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The Bet
In 1877, there was a bet made that a horse when running never has all four feet in the air at the same time. Eadward Muybridge challenged that in a bet of $25,000. He set up a sequence of cameras to take a picture of a horse running. He won the bet and thus found that pictures taken moment by moment make moving images. -
First demonstration of a Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope, created after the motion images discovery, was first demonstrated in may of 1893 and it just showed quickly a series of photos that looked like something was really moving. People were amazed. -
Kinetoscope Parlors became popular
The Kinetoscope was designed for an audience of one to be able to peep into the machine and see the short moving images for a price. Thomas Edison had the inventor of the projector in his back pocket, but kept the peep hole idea so he could make more money from each person. -
Lumiere brothers create cinematographe
The Lumiere brothers did what Thomas Edison wouldn't and started projecting films to bigger audiences. They called their invention the cinematoraphe. The short films were 30-60 seconds long and started in Paris Cafes. They charged one-franc admission. -
Vaudevilles begin showing short films
Vaudevilles were great forms of entertainment throughout the 1800s and included formss of acting, dancing, and singing. They then decided to start showing short films in the late 1800s between acts to entertain the audiences. These would lead to Nickelodeons. -
Nickelodeons begin
Once Vaudevilles begin showing short films they started advertising their acts all together and this increased the popularity of film tremendously as people began to come for the short films and not the people performing. They started to call them Nickelodeons. This is where the TV channel nickelodeon got its name as well. -
First U.S. narrative film
Edwin Porter, Thomas Edison's employee was the first U.S. narrator for the movie The Great Train Robbery. The movie was 14 scenes and lasted 12 minutes. -
Motion Picture Patents Company established
In 1908, Thomas Edison established the MPPC in New York. They controlled almost all of film. They were a monopoly that was a force to be reconed with and independent companies suffered when the MPPC found out. The MPPC would raid their studios and destroy their equipment. -
Mary Pickford is first screen tested
Mary Pickford, also known as America's sweetheart was a face for film and the first time she was every screen tested was in 1909. From then on it was history. She appeared in 51 films throughout all of that year which was almost one a week. -
Nickelodeons attract 26 million viewers a week
Nickelodeons began making a lot of money in 1910 when they had 26 million people coming to watch every single week. People began to notice the popularity of it all and making movies started to get big. Five years later, Nickelodeons will attract double that amount of viewers. -
Charlie Chaplin signs onto a film contract
Charlie Chaplin was mostly a theatrical employer, but in 1913 he signed onto a film contract of $150 dollars a week. It was the New York Motion Picture Company and he would become a star. -
Charlie Chaplin makes $1 million a year
Charlie Chaplin was loved all over the nation and with his success he went from making $150 a week to $1 million a year. His films will always be remembered and many of them had great messages for its time about world issues, have and have nots, and even dictators. -
First Motion Picture studio built in Hollywood
When Thomas Edison's company became too overbearing and filmmakers in New York realized shooting outside was hard with the weather there, people started moving to California. They did this so they could retreat to Mexico if the MPPC came for them and they could save their equipment as well. Hollywood became known for movies and in 1919, the first studio was built.
