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500 BCE
Development of Camera Obscura
Chinese philosopher Mozi is credited with first detailing the camera obscura; his writings on light reflection and image projection predated Aristotle’s musings in Problems by around 50-100 years. Greek mathematician Euclid’s Optics (~300 BCE) proposed a theory called “geometry of vision” that sought to explain the mechanics behind light perception. Arab scientist Ibn al-Haytham explored the camera obscura in his Book of Optics (~1027) effectively explaining the mechanics behind an aperture. -
Period: 500 BCE to
Camera Obscura
A camera obscura is a room with a hole (or lens) in a wall that projects a reverse image onto the opposite wall. The idea of the Camera obscūra, which is derived from Latin for dark chamber or dark room, was conceived in prehistory, initially theorized around 500 BCE, and concretely developed in the Common Era. -
Invention of Photography
Joseph Nicephore Niepce invented Heliograph, which he used to make the earliest known permanent photograph from nature, View from the Window at Le Gra. The process used bitumen, as a coating on glass or metal, which hardened in relation to exposure to light. When the plate was washed with oil of lavender, only the hardened image area remained. Photo: The oldest surviving photograph of the image formed in a camera – View from the Window at Le Gras (1826) -
The Galloping Horse
Eadweard Muybridge conducted a series of experiments to settle a bet about whether all four of a horse's hooves leave the ground at the same time while galloping. He set up a row of cameras along a track and triggered them to capture high-speed photographs of a horse running at a gallop. The series of photographs showed that, there is a moment when all four hooves are off the ground, thus proving the hypothesis and making a significant contribution to the understanding of animal locomotion. -
The Zoopraxiscope and the Birth of Cinema
The zoopraxiscope was an early device invented by Eadweard Muybridge, which is considered a precursor to modern cinema. Muybridge used this device to project images in rapid succession, creating the illusion of motion. He achieved this by using a series of photographic images depicting different stages of movement, such as a galloping horse. When these images were projected in quick succession, they appeared to move, creating the illusion of motion. -
Chronophotography
In 1882, Étienne-Jules Marey, invented a camera that recorded 12 separate images on the edge of a revolving disc of film on glass. This constituted a step toward the motion picture camera. In 1888, Marey built the first camera to use a strip of flexible film, this time on paper. The purpose was only to break down movement into a series of stills, and the movements photographed lasted a second or less. -
Invention of the first photographic roll film
In 1885, George Eastman introduced the first “flexible photographic roll film.” The first transparent plastic roll entered the market in 1889 and was made from nitrocellulose or celluloid. This invention led to the creation of the Eastman Kodak Company. -
The Birth of 35mm films
However, it wasn't until 1892 that George Eastman developed a flexible, transparent, and celluloid-based film for motion pictures. This film was 35mm wide and had perforations on both sides, allowing it to be transported through a camera and projector smoothly. The introduction of this film format revolutionized the motion picture industry, as it provided a standardized and cost-effective medium for capturing and projecting films. -
Edison and Friends
By 1893, Thomas A. Edison's assistant, W.K.L. Dickson, had developed a camera that made short 35mm films. -
Kinetoscope Invention (Peep Hole Machine)
The Kinetoscope was an early motion picture exhibition device. It was invented by Thomas Edison and his assistant William Kennedy Dickson in 1893. The Kinetoscope allowed one person at a time to view a short film through a peephole viewer, creating the illusion of motion. The first public demonstration of the Kinetoscope took place in 1893. -
Edison's Black Maria Film Studio
The Black Maria was a film studio built by Thomas Edison in New Jersey. It was the first motion picture studio in the world and was used to produce many of Edison's early films. The studio was named the Black Maria because of its resemblance to a police paddy wagon (black maria) due to its black tar paper exterior and small, cramped interior. The Black Maria featured vaudeville performers, dancers, and other acts. These films were shown in Edison's Kinetoscope parlors (individual peepholes). -
"The Waterer Watered" by Lumière brothers
"The Waterer Watered" (also known as "L'Arroseur Arrosé" or "The Sprinkler Sprinkled") is a short silent film made by the Lumière brothers in 1895. It is one of the earliest examples of narrative filmmaking and is often considered one of the first comedy films. The film is about a boy who tricks a gardener into squirting himself with a hose. -
Lumière brothers invented Cinématographe
In 1895, the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière, achieved significant milestones in the history of cinema. They invented the Cinématographe, a combination camera, and projector that could capture and project motion pictures. -
First Public Showings of Motion Pictures Projected on Screen
Lumière Brothers held the first public screening of films using the Cinématographe at the Grand Café in Paris. This event is often considered the birth of cinema as we know it today. The screening featured several short films, including "La Sortie de l'Usine Lumière à Lyon" (Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory) and "L'Arrivée d'un Train en Gare de La Ciotat" (Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station), which amazed and captivated audiences with the lifelike moving images. -
Georges Méliès
French actor and illusionist Georges Méliès attempted to buy a cinematograph from the Lumière Brothers in 1895, but was denied. So, Méliès ventured elsewhere; eventually finding a partner in Englishman Robert W. Paul. In 1896, Georges Méliès, a French filmmaker and magician, purchased a projector from Robert W. Paul. This purchase marked a turning point in Méliès' career, as he began using the projector to screen films at the Théâtre Robert-Houdin in Paris, where he was the director. -
Méliès built his own studio
Georges Méliès established his film studio, known as the Star Film Company, in 1897. The studio was located in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris, France. At his studio, Méliès produced hundreds of films, ranging from short actualities to elaborate narrative fantasies. He was known for his innovative use of special effects, creative storytelling, and fantastical sets and costumes. -
Pathé Frères
In 1901, the Pathé brothers, Charles, Émile, Théophile, and Jacques, founded Pathé Frères (Pathé Brothers) in France. Pathé Frères became one of the leading film production and distribution companies in the early years of cinema. The company was known for its innovative approach to filmmaking and its expansion into international markets. Pathé Frères quickly became a major player in the film industry, producing a wide range of films, including newsreels, documentaries, and fiction films. -
A Trip to the Moon
During his time at the Star Film Company, Méliès directed and produced some of his most famous films, including "A Trip to the Moon" (1902), "The Impossible Voyage" (1904), and "The Kingdom of the Fairies" (1903). His work had a lasting impact on the art of filmmaking and helped to establish cinema as a form of artistic expression. -
Period: to
Narrative Filmmaking
In the early 20th century, narrative filmmaking became a prominent form in the commercial film industry. This period saw the rise of storytelling in film, with filmmakers increasingly using narratives to engage audiences and create more complex and compelling films. French, Italian, and American films dominated world markets, with each country making significant contributions to the development of cinema. In America, Hollywood emerged as the dominant industrial force in world film production. -
The Lumières ceased filmmaking
In 1905, the Lumière brothers decided to stop filmmaking and focus instead on other business ventures. By that time, they had made significant contributions to the development of cinema, including the invention of the Cinématographe and the production of numerous short films. However, they felt that the medium had reached a point where it was no longer of interest to them creatively or commercially. -
Pathé Frères during World War I
During World War I, Pathé Frères, like many other film companies, faced challenges due to the war's impact on production and distribution. With the outbreak of the war in 1914, many European film studios, including Pathé Frères, experienced disruptions in their operations. The war led to a shortage of resources, including film stock and equipment, as well as difficulties in transportation and communication. After the war, the company resumed its production of entertainment films.