Evolution of cinematography

THE MOVING IMAGE

The Zoetrope. The Thaumatrope. 1800s
The Phenakistoscope. Users had
to physically manipulate the
viewing devices in order for make
the images move in front of their CELLULOIDROLL FILM
eyes. In 1885, George Eastman created
the first celluloid roll film, which

1885 allowed inventor Thomas Edison

and assistant William Dickson to
invent the first camera to record
movement in 1891.

SILENT ERA
This period of experimentation
began with the invention of the
Cinématographe in 1895 by the 1895
Lumière Brothers. This device
recorded film stock and projected
the footage on screen. The silent
era promptly ended in 1929 when
sound was added to films. SETTING NEW STANDARDS

A Trip To The Moon set a new

1902 standard for production value and
special effects in film. Prior to
this, the majority of films were
based around every day
happenings. George Méliès took
the medium a step further with his
THE INSTITUTION elaborate production design.
Film became big business. The
Motion Picture Patents Company
1909
was founded in 1909, and later
the General Film Company.

HISTORY PROJECT - STUDENT : ANDREI TUFIS

1910 THE BIRTH OF HOLLYWOOD

A number of filmmakers make a move to L.A.. They decide to

stay due to the constant sunshine and ideal environment for
filmmaking all year round. Hollywood quickly becomes the
place for film. In the years that follow, Hollywood welcomes
filmmakers from around the world.

1916
EARLY BLOCK BUSTERS

D W Griffith’s Intolerance is one of Hollywood’s earliest

blockbusters. It might not be Jaws or The Avengers, but this
three-hour drama set the bar for large-scale filmmaking.

1919 STAR POWER

United Artists is formed. This collective included top talent all

looking to have more independent control over their art. The star
system began to dominate the film industry.

1920s GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM ( DE )

Up to now, films were either about everyday life or stories of supernatural
places. German filmmakers did something brand new; they introduced
horror films. They came up with original indoor film sets and mastered
lighting like no one else had. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari -- released in
1920 -- was a prime example of their success.

1920s THE INFLUENCE OF EDITING ( RU )

Another thing that was mastered in the 1920s was editing, particularly
by Sergei Eisenstein. He was one of the first to realise that good editing
can evoke real emotion from the audience.

FILM FIRSTS
1922 The Toll of the Sea is the first Technicolor film to be put out on
general release. This year also saw the release of Flaherty's
Nanook of the North, largely believed to be the first of the
documentary form.

HISTORY PROJECT - STUDENT : ANDREI TUFIS

 THE TALKIES

Once the first Vitaphone film with sound was released in 1927 (The
1927 Jazz Singer), everything changed. Filmmakers had to adapt to the
new technology and actors had to adapt as well.

POETICREALISM ( FR )
1930s French films made in these years reflected how ordinary people were
dealing with the war. They employed poetic realism, meaning that
they treated real subjects in an imaginative way.

THE HAYS CODE

Introduced in 1934, the Motion Picture Production Code (or Hays

1934 Code, named after its creator Will H Hays) sets the first censorship
guidelines for films.

TECHNICOLOR

Prior to this point, Technicolor used a two-colour process on all of

1935 their films. In 1935, the three-strip process comes into effect,
which utilised three primary colours and made films look more lifelike
than they ever did before.

HOLLYWOOD HIGHLIGHTS

This year saw MGM's Technicolor film Gone With The Wind
1939 become an international hit and one of the most profitable films
ever made.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WAR

After witnessing the violence and destruction of World War II,

1940s filmmakers around the world began to base films on darker and
more realistic themes.
 HISTORY PROJECT - STUDENT : ANDREI TUFIS

FILM NOIR
1940s Usually crime dramas and thrillers, film noir themes were based on
violence, cynicism and betrayal, with a visual style based on
German Expressionism of the 1920s

NEOREALISM ( IT )

Italian filmmakers dealt with the aftermath of the war differently

1940s
from those in the US; their work became what we now call
neorealism. They highlighted actual problems faced by
ordinary people after the war.

NEW WAVE ( FR )

1950s French New Wave broke the conventional film rules and often left the
audience confused by its lack of structure. These films often were done
with hand-held cameras, a non-linear timeline, and improvised acting,
making it unlike anything out there at the time.

WIDE SCREEN
1950s Various methods were developed from the 1950s to the 1970s in order
to enhance the viewing experience. Cinerama was invented in 1952,
followed by Cinemascope in 1953 and Omnimax in 1970.

THE AMATEUR FILMMAKER

1965 The Super 8mm film format is introduced for the amateur market in
1965, opening the door even wider for independent filmmaking.

SCIENCE FICTION

As technology advanced, computers were being used to create

1970s elements that didn’t exist in the real world, allowing for a new kind of
film: science fiction. Major successes include Steven Spielberg’s
Jaws and George Lucas’ Star Wars franchise.

STEADY CAM

1970s First used in the making of Rocky, the Steadycam makes its
appearance in 1976. This provided filmmakers with more flexibility in
their work.
 HISTORY PROJECT - STUDENT : ANDREI TUFIS

TECHNOLOGY
We’ve seen massive leaps and 2000s
bounds in how films are made,
opening up new possibilities and
stories.
HOME ENTERTAINMEN T
By 2003, home entertainment
2003 was raking in more money than
the box office. DVD was king.
Until audiences went online...

ONLINE STREAMING
Audiences now have the ability to
2010s
watch hundreds of films whenever
they want, wherever they want.
Streaming service providers are also
creating their own award-winning
MOBILE FILMMAKING
content, challenging the traditional
Smartphones have quickly
studio production format that has
been in place for years. 2010s become an alternative to
professional filmmaking
equipment, paving the way for
many more indie and aspiring
filmmakers to get their content
seen.
CONTEMPORARY FILM

The messages in film are changing

2010s
too. Filmmakers are using the
medium to reinvent storytelling,
redefine genres and overwrite
stereotypes stemming from early
cinema.

A GLOBAL AUDIENCE
2020 More accessibility also means
more film stories shared from
around the world!
HISTORY PROJECT - STUDENT : ANDREI TUFIS