Compilation film

A compilation film, or compilation movie is a film composed of scenes and shots taken from two or more prior films or television programs and edited together so as to make a new film, whether on the same or a different subject. The most common example would be a documentary film on an historical event composed of footage from various newsreels and other film documentaries on the same subject. New footage and/or a new soundtrack may also be included in a compilation film, but the compiled, older footage makes up the majority of its principal material. Compilation film does not include, however, a simple editing together of several short films, complete in themselves and distinguished as such from each others, which should be considered as film anthologies.

Filmmaker and historian Jay Leyda first coined the term "Compilation Film" in his book Films Beget Films in 1964, but it appears that there have not been active discussions around the topic since. This could be due to the lack of accessible and available shots that are required to complete a coherent project. Scholar Keith Beattie stated that without relevant clips, it is challenging for creators to utilise such format to put forward comprehensive arguments.^[1]

^ Beattie, Keith (2004). Documentary Screens: Non-Fiction Film and Television. Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 125–145. doi:10.1007/978-0-230-62803-8. ISBN 978-0-230-62803-8.

[1] Beattie, Keith (2004). Documentary Screens: Non-Fiction Film and Television. Hampshire and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 125–145. doi:10.1007/978-0-230-62803-8. ISBN 978-0-230-62803-8.

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