Film History Timeline

The Silent Era

1895

The silent era was the birth of cinema and it was all about experimentation and pushing boundaries. Named for its lack of sound, films from this era where in black and white.This period began with the invention of the Cinématographe in 1895 by the Lumière Brothers.

First Nickelodeon

1905

The first Nickelodeon opens in Pittsburgh, PA. These theaters got their names from their 5-cent admission charge, and they typically showed short, silent films.

Birth of Hollywood

1913

The birth of Hollywood was in 1913. When American filmmakersCecil B. De Mille and Oscar C. Apfel ended up in Los Angeles and decided to stay due to the constant sunshine and the landscape. Soon several other filmmakers moved to Los Angeles and it quickly became the place for film.

Sound on Film

1920

One of the greatest developments in film history was sound on film. This meant that not only would audiences be able to see a story unfold on the big screen, they’d be able to hear it too. But, most studios had failed to adapt from the Silent era to the new era with sound with the exception of Warner Bros.

Talkies

1929

Talkies was the era after the silent era which had ended in 1929. It was when films started to feature sound.

Technicolor

1932

Technicolor was first introduced in 1932 Before then, colour was added to film by painting the photographs or using a stenciling system that cut out sections of the frame and tinted them. Both options were time-consuming and produced colour that did not look natural. Films shot in technicolor used a three-stripped camera that captured the scenes. The Three Little Pigs was one of the first films to ever use technicolor.

Antitrust Laws

1948

Antitrust laws forced Hollywood studios to de-coupe from the movie theatre meaning that all films could be shown in any theatre and not just the Hollywood theatre. This led to many movie theatre brands that we know today.

First Movie Theatre Debut

1953

First movie theater debuts stereophonic sound alongside a giant screen. This is the true beginning of the modern movie theater era.

Motion Pictures Ratings

1968

Motion pictures ratings were introduced in 1968. The ratings that came were G,PG,R, and X. Ratings such as PG-13 came later. But, the rating of X later on was replaced by NC-17

Steadycam

1976

The steadycam was first used in Rocky. With the introduction of the steadycam it offered many new and talented offers to filmmakers.

CGI Usage

1993

ILM starts to use computer generated imagery (CGI) for SFX. At first it is combined with practical effects (as with dinosaurs in Jurassic Park) but by the end of the decade CGI is used to
replace practical effects.

Disney Buys Pixar

2006

Disney acquires pixar for 7.4 billion dollars. In the negotiation and the agreement Disney agreed to issue 2.3 shares for every share of Pixar stock.