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The Kinetoscope is a device that allowed films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole window. This machine was created by Thomas Edison and William Kennedy Laurie Dickson.
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The Dickson Experimental Sound Film was the first film with live recorded sound. It was made for the Kinetoscope, and can be viewed here.
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Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films made by Warner Bros. and First National, from 1926 to 1931. It was the only commercially successful sound-on-disc system used for film. -
Don Juan was the first feature-length film to use the Vitaphone sound system. Although the film includes a synchronized musical score and sound effects, there is no spoken dialogue. -
The Jazz Singer was the first feature-length sound film with lip-synchronous singing and speech. This film effectively marked the end of the silent film era. -
Show Boat was the first major instance of foley. Named after Jack Foley, foley is the art of recreating everyday sounds in a film that could not properly be picked up in the recording process, later added to the scene in order to improve audio quality. This includes any sound from footsteps to a hero getting punched in an action movie fight sequence. -
Peludópolis was the first animated film to feature sound. This film used the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system to record the sound. -
Motion Picture Sound Editors (M.P.S.E.) is founded. M.P.S.E. strives to increase the recognition, as well as demonstrate the importance and artistic value, of sound in film. -
Ben Burtt revolutionized sound design in science fiction with Star Wars. Iconic sounds he created include the lightsaber hum, the blaster shots, Darth Vader’s breathing, and many more. -
The first use of the term “Sound Designer” as a credit in film. Walter Murch was listed as a Sound Designer in the credits for Apocalypse Now. The usual credit given in film before that was Supervising Sound Editor or Sound Editor.