# When in film history did directors begin to shoot films out of sequence?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 16, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650 "2019-02-16T03:37:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650/1 "2019-02-16T03:37:43Z")
Hey all,
So I need to know something that would settle an argument (it’s a loooong story). I’ve really had trouble finding this out. As we all know, films are shot out of sequence, with a few rare exceptions (Or if anybody doesn’t know… they are.) :rolleyes: This has been the standard for a very long time. All of the scenes at the same location will be shot at the same time, scenes will be arranged to shoot actors’ schedules, etc. BUT if you go back far enough in film history–at the point where movies were actually filmed stage plays or just single scenes- they clearly were shot in sequence.
So the question is, when exactly did this change happen? The earliest 19th century “point a camera at it” films were obviously shooting in sequence, but does the change really go back quite that far? Does anyone know? Thanks in advance to all the smart people here…
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650/2 "2019-02-16T03:55:47Z")
It goes back to [at least 1898.](http://www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/444430/)
> [@](#):
>
> Originally one of the first films to feature more than one shot, R.W. Paul’s Come Along Do! sadly only survives as a fragment today.
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### Author:  [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650/3 "2019-02-16T04:04:52Z")
It goes right back to the very beginning of film or more specifically the development of film editing.
Film sequencing began as early as 1898 with Robert W. Paul, George Albert Smith and James Williamson and their early multi-shot short films.
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### Author:  [@Anise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anise)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-in-film-history-did-directors-begin-to-shoot-films-out-of-sequence/829650/4 "2019-02-16T05:33:40Z")
This is good… 🙂 I didn’t even think it was that early, but it’s very helpful for that argument.