20th century film

George Melies

"Trip to the Moon"--first man credited with storytelling potential in films

persistence of vision

human perception where the eye can only see up to 1/25 of a second beyond the removal of an image. When put together, the illusion of motion is created

cinematography

integration of science and art

Paramount Pictures

license and exclusively distribute feature films

George Eastman

mass produced and marketed celluloid roll film on an international scale. This introduction of a plastic recording medium enabled Edison laboratories to invent the first true motion picture camera in 1889, it was called the KINETOGRAPH.

The continuity of movement and light exists only in our brains making cinema...

the first communication medium based on psycho-perceptual illusions created by mechanics. The second such medium is television

Silent Comedy

we cannot laugh if we fear for safety, but if he is viewed as an imperishable (indestructible) object rather than flesh and bones, we can laugh. There is no blood in and a tremendous amount of slapstick abuse. So the human being is in a sense dehumanized, and becomes a prop like the objects affecting him.

The MPPC

- (Motion Picture Patents Company) helped to stabilize the American film industry during a time of unprecedented growth. - Technically the films were competent, but their content remained static and unimaginative

Silent Feature Films

- Films remained silent throughout the 1920s, although there was usually piano accompaniment at times with specially written scores. - The grander cinemas might even have a full orchestra. - There were also title cards to explain the narrative.

D.W. Griffith

- His one reel films were conventional yet revealed a narrative fluidity uncommon to films of the period. - He made film life look as natural and random as real life, stories were carefully constructed pieces of fiction. - Between 1908-1913 he directed 450 movies for Biograph. - He realized that the content of the shot should determine the camera's relationship to it.

slapstick comedy

- Low comedy where humor depends entirely on physical action and sight gags - Sped up films seem more frantic and artificial making it seem more funny

Edwin S. Porter

- The Life of an American Fireman The Great Train Robbery - Continuity editing - simultaneous and parallel actions, which was to become a basic structural element of cinematic narrative

feature film

- The multiple reel film - gained acceptance in 1911 with the release of two European imports, 'The Crusaders" (4 reels) and 'Dantes Inferno" (5 reels)

The great train robbery

- cut between scenes without dissolving or fading, and most importantly he cut on ACTION, not playing a scene all the way out to the end. - the film is noted for the first successful use of IN CAMERA MATTING - two authentic PANNING SHOTS - the first CLOSE UP

The MPPC

- formed under the leadership of Thomas Edison placed control of the film industry in the hands of nine manufacturers (Edison, Biograph, Vitagraph, Essany, Selig, Lubin, Kalem, Star, and Pathe). - These companies held all disputed patents for camera and projection technology.

Que Vadis

- success of the film permitted Italy to capture a large share of the world market until the outbreak of WW1.

Dream Palace

-an upscale movie theater created for feature films, was the 3300 seat STRAND theater in the heart of Broadway in NYC theater district in 1914. - The new theaters were elegant and plush. Charged the premium price of 25 cents admission

3 Developments into motion pictures

1. Research into persistence of vision 2. Invention of still photography 3. Increasing public interrest in slide shows and mechanized entertainment devices

Birth of a Nation innovations

1. the flashback or "switchback" 2. iris shot 3. mask or matte shot 4. split screen 5. soft focus 6. tracking shots 7. moving camera 8. was an actors director and the first serious "auteur".

Frame speed for silent film

16 frames per second

Frame speed for a sound film

24 frames per second

Birth of a Nation

Controversial but highly influential and innovative silent film directed by D.W. Griffith. It demonstrated the power of film propaganda and revived the KKK.

chronophotographic gun

Could take up to 12 "moving pictures" to make it look like a motion film, though it was just pictures

Mack Sennett (Keystone)

Founded Keystone Studios and essentially created the slapstick genre that was later perfected and enhanced by early comic film actors.

The Little Five

Fox Film Corporation Producers Distributing Corporation (PDC) Film Booking Office (FBO) Universal Pictures (created by Carl Laemmle) Warner Brothers

Lumiere Brothers

French inventors and pioneer manufacturers of photographic equipment who devised an early motion-picture camera and projector called the Cinématographe. The basis equipment for silent films

Etienne-Jules Marey

French physiologist who recorded the first series photographs of live action in a single camera which was also portable. Invented chronophotographic gun.

A Trip to the Moon

George Melies, film was longer than previous films running 14 minutes, and was composed of 30 separate scenes and connected by lap dissolves.

Edward Muybridge

Hired by Leland Stanford (governor of California in 1878) to win a bet proving that at one point, a horse's hooves are all off the ground at the same time; thus, captured motion with still frames. This created series photography.

California

Liked year-round good weather so this place was preferred

Black Maria

It was a single room (25'x30') with a section of the roof that opened to allow sunlight to enter, the whole building could be rotated to follow the movement and angle of the sun.

The Big three

Paramount, First National, United Artists

Nickelodeons

Permanent movie theaters popularly this or "Store Theaters" sprung up across the country. Named for the original "nickel-theater" that opened in Pittsburg, PA in 1905.

Florence Lawrence

first movie star, "Biograph Girl"

Black Maria

first studio created by William Dickson for Edison in 1893.

Edison Labs

The only content in the films they made was the motion; they are unedited with a stationary camera.

When an audience watches a film...

They spend close to 50% of the time in darkness

Kinetograph

a stop motion device to insure the regular motion of a filmstrip through the camera and a perforated celluloid filmstrip.

Griffith and Bitzer

discovered the power of the moving shot, the pan and the tracking shot

WW1 influence on american cinema

eliminated the European competition (mainly France and Italy) and gave the US dominance over the world film market for the next 15 years.