Date
4-18-2025
Department
School of Communication and the Arts
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Media (PhD)
Chair
Robert K. Mott
Keywords
qualitative methodology, transportation theory, constant comparative analysis, Walter Murch, rule of six, fourth rules of film editing, eye trace technique, academy award-winning, black cinema
Disciplines
Communication | Film and Media Studies
Recommended Citation
Robinson, Hakim, "A Qualitative Constant Comparative Analysis of the Editing Evolution Through Walter Murch’s Fourth Rule: Eye Trace, Emphasizing its Utilization in Black Cinema by Renowned Black Directors from the Late 1980s to Present" (2025). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 6710.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/6710
Abstract
Research using qualitative methods is growing, notably in media and communication studies. The proposed research will explore Walter Murch's fourth rule, Eye Trace, and its film editing guidelines, focusing on Black filmmakers' utilization of it and the evolution of editing overall. The study will use a Constant Comparative Analysis as the foundation of the research, with planned future use of Green and Bock's Transportation Theory to examine how media material immerses people in narratives; this research method often uses content analysis to identify and analyze text themes, patterns, and messages. The study examines whether content analysis can assess Murch's principles of Eye Trace in Black Cinema and Oscar-winning films. This research will also discuss the semiotics tradition and analyze the eye trace technique in these films to show the benefits of employing cinematic editing approaches. The analysis helps us understand how Murch's ideas can lead to present qualitative and future quantitative research on the effects of narrative immersion. The research improves our grasp of qualitative methodology and its usage in film editing evaluation. Through constant comparative analysis, the research will highlight film production's creative and technical aspects. Individuals may use an understanding of this in cinema studies and other subjects where media shapes perceptions and opinions. By using qualitative methods and constant comparative analysis, there will be a better comprehension of the media's impact on society. This work is a beginning point for additional research and emphasizes the need to use many research methodologies to analyze media content.
