Film Invention

Let's play with some early film toys and inventions.

Please read about early film technology here. In your notes, please identify, describe (and/or draw a picture) and note the significance of the following technology. The side bar on the website's left hand side has the links for each device.

• Zoetrope
• Praxinoscope
• Kinetoscope
• Cinematographe
• Mutoscope
• Vitascope

These are some of the important events, inventions, and inventors that helped create the film industry. You should be familiar with them. Please take notes and study them for the test on this material.

Magic Lantern: Invented in the 17th century by Athanasius Kircher. The magic lantern projected pictures on a screen. It functioned like an overhead projector. Originally it used a candle as the light source.

Thaumatrope: Invented by Dr. John Ayrton Paris in 1824; utilized the theory of “persistence of vision”

Fantascope, Phenakistiscope (“spindle viewer”), Fanatoscope: invented by Belgian inventor Joseph Plateau. Daedalum (Horner 1834)/Zoetrope (Lincoln 1867)

Daguerreotype: Invented in 1839 by Louis-Jacques-Monde Daguerre. The process of capturing images on silvered, copper metal plates - the beginning of photography.

Celluloid: Invented in 1869 by John Wesley Hyatt. Strips of thin film which could be developed with pictures.

Praxinoscope: Invented in 1877 by Charles Emile Reynaud. A film projector. This clip shows examples of Reynaud's animations. Recently, a filmmaker collected Reynaud's praxinoscope animations and created a digital film of what Reynaud might have been envisioning. Here is one of his animated films: Emile Reynaud: pauvre pierre animation (1892)

Light Bulb: Invented the long-lasting light bulb and secured the patent in 1879. Actually the light bulb predates this date. Edison patented the incandescent light bulb filament. 

The Photographic Gun: Often hailed as the "inventor of cinema" Etienne-Jules Marey invented his chronophotography or series photography, similar to Muybridge's attempts, which allowed for the taking of several photographs on the same "plate" in 1882.

If you missed it, one of the first pioneers of “film” was the artist/inventor Eadweard Muybridge: 1830 - 1904. He used several cameras to take a sequence of shots. Film was cut into strips and used in a praxinoscope. Muybridge invented his Zoopraxiscope, photos printed on a glass disc that rotated, to create the illusion of moving images. Here's what the first Zoopraxiscope clip looked like.

Along with the Lumiere Brothers (the founding fathers of film) from France, the first production company in America was the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894-1911). The first film studio was named The Black Maria and was located in New Jersey--here are a few sample films: (films directed by Edwin S. Porter):

• Gordon Sisters Boxing (1900)
• Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel
• Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show (1903)
• Faust (1900)
• The Life of an American Fireman (1903)
• Dream of a Rarebit Fiend (1906)

With time remaining, let's go to the lab. You may work on your homework (see below), or continue reading Parts 3, 4, & 5 of Tim Dirk's essay. As you read, consider what topic you may want to create a short, short documentary using. Take notes on key points as well. We'll continue this next class as well. Please choose and read a script from the IMSDB site.

HOMEWORK: Please read: Melies & Edwin S. Porter in the handout given to you today. Take notes in your journal/notebook about relevant or interesting points in the article. Also, any questions you may have, please record and ask in class. Complete your reading of a film script for Monday, Feb. 9.