Film History (Part 1 of 5). Birth and Childhood of New Art (1895-1914)

Question 1

When was the first photograph taken?

Answer 1

1826

Question 2

Who took the first photograph?

Answer 2

Joseph Nicephore Niepce

Question 3

What are the origins of Motion Picture?

Answer 3

The development of the motion picture grew out of theories demonstrated through ‘optical toys.’

Question 4

What was the first Stroboscopic Toy called and when was it released?

Answer 4

1825 - Thaumatrope

Question 5

What was the second Stroboscopic Toy called and when was it released?

Answer 5

1832 - Phenakistoscope

Question 6

What was the third Stroboscopic Toy called and when was it released?

Answer 6

1834 - Zoetrope

Question 7

What was the fourth Stroboscopic Toy called and when was it developed?

Answer 7

1877 - Praxinoscope

Question 8

What is a theory of the original motion picture?

Answer 8

The development of the motion picture grew out of the desire to study the motion of humans and animals.

Question 9

When did the Edward Muybridge and Leland Stanford bet regarding horses lifting all their feet off the ground while striding take place?

Answer 9

1877.

Question 10

Who was involved in the bet regarding horses lifting all their feet off the ground while striding in 1877?

Answer 10

Edward Muybridge and Leland Stanford.

Question 11

Why did the advent of motion pictures take place?

Answer 11

Audiences wanted to witness the novelty of visual records of life and enterprenuers sought to profit off the entertainment created.

Question 12

What is the Kinetoscope?

Answer 12

20 second movies viewed by individuals.

Question 13

Who were the two founding fathers of early filmmaking in the 1880’s?

Answer 13

Thomas Edison and W.K.L. Dickinson.

Question 14

What did early movies in the 1880’s mostly portray?

Answer 14

Vaudeville acts in the Black Maria studios.

Question 15

Who created the projection system in 1895?

Answer 15

Auguste and Louis Lumiere.

Question 16

Where did the Lumiere brothers hail from?

Answer 16

France

Question 17

What kind of cameras did the Lumiere brothers use?

Answer 17

Portable, hand-cranked cameras.

Question 18

Where and when did the first commercial projection in a theater take place?

Answer 18

1896 - Koster and Bial’s music hall in NYC.

Question 19

What are three of the aspects of early films?

Answer 19

1. ) Silent
2. ) Black and White
3. ) Two-dimensional

Question 20

What was the duration of early films?

Answer 20

Half a minute or less.

Question 21

What are the two major aesthetic impulses found in films called?

Answer 21

1. ) Artistic (formative).

2. ) Realistic presentation.

Question 22

In what tradition of filmmaking did Thomas Edison’s early films begin?

Answer 22

Theatrical tradition - manipulates reality using materials and models from older art forms.

Question 23

What tradition of filmmaking did the Lumiere brothers begin?

Answer 23

Documentary tradition - captures and preserves the unadulterated actuality of events and views. Took pride in the verisimilitude of filmmaking.

Question 24

What is the cinema of attractions?

Answer 24

Motion pictures involving human activity. Vaudeville acts (Shadow of a Strong Man - 1894) and later stage events (The Way Irwin Kiss - 1896).

Question 25

Whose films were more successful out of Edison’s or the Lumiere’s?

Answer 25

Lumiere brothers because they were less stage bound. Objects moved towards and away from the camera.

Question 26

What was the first most important aspect of George Melie’s career in filmmaking?

Answer 26

Early work with special effects.

Question 27

What was the second most important aspect of George Melie’s career in filmmaking?

Answer 27

Used stop-motion, super-imposition and split screens.

Question 28

What was the title of George Melie’s famous fim released in 1902?

Answer 28

A Trip to the Moon.

Question 29

What was the title of George Melie’s film released in 1900?

Answer 29

The One-Man Band

Question 30

What did George Melie’s films establish?

Answer 30

The avant-garde tradition - continues today in the form of experimental, underground and indie forms.

Question 31

What is Edwin S. Porters first contribution to early film history?

Answer 31

Introduced more complex stories.

Question 32

What is Edwin S. Porters second contribution to early film history?

Answer 32

Utilized parallel editing, time-breaks, different camera positions, camera movement and differing camera framings.

Question 33

What year was the Great Train Robbery released?

Answer 33

1903.

Question 34

What are the names of the Edwin S. Porter films released in 1903?

Answer 34

1. ) Life of the American Fireman.

2. ) The Great Train Robbery.

Question 35

What was the name of the W.K.L. Dickson’s studio?

Answer 35

The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.

Question 36

When were films produced for exhibition in Nickelodeons?

Answer 36

1905.

Question 37

What did the Motion Pictures Patent Company consist of?

Answer 37

Edison, Biograph and Vitagraph, Selig, Kalem, Lubin, Star and Pathe.

Question 38

Where did the majority of filmmaking studios originate?

Answer 38

Southern California.