History of Film

A Bet is Made

1877

During the 18th century, Leland Stanford made a bet of $25,000 that at some point when a horse is galloping, it lifts all four feet off of the ground. To prove it, he hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge. After many experiments, Muybridge finally proved it in 1877. He did this by setting up 12 consecutive cameras on a horse track. When he played these images on a projector, he found that it looked like the was running just as he had in real life. This is how the first moving picture was born.

Invention of the chronophotographic gun

1882

In 1882 Étienne-Jules Marey invented the chronophotographic gun. This machine was a camera shaped like rifle that recorded 12 photographs per second. Marey used it to study birds in flight.

Creation of the Kinetograph

1888

In 1888 Thomas Edison commissioned Dickson, his young laboratory assistant to create a motion picture camera. In response, Dickson created the Kintetograph, a device that allowed someone to both create and view motion pictures. This device could imprint on up to 50 feet of celluloid film.

The Kinetoscope is Marketed and Sold

1894

Instead of viewing the films through a projector, they were viewed through a kinetoscope. This device allowed the user to see the film through a sort of peephole. This only let people see the pictures one at a time, instead of the mass viewings at theaters that we see today. Edison sought to monetize this machine, selling them at $250 a piece.

The Lumière Brothers Create the Projector

Dec 28, 1895

After seeing a Kinetoscope exhibition in Paris, the Lumière brothers were inspired to create the first commercially available projector. Their machine, called the cinématographe, functioned not only as a projector, but also as a camera and printer. It ran at a speed of 16 frames per second.

Magician Creates Magic Tricks in Films

1896

Georges Méliès, a professional musician, became interested in films, and the possibilies for magic tricks. In 1896, he acquired a camera, built a studi, and founded the Star Film company. Between 1896 and 1913, he created and starred in more than 500 films. Do to his unique style and ideas, he became very popular in the industry.

The Great Train Robbery

1903

In 1903, Edwin Porter created the first US narrative film, titled The Great Train Robbery. This film had a real storyline, as well as multiple scenes and camera positions. While most films at the time were around 30 seconds, this motion picture was a whole 12 minutes.

Nickelodeons

1905

Around 1905, Nickelodeons began appearing. These were 5 cent movie theaters that allowed people to seen movies easily and cheaply. These helped increase the popularity of films and created more incentive for people to create movies.

The First Hollywood Film

1914

Cecil B. DeMille’s "The Squaw Man" is considered the first Hollywood film. It was created in 1914 and helped the movie industry towards its current Hollywood-centric focus

Hollywood Becomes Cinematic Icon

1920

By 1920, Hollywood had become a cultural icon symbolizing wealth and glamor. More and more movies were being made in Hollywood, and "movie stars" were born.

The Introduction of Sound into Film

1926

In 1926, Warner Bros. created the first feature length film with sound incorporated. This film was called "Don Juan". The film used a new technology, the movietone, to sync sound with film.

The First Full Feature Animated Film

1938

In 1938, Walt Disney created the first full feature animated film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. While there were technically a few other animated films before Snow White, this was the first one to use completely hand drawn animation, and was the first one to become successful. This introduced the film industry to animation, and pushed the animation industry past simple shorts before movies.