Introduction to FilmSilent Movies
1895 Birth of Cinematography
Robert W. Paul invented the film projector
First public showing in 1895
Movies were shown in: Storefront spaces Traveling
exhibitions Vaudeville
1895 Birth of Cinematography
Early Films: Under a minute Usually a single
scene authentic or staged everyday life public event sporting event slapstick
No editing No camera
movement
1895 Birth of Cinematography
One of the most popular short films: Sally Rand, The Fan
Dance An exotic dancer and
actress.
Silent Era 1895-1927
A Trip to the Moon (1902) Georges Méliès
Directed & Starred Paris stage magician
Pioneered many of the basic special effects used in movies
Increased the length of movies to fifteen minutes
Silent Era 1895-1927
The Great Train Robbery (1903) Edwin S. Porter, Director Thomas Edison, Producer First Western Emphasized the shot, rather than the
scene
The Great Train Robbery (1903)
Filmed in New Jersey Included shot of a
bandit shooting at the audience
Audiences at the time would usually scream in fear, then laugh in relief
Silent Era 1895-1927
Boom in nickelodeons (the first permanent movie theaters)
10,000 in the U.S. by 1908
Standard length of a film remained one reel (ten to fifteen minutes)
Silent Era 1895-1927
The Birth of a Nation (1915) First full length film
(190 minutes) Director D.W. Griffith
Birth of a Nation (1915) Pioneered cinematic
techniques Jump-cut Close-ups
Introduced cinematic innovations Documentary Mobile cameras
Birth of a Nation (1915) "Top 100 American
Films" (# 44) by the American Film Institute
In its day, the highest grossing film, taking in more than $10 million at the box office
($210 million) In 1992 the United
States Library of Congress deemed it "culturally significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Silent Era 1895-1927 U.S. produced an
average of 800 silent films a year The comedies of
Charlie Chaplin Swashbuckling
adventures of Douglas Fairbanks
Romances of Clara Bow
Talking Pictures 1927 Turning point came
in 1927 Warner Brothers
Studios released The Jazz Singer
First synchronized dialogue (and singing) in a feature film.
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