Lumiere’s Legacy

• After five years their power would fade

• Established film size of 35 mm and silent film speed 16 frames per second

George Melies

• Pioneered narrative film

• French magician• Utilized double

exposures, mattes, fades, fast/slow motion, animation, and miniature models

Melies Takes Over• 1896 Melies asks

Lumieres for camera, they decline

• He goes to another inventor

• By spring he makes his first film – A GAME OF

CARDS

By 1900 Melies supplies the world with films, Lumieres

almost cease Production

A TRIP TO THE MOON

• Melies makes first science fiction film

• 1902• In this film he

established many of the special effects still used today

• Still filmed indoors

England

• In England filmmakers – Worked outside– developed the film

staple of the chase scene

Vaudeville• Before 1902 films

play in vaudeville houses as one part of the the show

• 1902• Thomas Talley

Theater opens in L.A.• Within a few years

thousands of Nickelodeons open

The Early Film Industry

In the beginning• Film industry

originally centered around New York City and Chicago

• Eventually discovered Southern California– Variety of Scenery– Sunny Climate– Impressive Scenery

Colonel William Selig

• In 1907 Selig set up a studio in a rented building in L.A.

• In 1911 he builds the first permanent studio in L.A.

Motion Picture Patents Company• 10 Companies form monopoly

• They control every aspect of filmmaking

• They regulated– film length (1-2 reels long, or 10-20 minutes)– admission prices – film rental fees– salaries – standards of production

BIRTH OF A NATION

• 1915• 12 Reels (1 reel =15

min.)• Forced American

filmmakers to go to longer format

• Extremely racist in content

D.W. Griffith’s BIRTH OF A NATION

• Introduced– Extreme wide angle

shots– Close-ups– Variety of angles

for a scene– Backlighting– Used recorded

music

Griffith Attempts to Fight Image of Racism

• Releases INTOLERANCE in 1916

• Releases BROKEN BLOSSOMS in 1919

INTOLERANCE

Mack Sennett

• Concentrated on slapstick comedy

• Gave us Keystone Kops

• Discovered Charlie ChaplinKeystone Kops with Fatty

Arbuckle