Edwin S. Porter

What was Porters contribution to cinema? What was so significant about his work?

Porter introduced the narrative form into cinema using continuity editing, gradual transitions, and cross cutting. Porter was a master of reworking themes and techniques. For example in Jack and the Beanstalk, he reworked the already established theme of fairy tale films by implementing his cinematic and narrative elements. He understood the importance of cross cutting and allowing the audience to interpret the spatial relationships between the shots. Furthermore, he made even more cinematic breakthroughs by highlighting the heroism of firefighters. His firefighter film, American Firemen, was one of the first uses of cross cutting. This was a technique was highly innovative for the time. In his most important work, The Great Train Robbery, Porter utilized temporal repetition to create an effective narrative progression.

George Melies

What were Melies' contributions to cinema? Why is his work so significant?

Melies is the first creator of a science fiction film. He left countless iconic scenes such as the rocket running into the eye of the Man and the Moon ans introduced revolutionary camera illusions known as special effects. He was the first filmmaker to use production sketches and storyboards, experiment with double exposure, split screen ,dissolve, superimposition, and reverse shots. His most famous piece, A Trip to the Moon, implemented an ambitious plot for early cinema. Furthermore, he experimented with various genres such as documentaries and comedies which further increased his contribution to the modern film industry.

Tonight Tonight

What is this music video about? Why did the band and the filmmakers choose these images? Why are they significant? What do you think they are paying homage to or emulating?

The music video is about a couple traveling to outer space in where they defeat alien forces. Once the couples escapes the aliens, they plunge into the ocean where they are greeted by a god who presents them with a performance by mermaids. The band and the filmmaker chose these images because it accurately depicts the adventurous theme of the song. The lyrics that sing about the changes in life and the urgency of now reflect the exotic adventures of the couple. These aspects are significant because the visuals have a clear storyline and directly reflect the theme of the song. I believe they are emulating a dream-like scene where anything and everything is possible. This is an ideal world full of adventure and change.

Alice Guy-Blanche

What are Alice's contributions to cinema history? Why are her accomplishments so incredible during this time period? What makes her such a significant figure?

She is the creator of one of the first narrative films known as The Cabbage Fairy at a time period when only scenes of everyday life was captured on film. Although she shot scenes of everyday life and some travelogues, her most significant work came from these narratives. Her style became the basis of modern films. She used special effect techniques such as double exposures, masking, and reverse of video and audio. Furthermore, her hand-colored films became popular in music-hall attractions. Her inter-racial casting, audio recordings system known as the Chronophone, biblical stories, personally owned studio, and music videos also made her films unusual for her period.

Louis Le Prince

Who was Louis Le Prince? What was his contribution to cinema? After reading about him, what surprises you about reading this article?

Louis Le Prince  is regarded as the father of cinematography because he captured motion outside his home with a working model which ultimately became the basis for film. He was the inventor of the 16-lens camera which was "one of the most ground breaking inventions of early cinema." This invention utilized paper-bak stripping film which allowed him to successfully project moving images before those of Edison and Lumiere. I was surprised that a man with such high technological skill was not widely recognized due to his unknown death. 

Early Film Scavenger Hunt

Why do you like this early silent film? What is so interesting about it? What are two common things that you noticed about the films you saw while searching for your video on youtube?

I liked this early silent film because the main character was able to express emotions effectively with only facial expressions and body language. It was unmistakable when the character was in panic or when he was trying to impress the pretty women that came by. It was interesting how they were able to incorporate a realistic lion into their scene. Especially since computer graphics were not yet developed during the time period, I suppose they used a well-trained lion to shoot the scene. One thing I noticed as I skimmed through the silent films was that their use of music was very important to the scene. Because the films had no sound to the original footage, music played a vital part to the short films. Furthermore, most of the silent films had a a narrower aspect ratio compared to those that are common to modern day movies. It was an aspect ratio I noticed were widely used today when replicating old films. 

Earliest Films

What qualities do these early films share? Why do you think the filmmakers shot these? How do they differ from modern movies?

These early films do not have sounds or a story. They are usually shot inside of a studio where they are performing in front of a black curtain. Most of these are in black in white besides some that are hand-tinted. Either way, with the early technology, they were not able to capture color. I believe filmmakers shot these as an experiment or stock footage. For example, they may have shot the sneezing scene in order to keep as stock footage for anyone later on who is interested in watching how people sneezed in those days. In comparison, modern movies are produced by large sound production teams and have a story. Feature films are usually longer, lengthening up to two hours.