Early Cinema Lecture 3

Methodological Issues Textual/formal analysis (e.g. Barry Salt, André Gaudreault) – What are the films themselves like? What stories are told? What techniques are used? Economic context (e.g. Bordwell and Thompson) – Who directed the films? Who (i.e. what entity) produced/paid for the films? How did producers fit into the industry landscape? Cultural and social context (e.g. Tom Gunning, Charles Musser) – What social forces were shaping or influencing filmmakers and production entities? How do cinema institutions situate themselves vis-à-vis other cultural forms? Audiences/exhibition context – How did audiences receive the films? Who made up film-going audiences (i.e. what was the audience demographic)? Where did audiences see them? Under what circumstances?

“Cinema of Attractions” argument 1 Rejects three related assumptions about film history that have long dominated its historiography ( see Tom Gunning) – 1) evolutionary assumption Film history is linear and evolving Early cinema is primitive cinema – 2) cinematic assumption The development of cinema owes to its slow discovery of a “cinematic essence”—that which it was destined to be Early cinema is still beholden and imitative of other forms like theater. – 3) narrative assumption Cinematic essence was discovered when films fully embraced storytelling Early cinema had not yet embraced storytelling, therefore it is primitive rather than different

“Cinema of Attractions” argument 2 Dominant mode of filmmaking before 1908 is NOT a storytelling mode Cinema pre-1908 favors display, surprise: ”a cinema of attractions”

What is a “cinema of attractions”? Foregrounds the act of display – Prefers current events (i.e. topicals), scenes from daily life (actualities: viz Lumière), performances (e.g. dances, acrobatics: “Sandow,” “Serpentine dances”), camera tricks (e.g. Hepworth, Méliès) acknowledges the spectator Exhibitionist rather than voyeuristic (or diegetic absorption) Arouses curiosity that gets satisfied by surprises rather than by suspense Occurs in the present tense

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 1: F ROM THE SINGLE SHOTS TO MULTIPLE SHOTS, FROM STILL CAMERA TO MOVING CAMERA Single shots – Actualities, direct address, violate “the fourth wall” Ex: Lumière, Edison Moving camera (tracking and panning) – The “phantom” ride films (tracking) Ex: Lumière: “Leaving Jerusalem” 1896 – Multi-shot “phantom” ride (tracking) Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Kiss in the Tunnel” 1899 – Panning Ex: Porter: “Life of an American Fireman” 1903 Ex: Porter: “The Great Train Robbery” 1903

S INGLE SHOT : L UMIÈRE 1896

M OVING C AMERA ( TRACKING ): P HANTOM RIDES L UMIÈRE, 1896

M OVING C AMERA ( TRACKING ), M ULTI - SHOT P HANTOM RIDE : G.A. S MITH, 1899

M OVING C AMERA ( PANNING ): P ORTER : “L IFE OF AN A MERICAN F IREMAN,” 1903

M OVING C AMERA ( PANNING ): P ORTER : “T HE G REAT T RAIN R OBBERY,” 1903

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 2: Multi-scene films – Shot transitions Dissolve – Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902 Straight cut – Ex: Williamson: “Stop, Thief!” 1901 Vertical wipe – Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” Pull focus – Dream transition » Ex: G.A. Smith: “Let me Dream Again” 1900 – Scene Dissection Cut-in, masking, point of view shots – Ex: G.A. Smith: “Granma’s Reading Glass” 1900 Camera repositioning – Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Sick Kitten” 1903 – Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903

M ULTIPLE SCENES 1: TRANSITIONS : DISSOLVES : M ÉLIÈS, 1902

M ULTI -S CENE FILMS 1: TRANSITIONS : STRAIGHT CUTS : W ILLIAMSON, “ CHASE FILMS,” 1901

M ULTI -S CENE FILMS 1: TRANSITIONS : VERTICAL WIPE : G.A. S MITH, “M ARY J ANE M ISHAP,” 1903

M ULTIPLE SCENES 1: TRANSITIONS : P ULL FOCUS : G.A. S MITH, 1900

M ULTI -S CENE FILMS 2: C UT - INS, MASKING, POINT - OF - VIEW [ P. O. V ] SHOTS : G.A. S MITH, 1900

M ORE MASKING, CUT - INS, AND P. O. V. SHOTS : G.A. S MITH : “A S S EEN T HROUGH A T ELESCOPE,” 1900

M ORE MASKING, CUT - INS, AND P. O. V. SHOTS : P ATHÉ F RÈRES, “P EEPING T OM,” 1901

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 2: C AMERA R EPOSITIONING : G.A. S MITH, “T HE S ICK K ITTEN ” 1903

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 2: C AMERA R EPOSITIONING : G.A. S MITH,”M ARY JANE ’ S M ISHAP ”

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: Multi-scene films (cont.) – Screen direction Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902 – Mental subjectivity (rendering interiority) Dreaming and visions – Set within a set » Ex: Zecca: “History of a Crime” 1901 – Photographic superimposition » Ex: Porter: “Life of an American Fireman” 1903 » Ex: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903 – Perceptual subjectivity (creating ‘sensual impact’) Ex: Hepworth: “How it feels to be run over” 1900

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: S CREEN D IRECTION : M ÉLIÈS, 1902

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: D REAMING SET WITHIN A SET : “H ISTORY OF A C RIME ”

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: D REAMING P HOTOGRAPHIC SUPERIMPOSITION : “L IFE OF AN A MERICAN F IREMAN ”

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: VISIONS SUPERIMPOSITION : “M ARY J ANE ’ S M ISHAP ”

F ORMAL INNOVATIONS 3: VISIONS SUPERIMPOSITION : “T HE G REAT T RAIN R OBBERY ” 1903