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First motion picture camera
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, commissioned by Thomas Alva Edison, builds the first motion-picture camera and names it the Kinetograph. -
A Trip to the moon
Was a 14 minute masterpiece (nearly one reel in length (about 825 feet), created by imaginative French director and master magician Georges Melies. -
First Plot
In 1903, the ten-minute-long “The Great Train Robbery,” was shown, and it was the first Western narrative with a plot. Previously, films were just actions of mundane things like a short dance, a greeting or a kiss. -
The first movie theater
The first movie theater opens in Pittsburgh. -
The first feature film
The first feature film is released when the two reels of D. W. Griffith's Enoch Arden are screened together. -
Alice's Wonderland
Walt Disney creates his first cartoon, "Alice's Wonderland." -
Talking
The Jazz Singer changed everything when star Al Jolson spoke the words, "You ain't heard nothin' yet," and the talkies were born. -
3-Color system
Although a primitive, two-color process was first used in 1922, audiences weren't impressed by Technicolor until a three-color system appeared in Becky Sharp. -
first 3-D film
The first 3-D film, relying upon stereoscopic technology, achieved wide release in 1953. Earlier attempts had been made, but the 1950s saw the popularity of 3-d. -
Wide Screen
With the invention of television, film needed to up its game. New widescreen processes to produce bigger and more exciting films were the answer. -
Ratings
Motion picture ratings were introduced in 1968, with G, PG, R and X. PG-13 came significantly later. The X rating will later be replaced by NC-17. -
Steady cam
The Steadycam, first used in Rocky, became available offering new options to filmmakers.
