LESSON 1

Question 1

What led to the rise of popular visual entertainment in the late 19th century?

Answer 1

The industrial revolution

This included dioramas, circuses, and illustrated books, which made visual culture more accessible.

Question 2

In what decade was cinema invented?

Answer 2

1890s

Question 3

What was a key factor that made cinema more affordable and accessible?

Answer 3

Filmmakers could record performances and share them worldwide.

Question 4

What principle did optical toys like the Phenakistoscope demonstrate?

Answer 4

The human eye perceives motion when a series of slightly different images are shown in rapid succession.

Question 5

What was the minimum number of photographs needed per second for early cinema to create the illusion of motion?

Answer 5

At least sixteen

Question 6

Who revolutionized photography with the Kodak camera in 1888?

Answer 6

George Eastman

Question 7

What was the significance of transparent celluloid roll film introduced by Eastman?

Answer 7

It paved the way for motion pictures.

Question 8

What was the final major technological hurdle for cinema?

Answer 8

Creating an intermittent mechanism for cameras and projectors.

Question 9

Who was Eadweard Muybridge and what was his contribution to motion photography?

Answer 9

He recorded horse gaits in a series of rapid photographs.

Question 10

What device did Étienne Jules Marey develop to capture rapid animal movements?

Answer 10

Photographic gun

Question 11

What was the Projecting Praxinoscope?

Answer 11

An optical toy created by Émile Reynaud that used mirrors for viewing.

Question 12

What major breakthrough did Louis Le Prince achieve in 1888?

Answer 12

He made some of the earliest motion pictures using Kodak’s new paper roll film.

Question 13

What was the Kinetoscope and who developed it?

Answer 13

A viewing machine developed by Thomas Edison and W.K.L. Dickson.

Question 14

What was the standard film format established by Edison and Dickson?

Answer 14

35mm film with perforations on each frame.

Question 15

What was the first public screening of projected moving images and who conducted it?

Answer 15

The Lumière brothers on December 28, 1895.

Question 16

What was the Bioscop and who invented it?

Answer 16

A system using two strips of film projected alternately, invented by Max and Emil Skladanowsky.

Question 17

What characterized the Cinématographe developed by the Lumière brothers?

Answer 17

It was a lightweight camera and projector that used 35mm film.

Question 18

Who were R.W. Paul and Birt Acres in relation to early cinema?

Answer 18

Developers of their own motion picture systems in England.

Question 19

What innovation did the Latham Group contribute to cinema?

Answer 19

The Latham loop, allowing longer lengths of film to be used without breaking.

Question 20

What was the Vitascope and who was behind its development?

Answer 20

A projector improved from the Phantoscope by Thomas Armat.

Question 21

What was unique about the Mutoscope developed by Herman Casler?

Answer 21

It used 70mm film, offering sharper images than the standard 35mm film.

Question 22

Name three types of early cinema content.

Answer 22

• Scenics
• Topicals
• Fiction Films

Question 23

What was a common filmmaking technique in early cinema?

Answer 23

Most films consisted of a single shot.

Question 24

What was the primary reason early films often seemed simplistic?

Answer 24

Technological limitations of the time.

Question 25

Fill in the blank: Early cinema gradually carved out its own space in society, blending into existing forms of _______.

Answer 25

entertainment

Question 26

What was the initial style of filmmaking due to technological limitations?

Answer 26

The camera would remain stationary, and the action would unfold within the frame during a continuous take ## Footnote This simplistic style often involved shooting a sequence from multiple angles but treating them as separate films.

Question 27

What control did exhibitors have over their programs in the early years of cinema?

Answer 27

Exhibitors had the freedom to buy a series of shots and play them together, creating a multi-shot program, or mix and match various scenes for unique showings ## Footnote They could select which films to show and how to organize them.

Question 28

How did filmmaking change around 1899?

Answer 28

Filmmakers started producing longer films with multiple shots that told a more continuous story ## Footnote This marked the beginning of structured, narrative-driven cinema.

Question 29

What type of programs did early exhibitors often mix?

Answer 29

Scenics, topicals, and fiction films ## Footnote These programs usually included musical accompaniment.

Question 30

Who were the primary countries where motion-picture camera development occurred?

Answer 30

France, England, and the United States ## Footnote By the early 1900s, films were being shown worldwide.

Question 31

What was the Lumière brothers' initial view of cinema?

Answer 31

They were skeptical about cinema’s longevity, seeing it as a passing fad ## Footnote Despite this, they capitalized on their invention by sending operators to exhibit the Cinématographe.

Question 32

What significant filming technique did Eugène Promio introduce?

Answer 32

The moving camera by filming from a gondola in Venice ## Footnote This led to the development of traveling shots and panning movements.

Question 33

What tragedy impacted the appeal of cinema in France in 1897?

Answer 33

A fire during a screening at the Charity Bazaar in Paris killed around 125 people ## Footnote This tragedy temporarily dampened cinema's appeal among the fashionable crowd.

Question 34

What company did Charles Pathé found, and what was its initial focus?

Answer 34

Pathé Frères, initially focused on selling phonographs ## Footnote It soon turned to film production and became the largest film company worldwide by the early 1900s.

Question 35

What was Léon Gaumont's company initially focused on?

Answer 35

Photographic equipment before moving into film production ## Footnote Their early films were mainly actualities made by Alice Guy, the first female filmmaker.

Question 36

Who emerged as a key figure in early English filmmaking?

Answer 36

Cecil Hepworth ## Footnote He became known for his special effects by 1899.

Question 37

What was the Brighton School known for?

Answer 37

Innovative editing and special effects ## Footnote Key figures included G. A. Smith and James Williamson.

Question 38

What was the impact of competition on England's film industry by the early 1900s?

Answer 38

The film industry weakened due to fierce competition from France, Italy, the U.S., and Denmark ## Footnote The U.S. became the largest market for films.

Question 39

What led to the revival of the American film industry in 1898?

Answer 39

The Spanish-American War, with patriotic films becoming popular ## Footnote Other films like the Passion Play and prizefight films also contributed.

Question 40

What was Edwin S. Porter known for in early American cinema?

Answer 40

Innovations like storytelling in multiple shots ## Footnote Notable films include Life of an American Fireman and The Great Train Robbery.

Question 41

What shift occurred in the film industry by 1904?

Answer 41

The film industry shifted towards fiction films, with production, distribution, and exhibition becoming more specialized ## Footnote This allowed for more consistent production.

Question 42

Fill in the blank: The first Spanish film was made by _______ in 1896.

Answer 42

Eduardo Jimeno

Question 43

Fill in the blank: Harishchandra Sakharam Bhatwadekar filmed local events in _______.

Answer 43

India