Landmarks of Early Film

What You Need to Know Names of important people Titles of relevant films Why each film was important to the development of film Any terms introduced in this packet

Edward Muybridge (1877-1885)

Edward Muybridge (1877-1885) Photographer - invented the “moving picture” Hired to settle a bet: “Do all four hooves of a horse ever leave the ground at the same time?” Set up a series of cameras in close succession and connected them to tripwires. When the pictures were viewed quickly one after the other, it gave the impression that the horse was moving.

Edward Muybridge (1877-1885)

Edward Muybridge (1877-1885) He then used the same technology to film naked women and argued that it was the for the sake of science (studying the nature of movement and anatomy). He began charging people to view these “moving pictures.” The women were more popular than the horses.

Thomas Edison (1894-1896)

Thomas Edison (1894-1896) Invented the kinetoscope Pictures were not projected. Customers paid to look through a viewfinder and crank a lever which made the pictures move, creating the illusion of movement. The novelty of the moving picture was the main draw, so what was filmed often didn’t really matter.

“Serpentine Dancers” (Annabelle)

“Serpentine Dancers” (Annabelle) Early films such as this had no real characters, stories, settings, acting etc. They were only popular because of the novelty of the “moving picture.” Images which “looked cool” were most popular. Color was added by hand-coloring individual frames.

“Glenroy Brothers (Comic Boxing)”

“Glenroy Brothers (Comic Boxing)” In films like this one we see the introduction of comedy in the form of absurd slapstick. There is still no story, but the comedy of the film comes from the one dimensional characters. It is funny because it is ironic for two small, weak, uncoordinated men to be boxing.

“The Barber Shop”

“The Barber Shop” Eventually we start to see very simple stories. Something happens: A man gets a shave at the barber. The film replays on a loop. There is no conflict and no beginning, middle and end. Characters are not developed.

Lumiere Brothers (1895-1897)

Lumiere French filmmakers Introduced group viewing – more than one person at a time could watch a film. Light is travels through a piece of film, projecting the image onto a screen. The frames on the film move so quickly that the images appear to be moving. Films were mostly scenes from everyday life.

“Exiting the Factory”

“Exiting the Factory” It is what is says it is: A bunch of people leaving work. No characters, story, etc.

“Transformation by Hats, Comic View”

“Transformation by Hats, Comic View” This is a film of a vaudeville actor (the time’s equivalent of a stand-up comic) changing costumes and creating characters to match them. The advancements in film are the use of simple characters and explicit acting.

“The Sprinkler Sprinkled”

“The Sprinkler Sprinkled” This is a more advanced example of early comedy. The simple characters have easily identifiable traits(boy – playful, mischievous; man – serious, vengeful). There is a complete story with a conflict and a clear beginning, middle, and end.

Melies – “A Trip to the Moon” (1902)

Melies – “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) This European film is an early science-fiction film complete with characters and a fully developed story. Editing is used to create special effects. Narration was recorded on a record that was meant to be played at the same time as the film.

Melies – “A Trip to the Moon” (1902)

Melies – “A Trip to the Moon” (1902) European films, like this one, tended to be based more on fantasy than the more realist American films. Notice that the whole film is filmed on a stage with sets created as if for a play. The use of matte paintings for backgrounds instead of filming on outdoor settings (“on location”) is typical of early European film.

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903) The first important American film. It is much more realistic than the European films of the time, but it matches their length and scope. The first time this film was shown, the audience gave it a standing ovation and demanded the film be shown again immediately.

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903) Clearly defined characters A plot that not only has a beginning, middle, and end, but also build suspense and momentum Filmed in both indoor and outdoor settings Color added to individual frames by hand

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903)

Edwin Porter – “The Great Train Robbery” (1903) Extended Takes – shots that last for long periods of time Cross Cuts – smoothly move from scene to scene to follow characters Parallel Cuts – cut from a scene in one location to a scene happening in another location at the same time Match Cuts – cut from one shot to another shot of the same subject(Ex – cut from a medium shot to a close shot of the same character)

Pathe – “The Policeman’s Little Run” (1907)

Pathe – “The Policeman’s Little Run” (1907) Another comedy with a beginning, middle, and end and some character development Continuity Cuts – editing is used to give the audience a visual bridge to bring the narration from one shot to another. Notice that when the subjects are moving in one direction in one shot, the next shot picks up with them moving in a logical direction.

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912)

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912) Griffith is best know for The Birth of a Nation. This is one of his earlier films which combines comedy, suspense, and romance with innovative filmmaking techniques. The title means “The Girl and Her Responsibilities” Poor people (“tramps”) were often the villains in early films.

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912)

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912) Griffith alternates between close shots (to show emotion) and long shots (to present background and action sequences. The acting is more intricate and subtle and the characters are not as one dimensional (they can not be summed up with one trait) and some are dynamic (they change during the story.

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912)

D.W. Griffith – “The Girl and Her Trust” (1912) Griffith uses many techniques innovative for the time Follow shot – filming one moving train from another moving train traveling alongside it Low angle shot – camera is close to the ground for some shots, looking up at the subject Use of foreground and background – scene where tramps are hiding under platform in foreground as the hero gets the money from the train in the background