Film lecture part 1

Overview of Film Development

  • The development of film can be divided into two crucial elements: the camera and projection.

  • The concept of projection was known as early as ancient Greece, where it was discovered that light passing through a small hole could project a larger image on a surface.

Ancient Greece Contribution

  • The Greeks were credited with the basic concept of projection, but their advancements were limited.

Key Figures in Projection and Camera Development

Ibn Al-Hathaim (10th Century AD)

  • Renowned mathematician and astronomer.

  • Rediscovered and refined the concept of projection.

  • Developed the Camera Obscura, which means "dark chamber" in Latin:

    • Principle: A smaller pinhole creates a larger image on the opposite surface.

  • This was an early precursor to the modern camera concept.

Leonardo da Vinci (15th Century)

  • Worked on various camera designs to assist in painting and artistry but did not pursue significant advancements.

Thomas Wedgewood (Circa 1795)

  • Focused on creating permanent images through photography.

  • Developed the first functional photograph, but the images faded after about ten seconds.

Early Photography and Its Developments

Joseph and Isidore Niépce (Circa 1816)

  • Created the heliography system:

    • Their initial experiments shared issues with permanence like Wedgewood.

  • After ten years, they succeeded in producing the first permanent camera image:

    • The photograph depicted an image from their home, capturing external buildings.

Louis Daguerre

  • Joined forces with the Niépce family to advance photography.

  • Experimented with mercury on iodized silver plates, leading to the accidental discovery of the flash, enhancing photo clarity.

Henry Fox Talbot (19th Century)

  • Developed the Calotype system:

    • Advantage 1: Negatives allowed for multiple copies of the same photograph with minimal degradation.

    • Advantage 2: Enhanced sharpness improvements in photographs, resulting in better clarity.

  • Calotypes contrasted with heliography, which produced a single image without replication capability.

Advancements in Camera Technology

Early 1800s Limitations

  • Cameras were bulkier and required long exposure times (30-45 seconds) which avoided movement during the photo-taking process to prevent "ghosting" effects in images.

  • These conditions contributed to why people often appeared serious or uncomfortable in photographs.

Innovations by George Eastman (1877)

  • Interested in simplifying photography, Eastman invented the Kodak camera in 1888.

    • Tagline: "You press the button, we do the rest."

  • Features:

    • Portable design and easy mechanism for film advancement.

    • Amateur photographers no longer required darkroom skills for developing photos; they could send film to Kodak for development.

    • Development times ranged around five days to a week.

The Evolution of Motion Pictures

Edward Muybridge

  • Experimented by taking rapid sequences of photographs, leading to the foundational concept of motion pictures by creating a series of images that simulate movement.

Thomas Edison and the Kinetoscope

  • Developed a viewing machine called the Kinetoscope, which displayed short moving images:

    • However, limited to one viewer at a time, creating long wait times for re-entry.

Lumiere Brothers and the Cinematograph

  • Auguste and Louis Lumiere developed the Cinematograph:

    • Allowed projection for a larger audience.

    • Played at 16 frames per second (minimum frame rate for motion perception).

Early Public Display

  • First public show in December 1896 included mundane activities:

    • Five minutes of people walking outside the Lumiere factory.

    • Notable early films included comedic content such as skits.

Challenges and Competition in Early Cinema

Edison’s Competition

  • Edison attempted to maintain control of the film industry through the Motion Picture Patent Company, which sought licensing fees for using his cinema technologies.

Carl Laemmle’s Rebellion

  • Founded the Independent Motion Picture Company to resist Edison's control and moved his operations to Hollywood, marking the beginning of Hollywood as the film capital.

Evolution of Film Genres and Documentary Impact

Nonfiction Film: Actualities

  • Films documenting real-life events and ordinary occurrences.

Early Documentarians

Jean Gerson

  • Advocated for documentaries to support social reform.

Robert Flaherty

  • Created the first commercially successful documentary: Nanook of the North, portraying life in the Arctic.

Leni Riefenstahl

  • Considered controversial, known for Triumph of the Will, which showcased innovative filming techniques but aligned with Nazi propaganda.

Frank Capra

  • Notable for the Why We Fight documentary series during WWII, enhancing wartime propaganda.

Walt Disney

  • Produced The Living Desert, exemplifying the rise of documentary popularity and founding his distribution company after being turned down by RKO Pictures.

Contemporary Documentarians

  • Al Gore gained an Oscar for his climate change documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

  • Michael Moore, known for politically charged projects like Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine.

Key Developments in Sound and Color Films

The Jazz Singer (1927)

  • The first talkie which integrated synchronized sound predominantly in musical numbers, marking a critical shift in film production.

Harmful Impact on Established Actors

  • Many silent film stars struggled as their voices did not conform to audience expectations, leading to the displacement of 80% of actors.

Color Films

  • Initially limited to parts of films, yielding innovative projects but requiring significant effort for hand-coloring techniques until improvements were made in industry standards by the late 1930s.

Challenges and Innovations During the Warner Brothers Era

Warner Brothers and Sound Technology

  • A pivotal engineer worked on synchronized technology, leading to an industry chase for auditory innovations.

The Advent of the “Blockbuster” Era

Influence of 1939

  • This year is famous for numerous classic films, indicating a peak in quality film production before market declines due to television popularity.

Post-WWII Challenges

  • Movie attendance plummeted as television gained popularity, causing studios to look for gimmicks (i.e., Smell-O-Vision, 3D films).

Rise of Cinerama

  • Introduced widescreen formats to attract audiences back to theaters, ultimately revitalizing interest in cinematic experiences.

Conclusion

  • Film's evolution remains central to cultural and artistic expression, continuing to adapt to new technologies and societal shifts.