Muybridge

What were Muybridge's contributions to motion pictures? What breakthroughs did he make? Why are they significant? What part of the story did you find the most interesting? Why?

Muybridge is known for his iconic sequential photographs, opening the door to photography about time and motion. He used his zoopraxiscope to shoot unusual subjects in an unusual way that may raise eye brows today. However, this contributed to the closing of the gap between science and art. His sequential photos answered scientific studies that were not able to be answered without precise details from a photo. I found it most interesting that many scientists did not believe his sequential photos of a horse galloping. Because the breaking down of motion was such an uncommon technology, some believed the horses looked too strange to be true. Despite skeptics, his contribution to scientific studies was significant.

Chronography

After reading this article and viewing the images that Marey captured, write a reflection on what you think Marey's motion studies contributed to the development of the motion picture. What makes his work so interesting?

Marey's motion studies both contributed to the development of motion pictures in an artistic and a technological way. For example, the innovation of the chronophotography technique brought forth the futurism movement. It opened the eyes of photographers to become more creative in their work instead of simply taking photos of people or landscapes. These techniques allowed the creativity that can be found in other art forms such as paintings and sculptures. As of the technological aspect, Marey's photographic gun allowed more frames to be shot in a second, a technology that later allows the rise of frames. An increased frame rate per second allowed the frames to be seen in sequence, therefore creating the illusion of motion.

8 Inovations in Photography

Why do you think we wouldn't have filmmaking without the invention of photography? Pick three of these innovations on this list and explain their historical importance and why you think it led to the invention of motion pictures.

We wouldn't have had filmmaking without the invention of photography because films are countless numbers of photos known as frames. Without the ability to capture frames, films would not be able to be created. The Camera Obscura marked the beginning of photography. It was the very first attempt to project the outside world onto a screen which is the basic concept of filmmaking. Although the information was not able to be stored, it opened the possibilities of such technology. Then came the Calotype. The invention of using photosensitive paper to preserve visual information became highly commercialized because of the ease of production. Thus, it was able to reach a wider audience who became the next generation to invent new photographic methods that helped with the development of filmmaking. The Flexible Roll film was invented 40 years after the Calotype. Photography finally became easily accessible to amateurs because the Flexible Roll was significantly more light weight than glass plates. Because the time needed to shoot is cut down, people were able to take multiple photos in quick session. This eventually evolved to multiple frames per second, leading to the first motion picture.

The Phantasmagoria

What was the Phantasmagoria? After reading this article, write a reflection on what elements of the Phantasmagoria became adopted into the development of movies.

A Phantasmagoria Robertson's horror show which included ghosts, the afterlife, and the spirits. It was a show made possible with his knowledge of optics that allowed ghosts to appear real. He also utilized smoke and lanterns to create a spooky effect for the audience. His horror elements of Phantasmagoria became adopted into the development of current movies. Today, horror movies are vastly popular especially in the Halloween season. These movies use various visual strategies such as special effects makeup and post production to increase the realism of the movie, much like how Robertson used technological strategies to create a realistically spooky show.

Early Humans and Animated Art

What role does lighting play in the caves? How might these painting have been used by primitive man? What are the two techniques that the early artists used to paint on the walls of the cave? Why do you think they painted with these images?

The brightness and location of the lights inside the cave changes the way in which the art inside the cave is viewed. If lights can be placed in the correct positions as the ancient times, we would still be able to see the sights early humans enjoyed. The early paintings may have been used to tell stories, including the effects of the flickering lights. The range in which the lamp's light can reach is a vital tool in storytelling using cave art. Early artists used superimposition and sequences to paint on the walls of the cave. Both of these techniques produced animation-like effects by using flickering lights. I believe they painted with these images in order to tell the story in an effective fashion with the resources and technology that was available to them.

The Top 10 PSAs

Pick one that interests you then embed it into your blog. What makes this PSA so engaging? Why does it stand out to you?

https://youtu.be/xayd1c0wtOE

This PSA is engaging because it includes a catchy song. Songs can engage the audience while also including important information about the social issue. It stood out to me because compared to the other PSAs which are more serious, this PSA used a comical effect in their video. This light hearted take on the issue allowed more of the audience to continue watching the video. The video was able to clearly address the problem with a simple set up. Although it was simple, the pills were nicely coordinated and entertaining to watch.

The Fairness Doctrine

Considering when the FCC finally scrapped it, (2011) how has this affected our national broadcast media and the national discourse? Do you think the fairness doctrine should stay dead or be brought back? Why?

The fall of the Fairness Doctrine meant that broadcasters were no longer required to broadcast important social issues that may be controversial. This meant the broadcaster did not have to display the various viewpoints of an issue anymore. I think the Fairness Doctrine should stay alive because it allows people to be more aware of how other people may view a certain social issue. However, it will be hard to bring back the Fairness Doctrine because it will be largely unpopular to the broadcasters because no one would want to make their station controversial. They would much rather stay out of political upheavals and focus on the entertainment business.