History of Film

First Motion Picture

1878

Eadweard Muybridge capture motion images of a horse galloping to prove that all 4 of a horses hooves will be off the ground at a certain point. This was possible with 12 cameras and 12 triggers. As the horse is galloping, it steps on each trigger, capturing each movement.

First Motion Picture Camera

1889

Thomas Edison and W.K. Dickson develop the Kinetoscope. This device films move past a light to project a motion picture. The light passes through the film to project the image.

The Cinématographe

1895

The Lumière brothers built a Cinématographe. This device is a lightweight, hand held motion picture camera. They discovered that their device could also be used to project images onto a screen.

First Science Fiction Film

1902

Georges Melies creates 'A Trip to the Moon' is released. This marks the first science fiction film and innovative use of special effects. Special effects such a teleporting, disappearing, and explosions.

Credits

1911

Credits started to appear at the end of films. Later on, credits will be much longer as more people start to work on a single film. This can also be followed up by bloopers or teasers of a part 2.

The First 3D Film

1922

The First commercially 3D film that was released is called 'The Power of Love'. The film used anaglyph glasses with opposite colored lenses creating a 3D effect.

Technicolor Film

1939

One of the first films to be filmed using Technicolor was the 'Wizard of Oz' in 1939 using a three-strip film process. This film put viewers in aw as the screen turns from black and white to color, as colored films were never seen before.

Hollywood Canteen

1944

The film industry in the 1940s were not promising as World War II began. However, the film 'Hollywood Canteen' contributed to the war effort by providing free meals and entertainment to soldiers. Many of the cast also joined the military. During this decade, the modernization of film technology began.

The New Teenage

1956

The 50s decade also ushered in the age of Rock and Roll and a new younger market of teenagers. This youth-oriented group was opposed to the older generation's choice of nostalgic films. The film, 'The Girl Can't Help It' was the first rock and roll film to be taken seriously, with 17 songs in its short 99 minutes framework.

Rock n' Roll

1960

Cinema in the 1960s reflected the decade of fun, fashion, rock 'n' roll, tremendous social changes and transitional cultural values. This was a turbulent decade of monumental changes, tragedies, cultural events, assassinations and deaths, and advancements.

VHS

1976

the first VHS recorder was released to the public in Japan. In 1977 the first VHS was released in the U.S. This made movies playable on TV at home, without having to go the a movie theater.

The First CGI film

1977

'Star Wars' was released in a limited number of theaters in the U.S. on May 25, 1977. The film quickly became a blockbuster hit, as it was the first film to feature the most groundbreaking CGI effects. It earned a total of $&775 million, surpass 'Jaws' 1975 to become the highest-grossing film in North America.