of characters and actions that offer an intimate journey through history. That something has very little to do with technology and a great deal to do with story.