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Questions and Answers
The American Mutoscope Company initially focused solely on projection-based film screenings from its inception.
The American Mutoscope Company initially focused solely on projection-based film screenings from its inception.
False (B)
W.K.L. Dickson collaborated with Herman Casler to develop the Mutoscope after leaving his position at General Electric.
W.K.L. Dickson collaborated with Herman Casler to develop the Mutoscope after leaving his position at General Electric.
False (B)
The utilization of 70 mm film by the American Mutoscope Company resulted in images of reduced quality compared to the standard film size at the time.
The utilization of 70 mm film by the American Mutoscope Company resulted in images of reduced quality compared to the standard film size at the time.
False (B)
The Kinetoscope was more durable and had fewer mechanical issues compared to the Mutoscope.
The Kinetoscope was more durable and had fewer mechanical issues compared to the Mutoscope.
By 1897, the standardization of film size and sprocket hole placement allowed for universal compatibility across different projector brands.
By 1897, the standardization of film size and sprocket hole placement allowed for universal compatibility across different projector brands.
The Mutoscope exclusively featured still images without any mechanical movement to create the illusion of motion.
The Mutoscope exclusively featured still images without any mechanical movement to create the illusion of motion.
The introduction of projected motion pictures had no immediate impact on existing forms of entertainment, such as theaters and traveling shows.
The introduction of projected motion pictures had no immediate impact on existing forms of entertainment, such as theaters and traveling shows.
Herman Casler initially sought W.K.L. Dickson's expertise primarily for financial backing to support the American Mutoscope Company.
Herman Casler initially sought W.K.L. Dickson's expertise primarily for financial backing to support the American Mutoscope Company.
A vertically integrated firm, such as Pathé, consolidates control over the production, distribution, and exhibition of its products.
A vertically integrated firm, such as Pathé, consolidates control over the production, distribution, and exhibition of its products.
Pathé initially focused solely on producing films for other distributors before establishing its own distribution network.
Pathé initially focused solely on producing films for other distributors before establishing its own distribution network.
Pathé's hand-stenciling color process involved creating a single stencil for all colors used in a film print.
Pathé's hand-stenciling color process involved creating a single stencil for all colors used in a film print.
Pathé exclusively used color in its dramas, avoiding its use in trick films or films featuring elegantly dressed women.
Pathé exclusively used color in its dramas, avoiding its use in trick films or films featuring elegantly dressed women.
SCAGL, launched by Pathé, specialized in low-budget films aimed at rapidly increasing output.
SCAGL, launched by Pathé, specialized in low-budget films aimed at rapidly increasing output.
Max Linder's films often depicted a character who navigated middle-class social situations, with humor derived from embarrassing scenarios.
Max Linder's films often depicted a character who navigated middle-class social situations, with humor derived from embarrassing scenarios.
Early cinema often repeated events from different viewpoints, a technique exemplified by the double depiction of the explorers' capsule landing in Méliès's A Trip to the Moon.
Early cinema often repeated events from different viewpoints, a technique exemplified by the double depiction of the explorers' capsule landing in Méliès's A Trip to the Moon.
Ferdinand Zecca exclusively directed historical films for Pathé, focusing on accuracy over other genres.
Ferdinand Zecca exclusively directed historical films for Pathé, focusing on accuracy over other genres.
Pathé's success can partially be attributed to its early adoption of renting films to exhibitors, rather than selling them outright.
Pathé's success can partially be attributed to its early adoption of renting films to exhibitors, rather than selling them outright.
Life of an American Fireman was inspired by previous films and lantern slides focused on culinary techniques.
Life of an American Fireman was inspired by previous films and lantern slides focused on culinary techniques.
James Williamson's film, Fire!, which shares thematic similarities with Life of an American Fireman, premiered in 1911.
James Williamson's film, Fire!, which shares thematic similarities with Life of an American Fireman, premiered in 1911.
In his adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Porter utilized printed intertitles between shots, an innovation he solely conceived without any influence from earlier works.
In his adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Porter utilized printed intertitles between shots, an innovation he solely conceived without any influence from earlier works.
Porter's film Uncle Tom's Cabin featured intertitles to introduce each shot, such as "The Escape of Eliza," followed by a single shot of the corresponding scene.
Porter's film Uncle Tom's Cabin featured intertitles to introduce each shot, such as "The Escape of Eliza," followed by a single shot of the corresponding scene.
The Great Train Robbery consists of seventeen shots depicting a gang of bandits holding up a train.
The Great Train Robbery consists of seventeen shots depicting a gang of bandits holding up a train.
In The Great Train Robbery, Porter frequently cuts back and forth between the telegraph office, dance hall, and the robbers' location, establishing a technique known as parallel editing.
In The Great Train Robbery, Porter frequently cuts back and forth between the telegraph office, dance hall, and the robbers' location, establishing a technique known as parallel editing.
The additional shot in The Great Train Robbery, showing a robber firing a gun at the camera in close-up, was always placed at the beginning of the film by exhibitors.
The additional shot in The Great Train Robbery, showing a robber firing a gun at the camera in close-up, was always placed at the beginning of the film by exhibitors.
The Assassination of the Duc de Guise became a template for future art films.
The Assassination of the Duc de Guise became a template for future art films.
The Film d'Art company profited significantly from most of its film productions.
The Film d'Art company profited significantly from most of its film productions.
The film The Assassination of the Duc de Guise only used techniques derived from theater, with no cinematic innovations.
The film The Assassination of the Duc de Guise only used techniques derived from theater, with no cinematic innovations.
By 1910, film screenings in cafes and traveling fairs were the primary means of exhibition in France.
By 1910, film screenings in cafes and traveling fairs were the primary means of exhibition in France.
French film firms maintained their dominance over world markets indefinitely.
French film firms maintained their dominance over world markets indefinitely.
Italian film firms like Cines, Ambrosio, and Itala were established in the 1890s, preceding the French film industry.
Italian film firms like Cines, Ambrosio, and Itala were established in the 1890s, preceding the French film industry.
Italian cinema gained early recognition as an art form due to its reliance on traveling fairs for film exhibition.
Italian cinema gained early recognition as an art form due to its reliance on traveling fairs for film exhibition.
Giovanni Pastrone's The Fall of Troy, released in 1911, was created using only one reel of film.
Giovanni Pastrone's The Fall of Troy, released in 1911, was created using only one reel of film.
Prior to World War I, the United States was the dominant force in the international entertainment media market.
Prior to World War I, the United States was the dominant force in the international entertainment media market.
Before World War I, American film firms prioritized foreign markets over the swiftly expanding domestic demand.
Before World War I, American film firms prioritized foreign markets over the swiftly expanding domestic demand.
Between 1905 and 1912, American film entities collaborated to destabilize the shifting and confused film business.
Between 1905 and 1912, American film entities collaborated to destabilize the shifting and confused film business.
Nickelodeons typically charged a quarter for admission to a program running fifteen to sixty minutes.
Nickelodeons typically charged a quarter for admission to a program running fifteen to sixty minutes.
Nickelodeons typically used three projectors to ensure a seamless viewing experience for the audience.
Nickelodeons typically used three projectors to ensure a seamless viewing experience for the audience.
The shift from actualities to story films contributed to moviegoing becoming a more regular form of entertainment.
The shift from actualities to story films contributed to moviegoing becoming a more regular form of entertainment.
Because exhibitors needed to keep running the same programs until they made back their purchase price, they changed their programs two, three, even seven times a week.
Because exhibitors needed to keep running the same programs until they made back their purchase price, they changed their programs two, three, even seven times a week.
Nickelodeons were a seasonal business, as they were built in amusement parks.
Nickelodeons were a seasonal business, as they were built in amusement parks.
The practice of voluntary self-censorship in the American film industry is a recent phenomenon that started in the 21st century.
The practice of voluntary self-censorship in the American film industry is a recent phenomenon that started in the 21st century.
The MPPC and independent film producers sought to elevate the status of movies by producing films based on celebrated literature and significant historical events.
The MPPC and independent film producers sought to elevate the status of movies by producing films based on celebrated literature and significant historical events.
D.W. Griffith's adaptation of Robert Browning's Pippa Passes involved completely modernizing the dialogue and setting to appeal to contemporary audiences.
D.W. Griffith's adaptation of Robert Browning's Pippa Passes involved completely modernizing the dialogue and setting to appeal to contemporary audiences.
The transition from nickelodeons to larger theaters involved a decrease in ticket prices to attract a wider audience.
The transition from nickelodeons to larger theaters involved a decrease in ticket prices to attract a wider audience.
The use of two projectors in 'better-class' theaters eliminated the need for live musical accompaniment during reel changes.
The use of two projectors in 'better-class' theaters eliminated the need for live musical accompaniment during reel changes.
The term 'feature' initially denoted any standard-length film that was heavily promoted in advertising, regardless of its length.
The term 'feature' initially denoted any standard-length film that was heavily promoted in advertising, regardless of its length.
Before 1909, longer films such as prizefight films or religious epics were primarily shown in nickelodeons due to their accessibility and widespread popularity.
Before 1909, longer films such as prizefight films or religious epics were primarily shown in nickelodeons due to their accessibility and widespread popularity.
The Story of the Kelly Gang, a British documentary about Australian outlaws, is one of the earliest examples of what would become known as a 'feature film'.
The Story of the Kelly Gang, a British documentary about Australian outlaws, is one of the earliest examples of what would become known as a 'feature film'.
Flashcards
Different viewpoints in early cinema
Different viewpoints in early cinema
Early films often showed the same events from multiple camera angles, a common practice in early filmmaking.
Intertitles
Intertitles
Printed text used between shots in early films to guide the viewer, first known use in American films was by Porter.
The Great Train Robbery
The Great Train Robbery
A significant 1903 film by Porter depicting a train heist with eleven shots, showcasing action and narrative.
Porter's adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin
Porter's adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin
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Crosscutting
Crosscutting
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Méliès's A Trip to the Moon
Méliès's A Trip to the Moon
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Innovation in early cinema
Innovation in early cinema
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Life of an American Fireman
Life of an American Fireman
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Mutoscope
Mutoscope
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American Mutoscope Company
American Mutoscope Company
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35 mm film
35 mm film
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Peepshow devices
Peepshow devices
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Vaudeville shows
Vaudeville shows
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Projection systems
Projection systems
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Cinema completion
Cinema completion
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George Eastman Museum
George Eastman Museum
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Vertical Integration
Vertical Integration
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Pathé
Pathé
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Ferdinand Zecca
Ferdinand Zecca
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Hand-Stenciling Color
Hand-Stenciling Color
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SCAGL
SCAGL
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Max Linder
Max Linder
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Color Printing Method
Color Printing Method
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Genres of Pathé Films
Genres of Pathé Films
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Film d'Art
Film d'Art
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The Assassination of the Duc de Guise
The Assassination of the Duc de Guise
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Rental system
Rental system
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Italian film industry growth
Italian film industry growth
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Historical spectacle
Historical spectacle
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Permanence in exhibition
Permanence in exhibition
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Giovanni Pastrone
Giovanni Pastrone
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French dominance loss
French dominance loss
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Hollywood dominance
Hollywood dominance
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Pre-WWI economic status
Pre-WWI economic status
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Great War impact
Great War impact
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Film industry focus
Film industry focus
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Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon
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Nickelodeon advantages
Nickelodeon advantages
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Film program changes
Film program changes
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Nickelodeon profits
Nickelodeon profits
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Voluntary self-censorship
Voluntary self-censorship
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Prestigious films
Prestigious films
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D.W. Griffith
D.W. Griffith
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Feature film
Feature film
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The Story of the Kelly Gang
The Story of the Kelly Gang
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Film exhibition transformation
Film exhibition transformation
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Film accompaniment
Film accompaniment
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Study Notes
Chapter 1: A Trip to the Moon
- The 19th century saw a vast increase in visual forms of popular culture, including lantern slides, photography books, and illustrated fiction.
- Dioramas, elaborate painted backdrops with three-dimensional figures, were popular attractions.
- Circuses, freak shows, amusement parks, and music halls also offered inexpensive entertainment.
- Theatrical productions toured towns, but travel was expensive.
- The cinema offered a cheaper, simpler way for wide audiences to experience entertainment via moving images.
- Filmmakers recorded performances, which were then exhibited worldwide.
- Movies became the most popular visual art form in the early 20th century.
- Cinema was invented during the 1890s.
- The invention of the cinema was a result of various technological advancements, including:
- The technology to make multiple images capable of being perceived as moving on a screen
- The capacity to project a rapid series of images onto a surface.
- The demand for this technology from the masses.
- The creation and ability to print images on a flexible base to allow the images to be passed rapidly through a camera.
- The development of intermittent mechanisms for cameras and projectors that allowed for each frame to stop briefly, then move to the next frame.
- Key people involved in the pre-cinema technology were Joseph Plateau, Simon Stampfer, and Étienne-Jules Marey.
- Eadweard Muybridge photographed several horses in motion in 1878.
Chapter 1: Preconditions for Motion Pictures
- Scientists realized that the human eye perceives motion if images are presented in rapid succession (around 16 per second).
- Optical toys, like the Phenakistoscope and Zoetrope, created an illusion of motion.
- Early devices for recording and displaying motion were crucial to the development of cinema, including the use of images rapidly flashed for the creation of a sense of movement on a screen.
- The earliest photographic images required extremely lengthy exposure times.
- Rapid photography became necessary for the creation of motion pictures.
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Description
Explore the American Mutoscope Company's origins, key figures like W.K.L. Dickson and Herman Casler, and the technical aspects of their motion picture devices. Understand the impact of film size standardization and the company's role in early cinema. Also, learn about the Mutoscope's features and its effect on existing entertainment.
