At some point or other the movie buffs of the world may start to wonder, what was the first motion picture? The history of filmmaking is so rich, it involves a lot of very artistic and creative individuals who have laid the foundation for films today. Today's topic is going to be the beginnings of filmmaking; every week we will cover another decade in the evolution of filmmaking to understand and pay respect to those who have paved the way.
People have always been enamoured with the idea of a moving picture. There was a time, not that long ago, when this was something that seemed so futuristic, that it was impossible. In 1834 the Zoetrope or “Wheel of Life” was invented by a mathematician named William Horner. This technology was a very early form of animation as we know it today; it is a cylindrical object with slits in the side. Inside this object there are rows of images that go in order, this in turn creates a scene as the viewer spins the cylinder. This technology led Émile Reynaud to develop the improved version of the Zoetrope in 1877, he named it a Praxinoscope. This invention held the same idea as the Zoetrope but included some improvements like mirrors instead of slits to create a more well-rounded-looking experience. As impressive and revolutionary as these inventions were in their, time they do not resemble the motion pictures we have today.
Moving forward a bit we can start to see the start of the films we understand more today; something with a director and even actors! In 1891, Thomas Edison debuted the Kinetogrpah camera and Kinetoscope; this was the first machine that was able to record and screen films. Edison's assistant, W.K.L. Dickson was inspired and created a four-hole-perforation of 35mm Eastman roll film, this is the standard for filmmaking today! Once they had the camera, the film and a way to show their creations, Edison built the first film studio in New Jersey, the Black Maria. Of course, the Kinetoscope became immensely popularized across the U.S. and even Europe yet there was room for improvement. This technology was only useful for one person at a time as you can only fit one set of eyes in a peephole.
As we know there was a certain infatuation with the Kinetoscope yet, it charmed the Lumières Brothers in a different way. When Edison's invention reached Paris, Auguste and Louis Lumière saw an opportunity for greatness. Wanting to create a visual experience for more than just one person and at a larger level they manufactured the Cinématographe, the first technology that could develop photos and project them onto a screen! With this invention came movie theatres and the uproar of films all over the world.
While it wasn't the first ever film created the most iconic of the first movies created was A Trip to the Moon in 1902, directed by Georges Méliès. It was projected to the public and was known to blow people's minds! The second infamous film from this time is The Great Train Robbery screened in 1903 and directed by Edwin S. Porter. These films are the stepping stone for the entire film industry and have moved pillars for the years that have followed. We leave you with these recommendations, watch and understand the time and creativity it took for them to make it to screens all over the globe. ‘Till next week,
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