Gambling, backstabbing, accidental brilliance, industrial sabotage, and suspicious disappearances all had a role in the birth of film. This is a look at the Victorian-era men who played vital roles in making movies possible.
The transition of film from still photography to the burgeoning industry that it is today did not happen overnight. Moving pictures began as a novelty act. In the mid 19th century, photographers would place successive metal film prints into spinning disks to create pictures that “moved”. Later, it was a wager by railroad tycoon Leland Stanford that gave moving pictures their first practical application. In 1878, he wanted to see if a horse ever had all of its legs off the ground when it ran, and a set-up of cameras in quick succession by Eadweard Muybridge gave him the answer of “yes”. Muybridge would develop this idea further, into a spinning lantern called the Zoopraxiscope to study the movement of animals.
The transition of film from still photography to the burgeoning industry that it is today did not happen overnight. Moving pictures began as a novelty act. In the mid 19th century, photographers would place successive metal film prints into spinning disks to create pictures that “moved”. Later, it was a wager by railroad tycoon Leland Stanford that gave moving pictures their first practical application. In 1878, he wanted to see if a horse ever had all of its legs off the ground when it ran, and a set-up of cameras in quick succession by Eadweard Muybridge gave him the answer of “yes”. Muybridge would develop this idea further, into a spinning lantern called the Zoopraxiscope to study the movement of animals.
- 6/30/2017
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (G.S. Perno)
- Cinelinx
The Ride director Stéphanie Gillard at an Amanda Parer Intrude rabbit Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Executive produced by Rouge International's Nadia Turincev and Julie Gayet (of The French Minister (Quai D’Orsay), directed by Bertrand Tavernier, based on Antonin Baudry's graphic novels), Stéphanie Gillard's The Ride with expansive cinematography by Martin de Chabaneix and atmospheric sound recording by Erwan Kerzanet (Léos Carax's unholy Holy Motors and Catherine Breillat's unflinching Fat Girl) takes us on the 300 mile pilgrimage on horseback of the Lakota people through the Badlands of South Dakota.
The Ride
Jim Harrison's novels, Arthur Penn's Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman, Misty Upham and Arnaud Desplechin's Jimmy P: Psychotherapy Of A Plains Indian, William Heise and William K.L. Dickson's Sioux Ghost Dance for Thomas Edison, and how the filming of The Ride became a personal journey are explored in my conversation with the...
Executive produced by Rouge International's Nadia Turincev and Julie Gayet (of The French Minister (Quai D’Orsay), directed by Bertrand Tavernier, based on Antonin Baudry's graphic novels), Stéphanie Gillard's The Ride with expansive cinematography by Martin de Chabaneix and atmospheric sound recording by Erwan Kerzanet (Léos Carax's unholy Holy Motors and Catherine Breillat's unflinching Fat Girl) takes us on the 300 mile pilgrimage on horseback of the Lakota people through the Badlands of South Dakota.
The Ride
Jim Harrison's novels, Arthur Penn's Little Big Man with Dustin Hoffman, Misty Upham and Arnaud Desplechin's Jimmy P: Psychotherapy Of A Plains Indian, William Heise and William K.L. Dickson's Sioux Ghost Dance for Thomas Edison, and how the filming of The Ride became a personal journey are explored in my conversation with the...
- 5/10/2016
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
If you’ve ever gasped at the horrors afflicted on films when they’re adjusted for certain television broadcasts or back in the harrowing days of fullscreen DVDs, then you at least have a basic familiarity with the history of the aspect ratio, and particularly how vital a proper presentation is to the experience.
Wes Anderson, Xavier Dolan, Edgar Wright, and a handful of other directors have recently had fun playing with various shifting aspect ratios in their films and today brings a pair of video essays that take a look at the history of the formats. Those looking for a fairly brief overview can turn to a new video from Now You See It, which goes into more recent examples. However, if you’re looking for something far more in-depth, we’ve also shared Filmmaker Iq’s thorough video essay.
Beginning with William Dickson and Thomas Edison‘s standards...
Wes Anderson, Xavier Dolan, Edgar Wright, and a handful of other directors have recently had fun playing with various shifting aspect ratios in their films and today brings a pair of video essays that take a look at the history of the formats. Those looking for a fairly brief overview can turn to a new video from Now You See It, which goes into more recent examples. However, if you’re looking for something far more in-depth, we’ve also shared Filmmaker Iq’s thorough video essay.
Beginning with William Dickson and Thomas Edison‘s standards...
- 9/16/2015
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Before the projector, there was the kinetoscope. Conceptualized by Thomas Edison in 1888 and developed by William Dickson, the device provided a peephole into early moving pictures. Mono No Aware, the Brooklyn-based cinema organization, has scheduled a visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and its adjoining Black Maria Studio to allow participants to produce their own takes on these iconic film strips, at the very birthplace of movie production. An on-site workshop will equip attendees with 16 mm, and the resulting kinetoscopes will be screened and digitized in the same afternoon. To sign up for this Sunday’s excursion, head to […]...
- 7/23/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Before the projector, there was the kinetoscope. Conceptualized by Thomas Edison in 1888 and developed by William Dickson, the device provided a peephole into early moving pictures. Mono No Aware, the Brooklyn-based cinema organization, has scheduled a visit to the Thomas Edison National Historical Park and its adjoining Black Maria Studio to allow participants to produce their own takes on these iconic film strips, at the very birthplace of movie production. An on-site workshop will equip attendees with 16 mm, and the resulting kinetoscopes will be screened and digitized in the same afternoon. To sign up for this Sunday’s excursion, head to […]...
- 7/23/2014
- by Sarah Salovaara
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Hosted by Open City Cinema, the 2nd annual Winnipeg Underground Film Festival will be a raucous three-day celebration of fantastic avant-garde and experimental short films and videos from around the world. This year’s edition will run on June 27-29.
The fest opens on June 27 at 7:00 p.m. with a unique bang of an idea: “The 90 Second.” This is a program super-duper short films collected from all over the world, from right in the fest’s hometown of Winnipeg to Auckland to Chicago to London and numerous points in between.
Another one of the fest’s main highlights is a two-part celebration of the work of prolific Canadian film artist Mike Hoolboom. Two programs of two short films each will be featured. The first runs on June 28 at 3:30 p.m. with the films Frank’s Cock and Tom; and the second will close the fest on June 28 at 8:00 p.
The fest opens on June 27 at 7:00 p.m. with a unique bang of an idea: “The 90 Second.” This is a program super-duper short films collected from all over the world, from right in the fest’s hometown of Winnipeg to Auckland to Chicago to London and numerous points in between.
Another one of the fest’s main highlights is a two-part celebration of the work of prolific Canadian film artist Mike Hoolboom. Two programs of two short films each will be featured. The first runs on June 28 at 3:30 p.m. with the films Frank’s Cock and Tom; and the second will close the fest on June 28 at 8:00 p.
- 6/18/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Sometimes, the best things in life happen by accident. In the case of Thomas Edison, the legendary inventor created an experimental film meant to test his early motion picture exhibition device, the Kinetoscope. In doing so, Edison unwittingly created the first movie created in the U.S. The Kinetoscope was made so that viewers could watch a movie through a peephole at the top of the device, while a filmstrip was fed at a rapid speed over a light source. Fellow inventor William K.L. Dickson and 19th-century director-cinematographer William Heise assisted Edison with the movie Monkeyshines, No. 1 (not to be confused with the 1988 George A. Romero horror film, eek!), which features one of Edison's employees dancing about. The film test was not created for commercial...
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- 3/26/2014
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
The History of Aspect Ratio
In this 18-minute educational video by FilmmakerIQ, John Hess details the history of the cinematic aspect ratio, from 4:3 to 16:9, 1.85:1 to 2.39:1.
Here is a timeline of each aspect ratio as well as some notable films that utilized them.
Original Silent Film (1892) - 1.33:1
- Established by William Dickson and Thomas Edison Academy Ratio (1932) - 1.37:1
- All sound films from 1932 to 1955 were shot in Academy ratio Cinerama (1952) - 2.59:1
- This is Cinerama, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm CinemaScope (1953) - 2.35:1
- The Robe, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Seven Year Itch VistaVision (1954) - 1.85:1
- White Christmas, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest Todd-ao (1955) - 2.20:1
- Oklahoma!, Cleopatra, The Sound of Music MGM Camera 65 (1957) - 2.76:1
- Raintree County, Ben-Hur Ultra Panavision 70 (1957) - 2.76:1
- How the West Was Won, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,...
In this 18-minute educational video by FilmmakerIQ, John Hess details the history of the cinematic aspect ratio, from 4:3 to 16:9, 1.85:1 to 2.39:1.
Here is a timeline of each aspect ratio as well as some notable films that utilized them.
Original Silent Film (1892) - 1.33:1
- Established by William Dickson and Thomas Edison Academy Ratio (1932) - 1.37:1
- All sound films from 1932 to 1955 were shot in Academy ratio Cinerama (1952) - 2.59:1
- This is Cinerama, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm CinemaScope (1953) - 2.35:1
- The Robe, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Seven Year Itch VistaVision (1954) - 1.85:1
- White Christmas, To Catch a Thief, North by Northwest Todd-ao (1955) - 2.20:1
- Oklahoma!, Cleopatra, The Sound of Music MGM Camera 65 (1957) - 2.76:1
- Raintree County, Ben-Hur Ultra Panavision 70 (1957) - 2.76:1
- How the West Was Won, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,...
- 7/10/2013
- Hollywonk
Adhering to its mission to include as wide a variety of films possible, the Library of Congress has included four experimental movies in this year’s list of 25 films named to the National Film Registry so that they can be preserved forever. Those four films range from as far back as 1891 and as recent as 1996.
The oldest of the films is Newark Athlete by W.K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise, which was made in 1891 at the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, N.J. While the Registry lists this as an “experimental film,” judging from a brief clip provided by the Loc (below), it’s a very different usage of the term “experimental” than is thought of today.
It appears that Newark Athlete is a true experiment, a test run by Dickson and Heise using a “horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film” of an athlete swinging a pair of Indian clubs,...
The oldest of the films is Newark Athlete by W.K.L. Dickson and Willian Heise, which was made in 1891 at the Edison Laboratory in West Orange, N.J. While the Registry lists this as an “experimental film,” judging from a brief clip provided by the Loc (below), it’s a very different usage of the term “experimental” than is thought of today.
It appears that Newark Athlete is a true experiment, a test run by Dickson and Heise using a “horizontal-feed kinetograph camera and viewer, using 3/4-inch wide film” of an athlete swinging a pair of Indian clubs,...
- 12/28/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Jedi, goofy flight attendants, a possessed young girl, and two journalists on the brink of discovery are among the characters to be honored for film preservation. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has named 25 motion pictures to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
Among the films to be preserved are George Lucas' "Return of the Jedi," "Airplane," William Friedkin's "The Exorcist," and Alan J. Pakula's "All The President's Men." This year.s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 550.
Each year, the Librarian of Congress, under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant, to be preserved for all time. In other words, these films are certainly not the "best" (but we can argue that each movie truly represented high quality) but they are works of art...
Among the films to be preserved are George Lucas' "Return of the Jedi," "Airplane," William Friedkin's "The Exorcist," and Alan J. Pakula's "All The President's Men." This year.s selections bring the number of films in the registry to 550.
Each year, the Librarian of Congress, under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant, to be preserved for all time. In other words, these films are certainly not the "best" (but we can argue that each movie truly represented high quality) but they are works of art...
- 12/28/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The Hollywood Reporter has the list of this year's selections for the National Film Registry. Selected by the Library of Congress, these "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant will be preserved forever to ensure their availability for future generations of cineastes.
The roster this year runs the gamut, from early silents (like 1906's actuality "A Trip Down Market Street") to the avant-garde (like Larry's Jordan's 1969 collage film "Our Lady of the Sphere") to mainstream blockbusters (like disco hallmark "Saturday Night Fever"). Interestingly, there's quite a few contributions this year from major filmmakers who've recently passed away, from directors Irvin Kershner ("The Empire Strikes Back") and Blake Edwards ("The Pink Panther") to actor Leslie Nielsen ("Airplane!").
Here's the full list of the newly inducted members of the National Film Registry. All links will take you to their IMDb page (if you're interested in more detailed descriptions of all the films, you...
The roster this year runs the gamut, from early silents (like 1906's actuality "A Trip Down Market Street") to the avant-garde (like Larry's Jordan's 1969 collage film "Our Lady of the Sphere") to mainstream blockbusters (like disco hallmark "Saturday Night Fever"). Interestingly, there's quite a few contributions this year from major filmmakers who've recently passed away, from directors Irvin Kershner ("The Empire Strikes Back") and Blake Edwards ("The Pink Panther") to actor Leslie Nielsen ("Airplane!").
Here's the full list of the newly inducted members of the National Film Registry. All links will take you to their IMDb page (if you're interested in more detailed descriptions of all the films, you...
- 12/28/2010
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Over three evenings from Sept. 9-11, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a program about motion picture formats titled "Behind the Motion Picture Canvas: Film Formats through the 21st Century."
The program willl include screenings of "Manhattan" on Sept. 10 and "The Black Stallion" on Sept. 11 at the Sameul Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Academy Science and Technology Council member Rob Hummel will host each evening.
Filmmakers will discuss how film formats shape creative decisions, the technical constraints and the artistic opportunities that accompany the choice of format. The program also will examine the role that emerging technology has played in the evolution of film formats, and how the technical choices made by Thomas Edison and William Dickson at the dawn of the film era continue to influence movies today.
Woody Allen's "Manhattan" was filmed in Panavision with Eastman B&W negative. It was released in...
The program willl include screenings of "Manhattan" on Sept. 10 and "The Black Stallion" on Sept. 11 at the Sameul Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Academy Science and Technology Council member Rob Hummel will host each evening.
Filmmakers will discuss how film formats shape creative decisions, the technical constraints and the artistic opportunities that accompany the choice of format. The program also will examine the role that emerging technology has played in the evolution of film formats, and how the technical choices made by Thomas Edison and William Dickson at the dawn of the film era continue to influence movies today.
Woody Allen's "Manhattan" was filmed in Panavision with Eastman B&W negative. It was released in...
- 8/23/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
WASHINGTON -- The Jazz Singer is generally regarded as the starting point for the talkies, but experiments that wedded sound with the moving picture had been going on for a long time before Al Jolson first sang on film in 1927. Thomas Edison himself tinkered with the idea as early as 1894, and while it lacks the poetical nature of Jolson singing "You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet," the Dickson Experimental Sound Film is probably the oldest "talkie" in existence. The film, made by the Edison lab sometime between 1894 and 1895, features W.K.L. Dickson playing a violin into a big megaphone while two other Edison employees dance the fox trot. It is only 17 seconds long, but it marks the first time two inventions, the Kinetograph and the phonograph, were used simultaneously.
- 12/17/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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