TCF112/Early Cinema
Thomas Edison (1847-1931)
9 May 1893: First public presentation of motion pictures Brooklyn Institute of the Arts & Sciences Black Maria studio Characteristics of Edison films Illuminated by the sun, but shot indoors Long shot (no close ups) 30-45 secs One shot long (no editing) No camera movement No real plots/stories Exhibition Kinetosope parlors Patents on motion picture technology Motion Picture Patents Company (aka, The Trust) Blacksmithing Scene, 1893 August and Louis Lumière
Similarities with Edison films
Sunlight. Long shot (no close-ups). No editing. Short: 60-70 secs. Differences
Scenes of everyday life Shot outdoors, on "location" (using sunlight) No actors. Used real people in everyday situations. Little or no camera movement. Exhibited as fairground oddity. 28 December 1895: first public screening, with admission charged Georges Méliès
Similarities with Edison & Lumière films
No editing within scenes. Long shot. No camera movement. Exhibited as fairground oddity. Differences from Edison & Lumière films
Actively told stories, with real plots. Fabricated sets. Actors, acrobats, magicians. Special effects (camera "tricks"). Hand-coloring.