A BRIEF HISTORY AND OVERVIEW

Film as . . .

Film as . . . 1. Science

A scientific/medical experiment (and extension of still photography; DaVinci’s camera obscura, c. 1500; Louis Daguerre/daguerrotypes, c. 1840)

How a camera obscura works (Leonardo How a camera obscura works (Leonardo DaVinci and beyond) DaVinci and beyond)

Film as . . . 1. Science

Daguerreotype of

Edgar Allan Poe

1848

Civil War photography by Matthew Brady

Film as . . . 1. Science

Persistence of vision (Roget, etc., 1820s) Exercises:

Look at the light, and then close your eyes. . . Try to “pan” across the room. . .

Peter Mark Roget’s essay on persistence of vision (1824, England)

Film as . . . 1. Science

Persistence of Vision devices: Thaumatrope, Zoetrope, Magic Lantern shows (1830s)

Thaumatrope (from the Greek “wonder turning”) –Dr. John Paris (1825) –spinning disk with complementary drawings on the two sides (e.g., horse + rider = horse with rider; bird + cage = bird in cage)

Thaumatrope in action found at

(http://youtube.com/watch?v=dol1xOW_Qzk

)

Zoetrope (from the Greek “wheel of life”)-William George Horner(1834, England)—a revolving drum with hand-drawn stills viewed through slits

Magic Lantern-Appeared in early forms as early as late 1600’s-Popular in mid-1800’s, with moving pictures via “dissolving views”

Magic Lantern Animations

Film as . . . 1. Science

Eadweard Muybridge, Cal. Gov. Stanford, $25,000 & a running horse (1877)

Eadweard Muybridge

Film as . . . 2. Information vs. 3. Art

2. Information Documentation News

 VS.

3. Art Self-expression Creativity Filmmaker as auteur “European”

Film as . . . 2. Information vs. 3. Art

From the very beginning, filmmakers differentiated themselves:

Information/Documentation vs. Art/Self-expression

 Lumiere Bros. vs. Georges Melies <------------------------------------------------------>

[realism] [formalism/expressionism]

Louis & Auguste Lumiere

Below: Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat (1895)

Let’s watch a few Lumiere films from the late 1800’s

Georges Melies

Below: A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Let’s watch a portion of Georges Melies’ A Trip to the Moon (1902); oddly, it is taken from the introduction to the extravaganza film, Around the World in Eighty Days (1956, D: Michael Anderson, P: Michael Todd)

Definitions of Realism vs. Formalist/Expressionism (Dennis Giles)

Realism: Broad def. - - the reality outside the camera should be shown

with as little distortion as possible; a neutral style that doesn't draw attention to itself

Narrow def. - - in doing the above, you use certain film techniques that minimize interference; deep focus shots, long takes (plan sequence) are used . . . as little decoupage as possible

Formalism/Expressionism: Broad def. - - you don't try to reproduce the reality of the world,

but construct a new reality on film Narrow def. – you do the above by distorting the image itself, so

that the film image is unlike anything one would see in the real world; use of special lenses, filters, lighting, angles, etc. (Digital effects?)

Film as . . . 4. Commerce

A very American concept--America entertains the world!

Thomas Edison, William Dickson & the Kinetoscope, the Black Maria (1890s), Nickelodeons

Thomas Alva Edison

Below: William K. L. Dickson

Kinetoscope parlors

The Black Maria

Nickelodeons

Film as . . . 4. Commerce

The U.S. Studio System: Movie moguls A homogenous group

MGM--The major studio 1920-50's; had "More Stars Than There Are in Heaven" (many star vehicles produced); Prestige at any cost!

Film as . . . 4. Commerce

The U.S. Studio System: Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Vertical integration)

Film as . . . 4. Commerce

The U.S. Studio System: Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Vertical integration)

PRODUCTION

DISTRIBUTION

EXHIBITION

Film as . . . 4. Commerce

Competition with other media, other forms of entertainment—e.g., Sound AC Drive-ins 3D Widescreen technologies William Castle gimmicks Color Special effects 3D revival 4D

Film as . . . 5. A Social Force

National cinemas (e.g., Soviet Montage; Francophone African cinema) Assumption that national control or support is

necessary due to power of the moving image

Propaganda (e.g., Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will) Direct assumption that films can change minds

Film as . . . 5. A Social Force

A moral influence. . . Examples of evidence: Payne Fund studies—set of 1930s studies that examined

content and effects of movies on national morals (possible impact on the young)

Censorship/self-censorship—Hays Office & Production Code (1922-45), MPAA ratings (since 1966)

Blacklisting--an assumption that off-screen activities have an influence on on-screen material (e.g., Fatty Arbuckle, Robert Downey, Jr., “Hollywood Ten” during McCarthy era, Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave)

 

Fatty Arbuckle 1921—the Virginia Rappe case 1922—establishment of the Hay Office

end