Media Timeline Rhiannon Jenkins A2 Media Studies

History of Film

History of Film Edward Muybridge set up 24 cameras close to one another to

take photos of a horse in order to prove that at some point all four of the horses feet are off the ground. Muybridge’s work got inventors thinking that motion picture photography may be possible. However, what they then had to figure out was how to use one camera to take 24 different images.

In the late 19th century, many researchers realised that films as they are now could actually be a possibility; they just had to design a suitable apparatus. In 1889 Dickinson discovered the key was to use the flexible photographic film that had been invented by George Eastman (founder of Kodak). The photographer would move the film in front of the lens at a constant speed, the result being several slightly different photographs when moved quickly in front of the eye gives an illusion of a moving object. Edison invented the kinetoscope which moved the film around in a motion that allowed the images to move. However the kinetoscope only allowed one person at a time to view the moving pictures.

History of Film (continued) Thomas Armat and Charles Francis Jenkins engineered

one of the first film projectors that actually worked. However, at the same time Louis and Auguste Lumière perfected the Cinematographe which produced films that were cheaper than the ones made by Edison. The Cinematographe was a piece of equipment that was used as a recording device as well as a projecting device.

At first films were silent because no practical method was designed to align synchronous sound to the film itself until 1923. Throughout this time film and cinema changed from being a novelty to one of the largest, most established industries for entertainment and communication.

History of Film (continued) By 1930, synchronous sound was the norm as a device that

was derived from radio was invented, which could effectively amplify sound in the theatre. Technological advances later allowed sound to be an integral part of filmmaking.

When film became more than just a novelty, companies such as Fox Studios, Paramount and Warner Bros were created to consolidate their power and wealth within the filmmaking industry. They monopolised the studios and commanded every part of the production of a film until the US government found them to be an illegal monopoly.

Around the same time, films were beginning to be produced in colour by use of the Technicolor system, which used a special camera that ran three separate strips of film which were red, yellow and blue and when combined, created a full colour image.

History of Film (continued) The popularity of film continued to grow alongside

technological breakthroughs such as special effects and new ideas surrounding the production and post-production of film.

The 1970’s brought the birth of the “blockbuster” as we know it, the first film that started it all being ‘Jaws’. ‘Jaws’ broke the typical blockbuster mould in several ways by using a virtually unknown cast and a giant mechanical shark, which introduced a whole new level of realism to the audience. ‘Star Wars’ also captivated the audience by way of special effects which created an atmosphere of verisimilitude.

In 1978, a device named the Steadicam could be attached to the cameraman rather than a dolly, allowing for new ideas from filmmakers to become reality.

History of Film (continued) With the 1990’s came the arrival of the Digital Age;

where CD’s are replacing vinyls, DVD’s taking over the likes of videos, and cameras and video cameras becoming faster and more impressive.

George Lucas released Star Wars: Episode 1 completely on a digital format, not using any film reel at all and prepared to film the next 2 films using completely digital cameras and to be released in digital theatres.

CGI and computer animation is improving with leaps and bounds from the 1990’s until the present day, with films such as Avatar being created using 3D cameras and motion capture, something that would have seemed impossible just 150 or so years ago.

History of Horror

History of Horror The origins of the Horror genre lie in the tradition of

storytelling itself, with stories being told of the ‘unknown’ and the supernatural all throughout time.

Classical mythology talks of realms that are not of this physical world and is heavily riddled with monsters such as Medusa, the Minotaur and Cyclops to name just a few.

The genre of horror within literature started with Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otrando (1764), which although quite stiff and unnaturally written, sparked a craze, subsequently creating the now-recognised genre of gothic horror. The first great horror classic was Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1818.

History of Horror Films

History of Horror Films The first recognised horror film is Nosferatu, which is a

silent film based on the story Dracula. Other literary monsters such as Frankenstein, Dr Jekyll and

Mr Hyde and the Hunchback of Notre Dame were soon turned into films in the 1910’s and 20’s.

It wasn’t until the 30’s that horror films began to reach larger audiences as this was when companies such as Universal released versions of films such as Dracula and Frankenstein.

After WWII horror films were quite unpopular as technology had not improved impressively and films were becoming shoddy and boring.

It was Hammer Film Productions that bought horror films back into the mainstream, using big actors in films such as The Mummy.

History of Horror Films The “Hammer Horror” style of film used new technology

but still stuck to low budgets and managed to entertain audience for a fair few years.

However, it was the 70’s that marked the start of horror-blockbusters with films like The Exorcist and The Omen which both used large budgets and high end production companies.

At the same time Romero and Polanski’s early films demonstrated a new angle by using their horror movies (the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes) to broadcast social and political messages that were relevant to the movements in the 60’s.

The 70’s saw the genre branch out into categories such as sci-fi, supernatural, slasher and gore, many of which have remained the same until the current day.

Influences as a result of this research We have taken influences from

films such as The Skeleton Key (2005) and Dead Silence (2007) because they are fairly recent and have taken influence from these films’ storylines and posters. We have decided to use the theme music from Dead Silence or one similar to it because it creates a sinister feeling to something that should have once been innocent. The Skeleton Key provided us with the stimulus for the storyline of the film. The branch of horror film ours probably fits under would be “supernatural”.