Divided screen

The Split screen , Anglicisme translates into French by screen divided or sometimes by the screen splity copies, or called Polyptyque by analogy, is, in a production Audiovisuel it (with the Cinéma, with the Télévision, in the Video game), an effect consisting in dividing the screen into several parts, each one presenting of the different images: several different scenes, or several prospects different from the same scene.

Use of the divided screen

In general, the action of the various portions of screen is synchronized, the objective being to make it possible to the spectator to follow several simultaneous actions or to profit from several points of view in parallel on the same scene (thus showing the Champ and the Contre-champ. The scenes of telephone conversations in Split screen are thus numerous.

More particularly, this technique was used with fine stylistics in the Business Thomas Crown of Norman Jewison. The process is permanent, employee as an element even of narration, by Mike Figgis in her film Time Code (of which the process was re-used in Eleven five years later by Etienne Perrin) whose action takes along four synchronous stories, filmed in real-time on four screens. The Split screen is also an effect snuffed by the realizer Brian De Palma.

The Split screen was parodied in the Great Diversion (film created by a team of Canal+ only starting from traditional film extract, with new a Doublage comic and dialogs). In a scene, two character begin their conversation in Split screen . One of the characters is aggravated some and the disappearance of the effect reveals that they are in fact in the same plan.

A current use of the Split screen is made with the Télévision to show the duplex, each correspondent profiting from a portion of the screen.

The technique is also used in the Video game, in the modes of play to several. The screen is generally divided into two or four rectangular zones, each part of the monitor serves then as clean “screen” with each player. It finds also an equivalent with the windows in the field of the graphical interfaces, in Informatique.

List films and televised series using this effect

List cartoon films using this effect

end of the world in 4 seasons of Paul Driessen, 1995
Servant boy who saw the iceberg of Paul Driessen, 2000
One Land, At sea and in the air of Paul Driessen, 2000
2D gold not 2D of Paul Driessen, 2003
Flat life of Jonas Geirnaert, 2005

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