Transcript Who invented movies?

Early Film History
The orignis of film…
A Network of Influences: "Players" in Early Cinema
KEY
US=working in United States
FR=in France
GB=in Great Britain
S=primary emphasis on scientific study
of motion, film
E=primary emphasis on creating forms
of entertainment, possibly art
D=primary emphasis on documenting
reality
The Zoetrope
Invented by WG Horner in 1834, an early form of a
motion picture projector consisting of a drum
containing a set of still drawings that turned in a
circular fashion created the illusion of motion
Eadweard Muybridge
ZOOPRAXISCOPE
Muybridge
invented this
device to project
images on screen
Eadweard Muybridge
(1830-1904) U.S.
Born in England, he was in the U.S. from youth. A photographer, he
was most interested in capturing "Animal Locomotion," the title of his
summary work. In 1872, he began his famous series of photo studies,
sponsored by California Governor Leland Stanford. By 1877, the
challenge to prove that at some point in a racehorse's stride, all four
hooves are off the ground was met; Muybridge had produced a series
of quick-exposure photos that captured all moments in the stride via
sequentially-placed cameras, and Stanford had won a $25,000 bet.
Muybridge never produced "moving pictures" himself, but his work
was world-renowned and an influence on many to follow.
Etienne-Jules Marey
Etienne-Jules Marey
(1830-1904) France
A physician and physiologist interested in animal movement, he
participated in a "co-influential" relationship with Muybridge. His
1882 photo "gun" was capable of taking 12 pictures per second.
CONSIDERED TO BE THE 1ST MOTION PICTURE CAMERA. In
1887, he was the first to combine flexible film (on a paper roll) and
intermittent movement, later adopting celluloid. He did not himself
create films, but his influence is indisputable. Then in 1892 he
invented a projector on which to view the film which was later
“borrowed” by Thomas Edison.
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
(1805-1871) France
The son of a watchmaker, he was "the father of modern conjuring"
(Cambridge Biographical Dictionary). In Paris, he constructed
mechanical toys and automata (robots, like Disney's animatronics),
developed complex magic lantern shows that featured primitive
motion, and performed magic in his own theatre (later to be purchased
and reopened by Georges Melies). On his honeymoon, LePrince went
to Houdin's show repeatedly. "Houdin inspired [LePrince] with the
moving-picture idea" (Rawlence, 1990). [Of course, Houdin also
inspired a young American magician and escape artist named Ehrich
Weiss to adopt a name in honor of Robert-Houdin--Harry Houdini.]
Augustin LePrince
1886 16-lens camera (U.S. patent)
Augustin LePrince
(1841-1890?)
France/U.S./Great Britain
From a well-to-do family, he dabbled in art, photography, optics. His wife's
family was involved in heavy manufacturing, giving him the expertise and
confidence to work on camera mechanisms. Inspired by Robert-Houdin's magic
lantern shows, he set about to make moving pictures. His multi-lens (16) camera
was reminiscent of some of Muybridge's setups; he received a U.S. patent. He
then proposed a 3-lens camera, and this was later used as evidence by American
Mutoscope and Biograph Co. in its suit against Edison in the late 1890's.
(AMBC's point was that Edison was not the sole inventor of motion pictures;
different models abounded.) LePrince constructed a single-lens model in 1888,
but before he could manufacture the system, he disappeared from a train to Paris
in 1890. With him were his British patent forms, some parts and models for his
invention.
Roundhay Garden Scene (LPCCP Type-1 MkII)
The scene was shot in Le Prince's father-in-law's garden at Oakwood Grange,
Roundhay on October 14 1888—thought by some to be the world's first successful
attempt to record moving images, and hence the very first motion picture film
(Moving: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1i40rnpOsA )
Thomas Alva Edison
Below: William K. L. Dickson
Thomas Alva Edison
(1847-1931) U.S.
The prolific American inventor assigned the task of doing "for the eye
what the phonograph did for the ear" to his assistant, William K. L.
Dickson. Thus, Dickson did the actual work of invention, even though
Edison always claimed he was "the father of motion pictures." In 1889,
the Kinetophonograph, capable of showing film in synchronization with
a phonograph record, became a reality. This did not prove to be
popular, and Edison and Dickson continued to develop alternative
systems, culminating in the Kinetoscope, a system that displayed short
films to individuals via a peep-show device. The Black Maria film
studio was built in 1893. In 1896, Edison unveiled his Vitascope, a
projector system. In 1909, Edison joined other major motion picture
pioneer companies in founding the Motion Picture Patents Company.
[Dickson left Edison in 1894 and co-founded the American Mutoscope
& Biograph Co.—a mutoscope is an elaborate flip-book in a peep-show
presentation like the Kinetoscope.]
The Kinetoscope
Viewfinder at top
Strips of film
Advance over light source
Louis & Auguste Lumiere
Below: Arrival of a Train at La
Ciotat (1895)
Louis & Auguste Lumiere
(1864-1948; 1862-1954)
France
The two sons of France's largest manufacturer of photographic products, they
were inspired by Marey and by Edison's/Dickson's work on the Kinetoscope
(which they saw in Paris in 1894). They invented the Cinematographe, a
combined camera and projector, and shot their first film, Workers Leaving the
Lumiere Factory, in 1895. December 28, 1895, has been called by some "the
birthday of world cinema"--the Lumieres presented a program of 20 short films,
projected at the Grand Cafe in Paris. The program was "held over" for weeks.
Subsequently, Louis Lumiere dispatched photographers all over the globe, with
the combined task of selling Cinematographes, showing films to paying
audiences, and filming newsworthy events and actualities (e.g., "travelogues") to
be marketed worldwide. Although the Lumiere company did produce some
narrative and even humorous short films, most of its offerings were in the "realist"
style, and the name Lumiere remains firmly attached to the roots of the realist
school of filmmaking.
Georges Melies
Below: A Trip to the Moon
(1902)
Georges Melies
(1861-1938) France
From a wealthy manufacturing family, he was the "odd" child, more
interested in art, puppetry, and magic than in business. In 1888, he
sold his interest in the family shoe business, and reopened the Theatre
Robert-Houdin in Paris, and soon became famous for his shows of
magic and illusion. When he saw the Lumiere program at the Grand
Cafe in 1895, he begged the brothers to sell him film equipment, but
they declined. He purchased a Bioscope projector from Robert Paul,
and began showing Edison shorts; but soon after, he invented and had
constructed his own camera/projector system. Although he produced a
number of literary films (e.g., Joan of Arc, 1900), he is remembered
most for his contribution in the realm of fantasy, and special visual
effects (e.g., A Trip to the Moon, 1902). If the Lumieres were the
fathers of realist filmmaking, Melies was the parent of expressionism.
EDWIN S. Porter
American, father
of narrative film
Developed
parallel narratives
Cuts/shots/move
ment
GTR 1903
A Timeline of Important events
1834 – zoetrope invented
Earliest motion picture projector
Consisted of a drum with still drawings
When rotated creates illusion of
movement
Zoo = animal
Trope = things that turn
1878 Muybridge
Bet with Leland Stanford
Do horses lift all 4 hooves at once?
12 cameras with trip wires caught the
sequence
But because they were not from same
camera posed problems…
1882 – Marey
In response he created a photographic
“gun” that had long strips of film
12 photos in one second
THE FIRST MOTION PICTURE
CAMERA
“shooting a film”
1892 – first projection
KINETOSCOPE – Edison introduced at
the Chicago’s World Fair
Single viewer, peep show
90 second films
1894 – Black Maria
Edison starts making films inside this
“studio”
One minute in length
1895 – first public film
screening
Lumiere Brothers in France
In La Ciotat, September private screening in the worlds first
cinema
December a commercial screening
10 short films, 20 minutes in total
Held in the basement lounge of a café
Used the cinematograph which functioned as a camera,
projector and printer
Famous story of audience reaction to “train pulling into
The station”…
They believed there was no future as people would
Bore of images they could see in life…
1901 – Edison
“borrows” and refines the camera
Receives patent for the projecting
Kinetoscope
Becomes the standard in movie making
for most of the 20th century
1896
Edison’s company Vitascope projects
films to an audience
Films were shown at the beginning of
vaudeville acts
1904….
After the everyday events, historical
recreations, literature based stories,
comedies became very popular
Pathe-Freres (french co) made more
films than any other company
Specialized in comedies, popular in
nickelodeons
No language or literacy needed
Birth of nickelodeons…
By 1903 so many companies were
turning out so many films, that small
stores converted to theaters popped up
in major urban centers
Charged a nicked admission and
showed a program of up to 10 films
The beginning of modern cinema
Nickelodeons…
Very popular 1905 – 1915
As films became longer, nickelodeons
became too uncomfortable
Gave rise to movie theaters…
1913
First theater built specifically for motion
pictures
By 1917 they became collosal palaces
with carpeting, lavish decorations,
chandeliers and comfortable seats
1908…the move West
Film production moves from East to
West for several reasons:
Better weather for outdoor shooting
 Non union cities for lower wages
 Excellent and varied outdoor locations

The southern CA culture
Shaped by movie industry
People moved here to be stars
Most did not make it, but the emphasis
on beauty, health and the active lifestyle
helped create the SOCAL stereotype
The war years 1915 - 1919
Film production in Europe shut down
because of the war
1915 - 30 million feet of film in US
1916 – 156 million feet
This accounted for 85% of films shown
in the world and 98% of films shown in
US
1914 the star system…
Before this stars were owned by the film
company
Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin
began to draw larger salaries
Because audiences wanted to see them
they could make demands of the
studios….
Charlie Chaplin
In 1914 he made 1250 a week
By 1916 he was making 10,000 a week
and a 150,000 contract signing bonus
He also negotiated a share of the profits
of his films
Mary Pickford
In 1914 she made 1000 a week
By 1916 she made 2000 a week and a
50% share of profits from her films
**she made more money than Chaplin!
CENSORSHIP
1909 the beginning of censorship
National Board of Review screened all
films
20% they refused to approve
Many films required cuts
As films moved from lower class to
middle class entertainment values and
censorship became an issue
Censorship…
Because nickelodeons fell under police
rule, many were being shut down which
impacted the money the studios made
They realized a need to provide
censorship so they agreed to create a
regulatory agency and submit their films
Censorship…
Obscenity was the prime target but they
never defined the word
The board was made up of charitable,
religious and educational leaders
Because the industry willingly
participated it sent a positive message a
and willingness to be guided
The “Brighton School”
The ‘Brighton School’ of filmmakers were among
the world's first true movie pioneers. Men like
George Albert Smith (1864-1959), James
Williamson (1855-1933), Esmé Collings (unknown),
Alfred Darling (1862-1931) and Charles Urban
(1867-1942) were making, producing, distributing
and marketing major films as early as 1897.
Together they helped make Brighton and Hove one
of the most important filmmaking locations in
Britain.
Robert Paul
Below: The “?” Motorist (1906)
Robert Paul
(1869-1943) England
This early British film pioneer got into the business by way of his
training as an engineer; he was hired to copy Edison's Kinetoscope,
which was not patented in Great Britain. He eventually designed his
own system, began producing and directing films, and built England's
first indoor studio in 1899.
G. A. Smith
Below: Grandma’s Reading
Glass (1900)
G. A. Smith
(1864-1959) England
An established portrait photographer, he built his own film camera in
1896 and began making movies. An innovator, he patented doubleexposure as a film device in 1897, and was early to use close-ups.
Later, in 1908, he founded a company that developed and sold a twocolor film process.
James Williamson
Below: The Big Swallow
(1901)
James Williamson
(1855-1933) England
A photographer, he bought a movie projector in 1896 and converted it
to a camera. He founded a studio in 1902, and in 1904 began
manufacturing film stock and movie equipment, eventually getting out
of filmmaking completely to concentrate on the manufacturing of film
equipment.
Cecil Hepworth
Below: Rescued by Rover (co-dir.
with Lewin Fitzhamon, 1905)
Cecil Hepworth
(1874-1953) England
His father was a magic lantern lecturer, and from accompanying his
father on tours, Hepworth developed a fascination with moving
pictures. He patented several photo inventions, and in 1898 published
a handbook on film, Animated Photography, "possibly the earliest
published work" on film (Katz, 1994). He began directing films in
1899, and in 1903 started his own studio. While his Rescued by Rover
is identified as "a landmark in cinema history, one of the earliest films
to employ advanced continuity and narrative techniques through
sophisticated cutting" (Katz, 1994), he failed to keep up with
innovations, and went bankrupt in 1924.
Pathe Freres
(Charles & Emile, film & phonograph, respectively)
Pathe Freres
(Pathe brothers)
A phonograph company founded in 1896 by Charles Pathe and his
three brothers, the firm got into filmmaking in 1901. In 1902, they
built a studio and began turning out one or two shorts a day. Foreign
offices were established all over the globe, and by 1908, Pathe was an
international empire, by far the world's largest movie producer
("selling twice as many films in the U.S. as all American companies
combined," Katz, 1994). However, the company began failing after
WWI, and what remained of it in 1931 was sold to RKO.
D. W. Griffith