moive assignment

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Edison http://edison.rutgers.edu/ http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/edhtml/edbiohm.h tml -By 1870 Edison was known as the “businessman’s inventor.” While his inventions served his business interests, his works often had great appeal for the amusement and entertainment industry. Invented the phonograph in 1877 in Menlo Park, New Jersey where his laboratory was located. This instrument recorded and played back sound; would be an important precursor to moving pictures But the marketing of the phonograph as a public amusement proved most useful in terms of how Edison would market moving pictures Two ideas coalesced:

1) the phonograph concert 2) the nickel-in-the-slot phonograph.

Both of these took place in either store-front venues or in a traveling exhibit. Inexpensive entertainment

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Moralists claimed early on that the phonograph slot machines were not only morally corrupt but led to health hazards because of multiple listeners- -the headsets spread disease. Edison’s Scientific Milieu Edison had met Muybridge in 1888 at a zoopraxiscope exhibit in Europe Muybridge suggested to Edision that they merge their inventions and entrepreneurial minds Edison also met Marey in France. Through his meetings with Muybridge and Marey Edison was made aware of the international impact that this invention held. Working for Edison in the late 1880s was William Kennedy Laurie Dickson 1891—Worked on Edison’s motion-picture machine called the kinetoscope Dickson had the expertise to finish the kinetoscope—not Edison. Kinetoscope—machine where one watches moving pictures Kinetograph—Dickson machine that records or films events

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It was motor driven and ran by electricity First machine to use George Eastman’s 70mm film Dickson, however, has to cut in half because it is too big—hence Edison’s/Dickson’s machines use 35mm Edison—ever nervous of being bamboozled copyrights every single image recorded by the Edison Company He also applies for and receives patents for every little piece of machinery associated with his inventions 1893—premiers one kinetoscope at the World’s Columbian Exhibition The kinetoscope was ready for commercial sale 1893 Edison builds a studio to record images for the kinetoscope called the Black Maria (slang expression for police patrol wagons) The Black Maria was on a sort of turn-table with a roof that opened so that they could receive direct sunlight in order to shoot their films January 1894 Dickson films their first films at the Black Maria: Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze Amateur Gymnast The Barbershop

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Sandow the Strongman Annabelle Serpentine Dance 6 April 1894—First installation of the kinetoscope premiered at 1155 Broadway—Holland Brother’s Entertainment Parlor in New York In that same year machines were operating in Chicago, San Francisco, Atlantic City, and Washington D.C. Edison seeking to capitalize on the European marketplace set up another division: the Continental Commerce Company In France, however, the Lumiere Brothers were doing something very different with their moving images. While the kinetoscope was like a small slot machine that you looked into, the French were projecting images. Edison faced extremely stiff competition from the French Europe Film Projection France. Auguste and Louis Lumiere developed the cinematographe at their Lyons factory. Summer 1895—Lumieres demonstrate cinematographe to scientists

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It opened commercially in Paris at the Grand Cafe on the Boulevard des Capucines 28 December 1895 The film of an oncoming train projected on the screen frightened the audience Projection was also attempted this year in England and Germany Lumiere’s cinematographe machine could be used to either record images or project images It is a hand-cranked apparatus—not tied to electricity like the Kinetoscope—machine is more mobile The French system also had a much higher quality image than Edison’s Edison does three things to compete with Lumiere: 1) buys out American competitors who have superior machines but inadequate capital to begin a business 2) sues practically anyone who he believes has infringed on his patents:

Edison works with the legal framework known as “States Rights”

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If someone used his equipment without these rights you were infringing on his patents and Edison would sue

3) forms Edison’s Vitascope Company in 1896 The Need For Production The Vitascope company was very successful. Critics championed Edison’s “views” and “scenes” It was so popular, that Edison could not supply enough films Dupes from Europe sometimes filled the bill, but many more were needed. Edison brings theater stars to the Black Maria. Beginnings of the movie’s star system. 1896—May Irwin and John C. Rice who were then performing in The Widow Jones are brought to New Jersey. At the Black Maria “studio” they were shot once and came out with the enormously successful The May Irwin Kiss. Edison’s Vitascope also becomes famous for their actualities (short documentaries)

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Ferry Boat Leaving Dock, New York, Parade of Bicyclists at Brooklyn The cartoonist J. Stuart Blackton (of the New York World) did quick cartoon sketches for the camera. Competition, however, did not go away. The Lumieres set up shop in New York in 1896 In France, they screened their films mainly to a middle-class audience. Their films were considered more “genteel” Considered more “artistic” and for lovers of “refined culture.” Lumiere’s had collected more than 1,400 actuality films such as a train arriving at a station, two babies quarreling, workers leaving a factory In 1895 the Lumiere’s had shot a one-scene comedy, The Gardener and the Bad Boy. But they soon realized that they needed to shoot scenes of America to gain popularity in the states Lumiere’s opened offices in mid-town NY and offered states rights. Their first US screening was June 1896.

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Those in charge of American operations, however, did not understand the peculiar American business mentality and could not properly capitalize on the Lumiere invention. 1897 another production company had moved into the foreground. The American Mutoscope Company (later to become the Biograph Company) became the foremost motion picture company in the US for the next four years. Their recording and projecting device was called the Mutoscope or the Biograph. The mutoscope used 70mm film. Very high quality image Biograph’s success in the US provided them quick access overseas Operations began with a premiere in London in March 1897. American Audiences-Who is Going to the Movies? 1897—films were being shown in circuses, carnivals, and vaudeville houses An important note to reiterate, films were rarely screened silently. There was always some sort of musical accompaniment or sound effects provided by the exhibitor.

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Audience demographics cut across working, middle and elite classes: Films showed in burlesque houses (referred to as “tobascoscope –“spicy”) to the immigrant population where their programs included sexual jokes, etc. Organizations such as the Young Men’s Christian Association would show suitable films for their meetings in order to keep the guys out of the saloons. American aristocracy sometimes saw moving pictures as part of a lecture series on travel, for example (Brooklyn was a popular site for these). But Brooklyn also had the hot spot for popular entertainment - Coney Island. It was considered the denizen of sin (Kathy Peiss). 1897 there were three distinct cinematic genres in America: travel lectures, passion plays, and boxing. Boxing -Boxing was enormously popular.

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Although illegal in all states to stage fights, the filmed version of the fight was not. -Boxing was so popular an independent manufacturer came into existence: The American Sportagraph Co. -Sometimes the filmmakers re-enacted the fight if they could not get the original. Film was also seen as the precursor to the video tape (the judges could go back to the film to see what actually did happen) Passion Plays Religious groups would only accept films of Christ if they were shot on the actual location No actors were to be used—sacrilege. Christian priests or other non-actors were to play Christ Performances were part theatrical, part film Religious subjects generally did well. In 1898 William Dickson shot Pope Leo XIII in Rome. Travel Lectures Most prominent travel lecturer was E. Burton Holmes

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Holmes was the first to use moving pictures as part of his lecture. Holmes gave courses of five lectures that generally met once of twice a week; charged $5 for the course. His most popular lecture was on Yellowstone National Park.