History to Film Flashcards
What is film history
The development of moving images from early experiments with image reproduction and photography through the invention of movies in the early 1990s
First known films and directors
- -Histoire(s) du cinema (1998) by Jea-Lu Godard
2nd. - Mark cousins‘ s The story of film: An Odyssey (2011), ___ of note: a 15hr series made for British television.
Basic Approaches to studying film history
Studies of production, regulations, and receptions but the beginner should know the 4 basic approaches.
1- The aesthetics
2- Technological
3- Economic
4- Social
THE AESTHETIC APPROACH also called the MASTERPIECE APPROACH OR GREAT MAN APPROACH.
Artistic significance and influence (how historians define it = by asking questions such as: what are the significant works of the cinematic art? Who are the significant directors? Why are they important - movies and directors?
THE TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH
Technology examine the circumstances surrounding the development of each technological advance as well as subsequent improvements. Frequently ask questions by the experts are: when was it made? (The invention) Under hat circumstances, including: economic, aesthetics, and social. Was it a totally new idea ir was linked to an existing one? What were the consequences for the directors, studios, distributors, exhibitors and audiences? REMEMBER THIS : sounds, moving camera, deep focus cinematography, processing, and projection.
THE ECONOMIC APPROACH
The motion picture plays a major role in the global economy.
Historians interested in the subject helps us understand why the studio system was founded, how it adapted the changing conditions. ( economic, social, technological, historical) IT AFFECTS THE PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION .
REMEMBER: CENSORSHIP, AND THE RATING SYSTEM.
SIGNIFICANT MOVIES GO ALONG WITH THE NATIONS ECONOMY.
THE SOCIAL HISTORY APPROACH
Movies serve as primary sources for studying society. (Writing about movies as social history)
Ian Jarvie suggest that, in undertaking these studies, we ask the following basic questions = who made the movies, and why? Who saw the films how and why? What was seen, how and why? How were the movies evaluated, by who, and why?
REMEMBER : factors such as: religion, politics, and cultural trends and taboos.
WHAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY MEANS?
Literally means “writing with light” and the static representation or reproduction of light”
THE BEGINNINGS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Start in Ancient Greece in the 4th century BCE. The Greek philosopher theorized about a device that later old be known as the CAMERA OBSCURA (Latin for “dark chamber”) (pinhole)
WHEN WAS PHOTOGRAPHY DEVELOPED
During the 1st 4 decades of the 19th century by THOMAS WEDGWOOD, WILLIAM HENRY FO TALBOT, and sir John Herschel in England. 1st photographs are not as we know now, they were imprints, engravings. (Negative = negative photographic image on transparent material, is what makes it possible the reproduction f the image.
In 1851, glass-plate negatives replaced the paper plates. More durable but heavy, glass was replaced by gelatin- covered paper in 1881 - a lot faster from 15 minutes to 0.0001 second
SERIES PHOTOGRAPHY
Records the phases of an action. 3 important men to remember that contributed to this process were: Pierre-Jules-Cesar Jansen, Eadweard Muybridge, and Etienne-Jules Marey.
Janssen from France 1874
Invented the revolver photographique or chronophotographic gun a cylinder - shape camera that creates exposure automatically
Muybridge, English photographer, 1880
Used an early projector called the MAGIC LANTERN and his ZOOPRAXISCOPE - he gave the 1st demonstration of photographs in motion.
Marey (French) 1882 physiologist
Made the first series of photographs in continues motion using the FUSI PHOTOGRAPHIQUE - another form of the chronophotographic gun.
WHO INVENTED THE MOVIES
1891-1903 THE 1S MOVIES
It was the effort of several people in 4 major industrialized countries. U.S, England, France, Germany. In the years just before 1891.
1st MOVIE STUDIO
Black Maria
THE KINETOGRAPH 1st motion picture and KINETOSCOPE a peephole viewer
The 1st motion picture camera invented by William Kennedy Laurie Dickson and associates working in Thomas Edison’s lab
1st complete film on record?
Dickson’s Edison kinetoscopic record of A SNEEZE 1894, popularly known as Fred Ottis Sneeze
