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The Moving Images
A Kinetoscope parlor where you would pay money and stand behind this booth and watch moving images. -
Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison invents the peephole kinetoscope (the first projector) -
The Lumiere Brothers
Did what Edison did not want to and put in the first movie theater after creating their projector and called it Cinematographe. -
Vaudeville
In time it turned into vaudeille (small theaters that featured short dramtic skits,comedy routines,and song and dance numbers) which was quite popular during this time. -
Nickelodeons
Started calling them nickelodeons because you would pay one nickel (5 cents) to watch it. -
The Gret Train Robbery
Edwin Porter, employee of Thomas Edison created the first U.S. narrative film,The Great Train Robbery. It was 12 minutes but that was very long back then when it seems short now. -
Popularity
Nickelodeon theaters were attracting 26-million viewers each week. Five years later that number had doubled. It was seen as a way to get lots and lots of money. -
Monopoly
Thomas edison started to monopolize the theater industry. Led by Edison,several companies formed a trust called the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). -
Where?
Films were shot on the east coast of the United States where the film business orignated. This soon changed, primarily for two reasons. -
Reason 1
Many films where shot outside, a lot of light was needed to accommodate the slow speed of the film in those days, and the weather on the east coast often didn't cooperate. -
Reason 2
On the west coast weather was never a problem and much farther away from MPPA control. -
Actors
Started to pay actors and make them superstars, and people would goes see the movie just because they like the actors, one would be Mary Pickford known at the time as "America's Sweetheart".