2. 1891-Kinetoscope
1891-Edison created the Kinetoscope
• No one actually invented cinema however, 1891 the Edison company in the USA demonstrated a prototype
of the kinetoscope.
• The device managed to create such images by passing a strip of film rapidly between a lens and an electric
light bulb whilst the viewer peers through the peep hole. Then, behind that hole was a spinning wheel with
a narrow slit that acted as a shutter. This creates a momentary view of each of the 46 frames passing in front
of the shutter every second
• only one person could use the device at a time, they did so by looking through a peephole located on the
top of the device.
• The device displayed different moving pictures
• When first created, Edison regarded as a toy, untill 1894 when the kinetoscope was exhibited publically on
Broadway in New York.
3. 1894- Phantoscope
• 1894- the first projector was invented by Charles Francis Jenkins called the Phantoscope.
• was a type of projector that allowed him to show moving pictures on walls
• allowed images to be stitched together in a way that made the films smoother than
previous attempts
• This was really the start of actual documented film
4. 1895- The Lumière brothers
• began with their father Antoine, a well-known portrait painter turned photographer.
• 1894, Antoine Lumière attended an exhibition of Edison’s Kinetoscope in Paris. When he returned to his business
in Lyons, he showed his sons a length of film that he had received from one of Edison’s concessionaires-told them
they should try develop their own, a cheaper version.
• Antione urged ted hem to try and allow their device to be able toproject film onto a screen
• They began in winter 1894, by the following year they had created a device, they called it the Cinématographe.
• Device was much small and lighter than Edison’s
• their first public screening on December 28 1895 at the Grand Café on Paris’ Boulevard de Capuchines. After the
success of their first screening, in early 1896 they opened Cinématographe theatres in London, Brussels and New
York.
• The Lumière brothers did a public screening of 10 short films in Paris 28 December 1895 - regarded as the
breakthrough of projected cinematographic images.
5. Vaudeville
• Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century.
• It was a comedy show without any moral or psychological intentions which included songs and ballets
• In 1900, Vaudeville began to display a short film in between musical numbers and comedic skits until the act
got booed off stage, then the next film would start.
• The theatre starting calling the pictures nickelodeons, this was because they only cost a nickel to watch
during the performance.
6. 1903-The Great Train Robbery
• The Great Train robbery was the first narrative film
• It was 12 minurtes long and directed by Edwin Porter- a fomer Edsion company cameraman
• Porter used Scott Marbles 1896 play for inspiration. The film contained a full length storyline
and introduced different camera angles to scenes.
• The film had purpsoe because of its aactual storyline
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Train_Robbery_(1903_film)
7. 1910- The MPPc and Charlie Chaplin
• in 1910 The MPPC, Motion Picture Patents Company, was created
• Many film companies at the time wanted to make a profit, this included Edison’s company. The MPPC was
created so that they could control every aspect of the film business; this included the actors, raw film stock,
equipment, sets etc.
• The company hated independent studios. Because of this, The MPPC raided independent companies,
destroying equipment and threatening employees.
• The MPPC was only good as they as they established film standards and created a good international film
market.
• the company was terminated in 1915 after conflicts within the industry.
• After the MPPC, starts like Charlie Chaplin began to really shine to stardom, he was known as the king of
silent films
• His films were full of funny and entertaining moments however; his films also conveyed the idea of good
and evil in society.
8. 1927- The Jazz Singer
• The Jazz singer wasthe first feature film which included sound.
• It was directed by Alan Crosland and was realised in October 1927.
• The film was an instant hit
• Before this, there was no built in sound to films, they were either silent or there would be
live orchestras in the theatres
• The sound in the film was recorded by the Vitaphone, a devbice created by warner borthers-
at the time was the leading brand of sound-on-disc technology
9. 1939-Best year of film ever, the 70s and
avatar
• 1939 was landmarked as the greatest year of film in film history
• This was because 10 films were nominated for Academy Award’s and the year produced films such as
The Wizard of Oz, Gone with The Wind, Of Mice and Men, and The Adventures of Sherlock Homes.
• Tthe phenomenal success of Jaws and Star Wars in the 70s led to the rise of modern blockbuster.
• Hollywood studios began to focus on producing a smaller number of very high budget films. This led
to what we now have in film, small numbers of huge budget films that are almost always going to end
in success due to better equipment, better actors and a bigger time slot to film.
• 2009- Avatar became the highest grossing film of all time. It was a 3D film and won several Academy
Awards and Golden Globes for its incredible design. The movie grossed about $2.7 billion, more than
any film company could dream of.
10. Bibliography
• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (unknown). Kinetoscope. Available:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/Kinetoscope#accordion-article-history. Last accessed 14th jan 2020.
• Christian Roemer. (Unknown). How the Movies Have Changed Over the Years. Available:
https://legacybox.com/blogs/analog/how-the-movies-have-changed-over-the-years . Last accessed 14th
January 2020.
• Sarah Pruitt. (2014). The Lumière Brothers, Pioneers of Cinema. Available:
https://www.history.com/news/the-lumiere-brothers-pioneers-of-cinema . Last accessed 14th January 2020.
• Unknonw. (unknown). History of Film. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_film. Last accessed
14th January 2020.
• Tanner Fenton. (unknown). Significant Events in the History of Film . Available:
https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/significant-events-in-the-history-of-film . Last accessed 14th January
2020.
• Unknown. (Unknown). Vaudeville. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville . Last accessed 14th
January 2020.
• Unknown. (Unknown). The Great Train Robbery (1903 film). Available:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Train_Robbery_(1903_film). Last accessed 14th January 2020.
