Viewing - Text 8
The Moviola was very easy to handle, especially as the film could be slowed down or stopped using an electric pedal. An image could be identified and then marked with a grease pencil, making it possible later to easily remove the film a little from the gearing to immediately make a cut (with scissors) and a join (by hand or with a splicer). The earliest comments on the Moviola, moreover, emphasised this ease of handling the film, no doubt in contrast with a portable projector. In this way, it was possible to view one’s work almost immediately after making a cut.
The Moviola’s patent application clearly presented the device as a viewer, but as a viewer which assisted in making a cut, suggesting that certain editing practices requiring great precision (insertion, intercalation, etc.) had become widespread.