In the early days of film, directors referenced their knowledge of theater to visualize a screenplay. The camera was static. Actors walked in and out of the screen. The techniques that we now know are possible were yet to be developed. It would take time for film to become a medium in its own right. A scene from Blue Beard with a static camera showing people coming in and out of the scene

A scene from Blue Beard (1901), Georges Méliès

In the modern day, we encounter online courses that feel like someone placed …