History of Film

By vivianbergeron

  • Movies arrive in the US

    Movies arrive in the US
    One of the first ever films, The Kiss, created by Thomas Edison, is released. It attracts large crowds and acts as a threat to morality. The first theater was built in Philadelphia, and film companies started building film studios by 1900.

  • Women in film

    Women in film
    One of the earliest film directors was Lois Weber. She popularized split-screen effects while experimenting with sound, editing, and camera work. Lois was the leading female director-screenwriter in early Hollywood.

  • First stop-motion

    First stop-motion
    Willis O'Brien brought dinosaurs to life with his film "The Lost World". One frame at a time, he created it by moving miniature models of dinosaurs. Willis was also a first to use special effects creating it a world wide sensation.

  • Talkies were born

    Talkies were born
    The 1927 film, The Jazz Singer, started talkies when Al Jolson spoke "You ain't heard nothin' yet". This started a chain in movies with synchronized sound that everyone loved.

  • Technicolor

    Technicolor
    Two-color film technology was now being used. Audiences could now see films in technicolor with the release of Becky Sharp. By 1929 there were over 20 companies holding color patents.

  • Wide Screen

    Wide Screen
    Televisions were invented. Film makers were looking to produce bigger and more exciting films which called for wide screens.

  • First 3-D Film

    First 3-D Film
    Also in 1953, 3-D films were invented. The thrilling pop-out films excited many people and drew popularity.

  • Motion Picture Ratings

    Motion Picture Ratings
    MPAA creates a system of ratings bases on the viewers age. The ratings were G for general audiences, M for mature audiences, R for 16 and above unless with a parent, and X under 16 not permitted.

  • First Steadicam

    First Steadicam
    The steadicam is invented. It allows the operator to move around white stabilizing the camera. It is first used in the 1976 film, Rocky.

  • Refusal of X rating

    Refusal of X rating
    The X rating comes to be equated with pornography. Newspapers, TV, and many theaters refuse to advertise X rated movies.

  • Film goes Digital

    Film goes Digital
    Lost in Yonkers is edited on an Avid Media Composer system. This allows viewing at film's "real-time"-viewing rate of 24 frames per second. By converting film into digital bits, film can now be edited on a computer.

  • Movies go Big

    Movies go Big
    Star Wars is announced, Warner Bros announce Harry Potter, Disney goes big with The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Shrek. Walt Disney pays $7.4 billion for Pixar Animation Studios to create widely poplar movies.