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The First Film
In 1878, with $25000 on the line, Eadweard Muybridge made a bet. They made a bet on if a galloping horse did or did not have all four legs on the ground. To prove this, Muybridge set up a contraption where the horse would run, and trigger trip-wires that were connected to a camera. These cameras took an individual picture of the horse in motion, creating the first film. -
The First Projector
In 1895, the Lumiere Brothers did what Thomas Edison could not. Thomas Edison's company developed the peephole kinetoscope but could not find a way to project it. The Lumiere Brother's created the first projector that could show motion pictures to an audience. -
Vaudeville
In the 1890s to 1930s, vaudeville, shown in vaudeville threaters, was a light entertainment on 10-15 acts featuring magicians, jugglers, acrobats, comedians, etc.. To get more popular, these theatres would show short films in-between each set of acts. These theaters would later become Nickelodeons, a small storefront-type theaters featured films, had a person on piano and made sound effects, and were sometimes accompanied with a few vaudeville acts. -
The First Film
In 1903, The first movie with a narrative was born. It was called The Great Train Robbery and was produced by Edwin S. Porter. Porter was in fact, one of Thomas Edison's employees. The movie had 14 scenes and was 12 minutes long. -
Monopolies...
By 1910, Nickelodeons were averaging 26 million viewers per week, meaning a potential for money making, and the best way to make money? Create a monopoly! Edison and several other companies created the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) and their plan was to own everything, all for money. The MPPC could set a price for anything and you had to pay to use it. If you didn't, Edison's thugs would come for you to destroy your equipment and maybe you, your cast, and crew. -
The First Talkie!
Initially though to be a failure, "talkies" became a hit, replacing all silent films by the 1930s-40s. Talkies were movies with sound, something new since all movies prior were silent. The first movie to be dubbed a talkie, was The Jazz Singer, in 1927. -
A New Look
Instead of all films being in greyscale, color in films was introduced. The process being used to add color was called technicolor, where monotone synchronized strips of color were used to produce color. Though color in film was being experimented with as early in 1912, it was wasn't used in films until the late 1930s. The 1939 release of The Wizard of Oz was the first Hollywood movie in technicolor. -
First Blockbuster Movie in History
Created by Steven Spielberg in 1975, Jaws was the first film to become a blockbuster. It was created on a budget of 7 million USD and grossed $7 million the opening weekend, then went onto gross $470 million worldwide. Jaws was the highest grossing film of all time, until the release of George Lucas' Star Wars in 1977. Jaws would pave the way for tentpole films that dominated the summer season, as well kickstarting the blockbuster era of film. -
The Blockbuster Era
Due to the major success of Jaws, the Blockbuster Era began. Huge tentpole movies began to show in the summer, meeting box office success. Some other blockbuster hits were Alien, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. -
CGI in Movies
In the 80s/90s, computer generated images (CGI) was incorporated into film. With CGI, new doors of production and effects were opened. Some of the best CGI-enhanced movies include Star Wars, Jurrastic Park, and The Matrix. -
Digital is the New Film
In the early 2000s, the transition from film to digital began. By the 2010s, digital was normally used and film was used sparingly. The reason for this is because film is expensive, has a limited use per roll, loud, and heavy. Despite this, some directors keep the use of film alive, like JJ Abrams, Steven Spielberg, and Christopher Nolan. -
Current Day
Even now, Hollywood still cranks out blockbuster films, but they are more year-round, rather than just summer. CGI is heavily relied on in almost every movie and superhero movies are the box office juggernaut in this era. Walt Disney is also the box office king.
