France and the U.S. were quick to jump on the possibilities of film
projection. But quick on their heels was Britain. These three countries
have a long and respected reputation when it comes to film making. They
were there at the beginning.
The pair worked together and Acres used the camera to make the first successful film in Britain - Incident at Clovelly Cottage in 1895. It was at this point where the two entered into partnership with a ten year business agreement. This agreement lasted only six weeks before splitting. During their brief partnership, the two shot films. It is widely believed that Paul was angry because Acres had patented his own Kinetic camera in his own name - almost identical to the one they had developed together. The resulting projector became known as the Kinetic Lantern, Kineopticon and the Cinematoscope.
As for Paul, he invented the Theatrograph projector and shot the first "news" films. Paul also made various “Actuality” films, and a short comedy - “The Soldier’s Courtship.” He is, also, curiously, responsible for the first Scrooge film. In 1898 Paul began construction on Britain’s first film studios in Muswell Hill, North London and during that summer produced over eighty short dramatic films. Paul’s production company peaked during 1900 and 1905 but he gradually became disenchanted with the business. He returned to his previous occupation, concentrating on electrical engineering.
R.W. Paul: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897)
• His father was a famous magic lantern showman.
• He became involved in the early stages of British filmmaking, working for both Birt Acres and Charles Urban, and wrote the first British book on the subject in 1897.
• With his cousin Monty Wicks he set up the production company Hepworth and Co. — later renamed the Hepworth Manufacturing Company, then Hepworth Picture Plays.
• In 1899 they built a small film studio in Walton-on-Thames. The company produced about three films a week, sometimes with Hepworth directing.
• Rescued by Rover (1905) was a huge success at the box office, starring a collie in the title role. The film is now regarded as an important development in film grammar, with shots being effectively combined to emphasise the action. Hepworth was also one of the first to recognize the potential of film stars, both animal and human, with several recurring characters appearing in his films.
• The company continued making popular films into the 1920s.
• The company went public to fund a large studio development but lost money and closed.
• Tragically, all of Hepworth's original film negatives were melted down.
Birt Acres & R.W. Paul
Birt
Acres was born in the USA in 1854, orphaned at the age of fourteen during the American
civil war and was taken in by his aunt. Around 1872 Acres was sent to Paris
to complete his education at the Sorbonne. Acres returned to the United States four years
later to lead the life of a Frontiersman and it during a period
of eight or nine years became quite wealthy. Around 1885
he moved to England. He set up a studio in the seaside resort of Devon
for the production of painted portraits and photography.
In 1894 Acres was introduced to electrical
engineer, Robert W. Paul. At
this time Paul was in the process of manufacturing copies
of Edison’s Kinetoscope and was anxious to construct a camera
with which to produce films to show on his machines.
The pair worked together and Acres used the camera to make the first successful film in Britain - Incident at Clovelly Cottage in 1895. It was at this point where the two entered into partnership with a ten year business agreement. This agreement lasted only six weeks before splitting. During their brief partnership, the two shot films. It is widely believed that Paul was angry because Acres had patented his own Kinetic camera in his own name - almost identical to the one they had developed together. The resulting projector became known as the Kinetic Lantern, Kineopticon and the Cinematoscope.
As for Paul, he invented the Theatrograph projector and shot the first "news" films. Paul also made various “Actuality” films, and a short comedy - “The Soldier’s Courtship.” He is, also, curiously, responsible for the first Scrooge film. In 1898 Paul began construction on Britain’s first film studios in Muswell Hill, North London and during that summer produced over eighty short dramatic films. Paul’s production company peaked during 1900 and 1905 but he gradually became disenchanted with the business. He returned to his previous occupation, concentrating on electrical engineering.
Meanwhile, Acres gave the first public performance of his
projector at the Royal Photographic Society in 1896 - five weeks before
the screening of Lumière’s Cinématographe and Paul’s Theatograph. Acres formed his own company
- the Northern Photographic Works which specialized in coating,
perforating and processing film. In 1898 he unveiled
the Birtac - the first 'sub-standard gauge'
cine camera and projector, instead of normal 35mm film the
camera used narrower width film - typically 17.5 mm. Unfortunately for Acres, within weeks, a rival
17.5 mm camera/projector was announced - the Biokam by the
Warwick Trading Company. The Biokam benefitted from its heavy backing and cheapness
- half the price of the Birtac. Regardless
of this, Birt Acres invented the
first amateur cine camera and remained in the film business until
his death in 1918.
R.W. Paul: Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (1897)
Upside Down (1899) (watch camera tricks)
Scrooge, or Marley's Ghost (1901) (the first Scrooge film).
The Magic Sword (1901)
The Delhi Durbar (1903)
Birt Acres: Rough Sea at Dover (1895)
Crude Set Drama (1896)
Arrest of a Pickpocket (date unknown, 1896+)
Cecil Hepworth
Cecil Hepworth (1874 –1953):How it Feels to Be Run Over (1900)• Hepworth was an English film director, producer and screenwriter, he was among the founders of the British film industry and continued making films into the 1920s.
Explosion of a Motor Car (1900)
Alice in Wonderland (1903) by Cecil Hepworth
Rescued by Rover (1905)
That Fatal Sneeze (1907)
• His father was a famous magic lantern showman.
• He became involved in the early stages of British filmmaking, working for both Birt Acres and Charles Urban, and wrote the first British book on the subject in 1897.
• With his cousin Monty Wicks he set up the production company Hepworth and Co. — later renamed the Hepworth Manufacturing Company, then Hepworth Picture Plays.
• In 1899 they built a small film studio in Walton-on-Thames. The company produced about three films a week, sometimes with Hepworth directing.
• Rescued by Rover (1905) was a huge success at the box office, starring a collie in the title role. The film is now regarded as an important development in film grammar, with shots being effectively combined to emphasise the action. Hepworth was also one of the first to recognize the potential of film stars, both animal and human, with several recurring characters appearing in his films.
• The company continued making popular films into the 1920s.
• The company went public to fund a large studio development but lost money and closed.
• Tragically, all of Hepworth's original film negatives were melted down.
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