Film History Timeline

By Isabel103119

  • First Photograph

    First Photograph
    In 1816, Nicephore Niepce made a partially successful photograph. He used a camera that he handmade using a paper coated with silver chloride. Unfortunately, they came out dark because he didn’t figure out how to take the untreated silver chloride.

  • Thaumatrope

    Thaumatrope
    In 1824 the thaumatrope was created by astronomer John Herschel. It was essentially a piece of paper with designs on both the front and back, and also two strings attached on either side. When rotated, the designs on each side merged into one, giving the impression that the image was moving.

  • Phenakistoscope

    Phenakistoscope
    Simon von Stampfer was the first to invent the phenakistoscope in 1832. This was a toy that looked like a huge magnifying glass. When you looked through the slots at its reflection in the mirror, it had a disk with pictures on the edges that seemed to be moving.

  • Praxinoscope

    Praxinoscope
    In the 1870s the Praxinoscope was invented. Pictures were attached to the rim of the drum and they looked like they were moving when the drum spun. Its design prevented distortion, so it quickly replaced the other optical toys.

  • Celluloid Roll Film

    Celluloid Roll Film
    George Eastman invented the first celluloid roll film in 1885. This allowed Thomas Edison and his assistant William Dickson to develop the first camera to capture movement in 1891. Via a peep show machine, the Kinetograph generated films that could only be seen by one person at a time.

  • Cinématographe

    Cinématographe
    This period of the Silent Era began with the invention of the Cinématographe in 1895 by the Lumière Brothers.It was a device that recorded film stock and projected the footage on a screen.The Cinématographe was a projector that could show motion pictures.

  • First Movie With A Plot

    First Movie With A Plot
    The first movie with a plot was produced in 1903. It was created by Edwin Porter. It was Produced by Thomas Edison but directed and filmed by Edison Company. It was a 12-minute-long silent film called “The Great Train Robbery.”

  • Hollywood

    Hollywood
    In 1913 Hollywood was born.Thomas Edison thought he owned everything that had to do with film in New York. He ordered his men to anybody that was trying to make a film to teach them a lesson. To escape that film producers moved to Hollywood. They thought the father way the better.

  • Vitaphone Film

    Vitaphone Film
    The first Vitaphone film with sound released in 1927. It was called “The Jazz Singer”. It was an American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It was a big success and opened new doors for the film industry.

  • World War 2

    World War 2
    World War ll was happening during this time. Hollywood had decided to support the war, making training films for the army and releasing “Sergeant York”. It was the first of many films supporting U.S. engagement in the war.

  • Jaws

    Jaws
    In 1975 “Jaws” was released. It is an American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg. I was the first ever blockbuster movie.

  • CGI

    CGI
    Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke created a computer-animated short film called A Computer Animated Hand that introduced 3D computer graphics to the world. This created Computer generated images (CGI) and then they started to be in films. Computer animation expands in the film and TV industry.