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CC1-5 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is film defined as?

A

A thin, flexible material coated in light-sensitive emulsion that retains an image after exposure to light

Film is also a verb describing the process of capturing moving pictures.

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2
Q

What phenomenon prevents the perception of black spaces between frames in film?

A

Persistence of Vision

This phenomenon allows the brain to retain an image for about a fifth of a second, creating the illusion of continuous motion.

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3
Q

Who first described the Persistence of Vision?

A

Peter Mark Roget

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4
Q

What is the Phi Phenomenon?

A

An optical illusion that lets you see a series of images in rapid succession as continuous motion

Defined in 1912 by Max Wertheimer.

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5
Q

What ancient art form is considered a precursor to movies?

A

Cave paintings

Examples include those found in Chauvet, France, and El Castillo, Spain, dating back 32,000 years.

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6
Q

What are zoetropes?

A

Devices that create the illusion of motion by displaying sequential images through slits

They are a form of pre-film animation tool.

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7
Q

Who took the first known camera photograph?

A

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce

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8
Q

What significant advance did Louis Daguerre contribute to photography?

A

He shortened the exposure time for photographs to just a couple of minutes

His process became the first commercially-available means of taking photographs.

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9
Q

What invention is George Eastman known for in photography?

A

Taking pictures on paper instead of metal or glass plates

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10
Q

Fill in the blank: Eadweard Muybridge’s photographs of a horse in motion were a series of _______.

A

motion studies

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11
Q

What device did Thomas Edison and W.K.L. Dickson invent?

A

The kinetograph

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12
Q

What was the first motion picture camera called?

A

Kinetoscope

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13
Q

True or False: Film was invented by a single mastermind.

A

False

Film as we know it today exists due to a series of happy accidents and technical innovations.

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14
Q

What did the chronophotographic gun allow photographers to do?

A

Capture bursts of photographs at a rate of 12 per second

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15
Q

What was the main challenge in creating the Kinetoscope?

A

Inventing a camera to capture images for projection

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16
Q

What material did William Dickson ultimately use for film strips?

A

Celluloid coated in light-sensitive emulsion

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17
Q

What did Thomas Edison aim to do for the eye with the Kinetoscope?

A

Do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear

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18
Q

What did filmmakers use to affect audience interpretation of reality?

A

Aesthetic choices including shot angle, shot size, lens type, and lighting style

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19
Q

What technology did Edison and Dickson develop for motion pictures?

A

The kinetograph and the kinetoscope

The kinetograph is a motion picture camera, while the kinetoscope is a single-viewer exhibition device.

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20
Q

What were the main limitations of Edison’s kinetograph?

A
  • Static camera
  • Required electricity
  • Needed a lot of light
  • No editing capabilities

These limitations hindered the versatility and accessibility of early film production.

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21
Q

What was the primary purpose of the kinetoscope?

A

To view films individually

The kinetoscope allowed only one person at a time to watch a moving picture.

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22
Q

Who opened the first Kinetoscope parlor and where was it located?

A

Andrew Holland in New York City

This parlor charged 25 cents per person for viewing films.

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23
Q

What was the significance of the Black Maria studio?

A

It was the first film production studio in the world

It was established by Edison and Dickson in West Orange, New Jersey.

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24
Q

What type of performances did early kinetograph films typically feature?

A

Vaudeville performers and slapstick physical comedy

This choice was due to the brief duration of films and the lack of synchronous sound.

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25
Fill in the blank: The Lumière Brothers created a compact, portable motion picture device called the _______.
cinématographe ## Footnote This device combined the functionality of filming and projecting movies.
26
Which mechanism did the Lumière Brothers improve for their motion picture camera?
The intermittent stop-and-go mechanism ## Footnote They based their design on mechanisms used in sewing machines.
27
What was the first public screening of a motion picture attributed to?
The Lumière Brothers on December 28, 1895 ## Footnote They screened a series of short films at the Salon Indien in Paris.
28
True or False: The kinetoscope allowed for multiple viewers to watch a film simultaneously.
False ## Footnote The kinetoscope was designed for single-viewer experiences.
29
What did the Lumière Brothers do before their involvement in film technology?
They operated a small factory that made photographic plates ## Footnote Their background in business and engineering helped them innovate in film technology.
30
What major advancement did the Lumière Brothers' cinématographe represent compared to Edison's devices?
It was lightweight, portable, and could both film and project ## Footnote This allowed for greater flexibility in filmmaking and public screenings.
31
Fill in the blank: The kinetograph required a lot of _______ to capture images effectively.
light ## Footnote This limitation restricted filming to sunny conditions.
32
What was one major reason for Edison's success in the film industry?
Aggressive pursuit of patents and interest in mass production ## Footnote These factors helped transform the industry and ensure his innovations were protected.
33
What was the first film screened by the Lumière Brothers that is often referenced?
The Train Arrives at La Ciotat Station ## Footnote This film featured a train arriving at a station in a single, uninterrupted shot.
34
Who was credited with the first public screening of a motion picture before the Lumière Brothers?
Woodville Latham ## Footnote He projected a film of a boxing match in New York in May 1895.
35
Who were the Lumière Brothers?
Auguste and Louis Lumière ## Footnote They were early pioneers of cinema who created the cinématographe.
36
What was the title of the famous film screened by the Lumière Brothers that featured a train?
The Train Arrives at La Ciotat Station
37
What was the public's reaction to the screening of 'The Train Arrives at La Ciotat Station'?
Legend has it that the audience ran screaming from the theater.
38
Why do historians doubt the story of the screaming audience?
Seeing images projected onto walls was not a new experience for many Parisians.
39
What were the Lumière Brothers' films characterized by?
Silent, black-and-white, uninterrupted shots lasting less than a minute.
40
What type of films did the Lumière Brothers create?
Mini-documentaries, known as 'actualités.'
41
How financially successful were the Lumière Brothers' first screenings?
They made 35 francs from the first screening and 7,000 francs per week within a month.
42
What invention did Woodville Latham contribute to film projection?
The Latham Loop.
43
What was the purpose of the Latham Loop?
To prevent film from tearing inside the projector.
44
What did Thomas Edison do in response to the success of the Lumière Brothers?
He abandoned the kinetoscope to jump into theatrical projection.
45
What did filmmakers begin to experiment with after the introduction of the Latham Loop?
Longer films.
46
True or False: Most people initially thought films would be a lasting form of entertainment.
False
47
What was the unique communal experience created by film audiences?
A shared experience while watching a film together.
48
What did Georges Méliès contribute to the world of film?
He was a pioneering filmmaker who introduced narrative storytelling and special effects.
49
What was editing in the context of film?
The assembling of shots to achieve coherence.
50
Fill in the blank: Georges Méliès was born in _______.
Paris
51
What was Méliès' background before he became a filmmaker?
He was a stage magician.
52
What did Méliès do with the Animatograph?
He reverse-engineered it to work as its own camera.
53
What accidental discovery did Méliès make while filming on the streets of Paris?
He discovered the power of editing when his camera jammed.
54
What type of films did Méliès start creating after his discovery?
Trick films.
55
What was the first double exposure technique pioneered by Méliès?
Running the film negative through the camera twice.
56
What style of framing is associated with Méliès' films?
Proscenium Arch.
57
Who was Alice Guy-Blaché?
The first known female filmmaker who directed over 1,000 films.
58
What is the significance of the film 'A Trip to the Moon'?
It was Méliès' masterpiece, based on a Jules Verne novel.
59
Fill in the blank: Méliès' films often had a distinct _______ quality.
stagey
60
Who was a pioneer in color tinting and opened her own film studio?
Blanche ## Footnote Blanche was a notable figure in early cinema, contributing significantly to the film industry.
61
What is the title of Méliès' masterpiece released in 1902?
A Trip to the Moon ## Footnote This film is loosely based on Jules Verne's novel and is known for its innovative storytelling.
62
What unique technique did Méliès incorporate in his films?
Trick photography ## Footnote Méliès was known for using trick photography to create fantastical illusions in his films.
63
What was the average length of films made by Edison or Lumière at the time compared to A Trip to the Moon?
Three times shorter ## Footnote A Trip to the Moon was 825 feet long, significantly longer than the average films of that era.
64
What significant impact did A Trip to the Moon have on other filmmakers?
Expanded narrative and aesthetic possibilities ## Footnote The film influenced filmmakers by showing that films could tell complex stories and engage audiences for longer durations.
65
What was the name of Méliès' production company?
Star Film ## Footnote Méliès founded Star Film and built a large studio in Montreuil, France.
66
How were early films colored before the advent of color film stock?
Hand-tinted or painted frames ## Footnote This process was labor-intensive and had to be repeated for every copy of the film.
67
What forced Méliès out of the film business by 1917?
High production costs, legal challenges, and World War I ## Footnote These factors contributed to his decline in the film industry.
68
What honor was Méliès awarded in 1931?
Knight of the Legion of Honor ## Footnote This is the highest achievement in French military or civil affairs.
69
What concept does film scholar Tim Gunning use to describe early cinema?
Cinema of Attractions ## Footnote This concept emphasizes the novelty and spectacle of early films rather than narrative engagement.
70
What was Edwin S. Porter's significant contribution to film editing?
Parallel action or cross-cutting ## Footnote This technique allows filmmakers to show simultaneous events happening in different locations.
71
What was the first film known to successfully utilize parallel action?
Life of an American Fireman ## Footnote This film features a narrative that cuts between the fireman's rescue efforts and his wife's peril.
72
What is the narrative focus of Porter's most successful film, The Great Train Robbery?
A train heist followed by a rescue ## Footnote The film showcases how simultaneous events unfold, culminating in a dramatic resolution.
73
What innovative camera techniques did Porter introduce in The Great Train Robbery?
Camera movement (pan and tilt) ## Footnote Porter was among the first to move the camera, enhancing storytelling through dynamic shots.
74
In The Great Train Robbery, what happens at the end of the film?
A bandit looks directly at the camera and fires ## Footnote This shot was groundbreaking and has been referenced by filmmakers like Martin Scorsese.
75
True or False: Silent films were shown in complete silence.
False ## Footnote Silent films were accompanied by music or live narration in theaters.
76
Fill in the blank: The early days of film were characterized by _______ artists experimenting with new techniques.
[self-taught] ## Footnote Many filmmakers in the early cinema era learned through experimentation and trial and error.
77
Who is credited with shaping narrative film grammar in the first decade of motion pictures?
Edwin S. Porter ## Footnote Porter uncovered a series of tools and techniques that influenced future filmmakers.
78
What significant films did Edwin S. Porter create that changed narrative structure?
The Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery ## Footnote These films introduced new storytelling techniques in cinema.
79
Prior to Porter's work, how were films typically constructed?
In a strictly linear fashion ## Footnote This means complete scene followed by complete scene, which was considered boring.
80
What did Edwin S. Porter help filmmakers become more adept at?
Telling stories using shots and cuts to engage the audience ## Footnote This innovation contributed to the evolution of narrative film.
81
What was the effect of Porter's innovations on the film industry?
Filmmakers expanded upon his techniques for decades ## Footnote This indicates a lasting impact on the craft of filmmaking.
82
Which filmmaker is mentioned as having borrowed a shot from Porter's work?
Martin Scorsese ## Footnote He used a similar shot in the film Goodfellas.
83
True or False: Edwin S. Porter is known for maintaining a traditional linear narrative style in cinema.
False ## Footnote Porter’s techniques allowed for more complex storytelling.
84
Fill in the blank: Edwin S. Porter uncovered a series of tools and techniques that became the first rules of _______.
[narrative film language] ## Footnote These rules were foundational for future filmmakers.
85
What was the audience's reaction to Porter's innovative storytelling techniques?
They kept coming back for more ## Footnote This suggests that his methods successfully engaged viewers.
86
What is suggested about the evolution of film after Edwin S. Porter's contributions?
Film has never looked back ## Footnote This implies a significant and lasting change in filmmaking practices.

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