Evolution of Cinematography Essay

 Evolution of Cinematography: Research

Key Events to discuss:

• Eadweard Muybridge (Horse in Movement, 1878)

• Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)

• The Silent Era (Lumiere Brothers, Mellie)

• Classical Hollywood Cinema

• Technicolour (1932)

Consider for each stage:

• Shot size

• Camera focus

• Shot composition

• Camera placement

• Duration

• Camera movement

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Eadweard Muybridge (Horse in Movement, 1878)

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Regarded as one of the first moving images in history, Eadweard Muybridge was tasked with continuously photographing a horse in motion to understand whether at any point, a horse has all four hooves off the ground. The motion of a running horse was too fast for the human eye to recognise this, so, Muybridge’s photographic skills were relied upon. Slow shutter speeds at this time were too slow to capture a clear image of movement so, Muybridge achieved this by using trip wires which would trigger the horses’ movements and capture a photograph at different points. The set of images were then placed together and showed a timeline of movement happening through stop-motion images. This was one of the first examples of a moving picture.

Muybridge was able to project his moving images using the Zoopraxiscope, which he invented in 1879. The way in which Muybridge did this was through painting silhouettes of his images onto a glass disc, which the was spun around and projected, making the image appear that it was moving.

Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)

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Although it is only 2.11 seconds in length, the Roundhay Garden Scene that was created in 1888 is still regarded as the first ever motion picture. The short film captures a few seconds of real movement on camera. The film was shot by Louis Le Prince on a single lens cinematograph camera that he created. (Show images of camera in video).  Uses one single shot, and static camera placement.

The Silent Era (Lumiere Brothers, Mellie)

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The Silent Era of films included films such as Le Voyage Dans La Lune, by George Méliès and The Sprinkled Sprinkler, by the Lumiere Brothers. Differences between the Kinetoscope (Edison) and the Cinematograph (Lumiere). The Kinetoscope was created in 1891 by the Edison Company, whereas the Lumiere Brothers created the Cinematograph in 1892. The Kinetoscope: “In it, a strip of film was passed rapidly between a lens and an electric light bulb while the viewer peered through a peephole. Behind the peephole was a spinning wheel with a narrow slit that acted as a shutter, permitting a momentary view of each of the 46 frames passing in front of the shutter every second.” Edison’s Kinetoscope was only available for singular viewing through a single peephole, however, the Cinematograph by the Lumiere Brothers consisted of a camera lens, and a mass projector. This was an advanced step and therefore superior to Edison’s Kinetoscope.  Films that included sound were not released until the 1920s, so films up until that period were referred to as Silent Films. In order to use sound whilst showing Silent Films to audiences, musicians would play live music in the cinemas (Nickelodeons). Films of this era were monochrome, however, some used coloured tints and hues, making the whole shot appear as one single colour. Each piece of film would have to be tinted by hand. Toning was also when rolls of film were placed in dyes, changing the colour of the scene. Each tint could be used to represent the emotion of the scene.

Classical Hollywood Cinema

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The Classical Hollywood Cinema period, also known as the Golden Age for Cinema, spanned between the 1920s and late 1950s. It began with the film, ‘The Jazz Singer’ (1927) which was the first ever film to be released with synchronised sound. Films such as, The Jazz Singer, were regarded as ‘talkies’, as they were some of the first films to use human voices to enhance the story. It was during this period that continuity editing was more commonly used and films would be shot using multiple shot types and angles. It was at this time that scenes would start to be filmed multiple times, and from different angles, as this would allow for more choice during the editing process. Films of the Classical Hollywood era were now incorporating both visual and sound techniques that enhanced the overall film. During this period, genres of films started to be established, such as comedies, westerns, romance, and gangster films, and films often followed a clear beginning, middle, and end structure, with a precise plot. Unlike short films of The Silent Era, these films had a deeper storyline due to the longer duration of the films. ‘The Big Five’ studios consisting of, RKO, MGM, Paramount, Fox, and Warner Bros. Many of these large production companies also owned their own cinemas, which they would distribute their own films to, however, it was later decided that the studios were taking business from others and preventing competition, so they were forced to sell their cinemas and solely produce the films. It was also during the period that the aspect ratio of films changed from 4:3 to 16:9, also known as widescreen. This benefited being able to film landscape shots, however, it became harder to film close up shots. Cinema of this period grew because the films that were being made represented a reality, although it could be more exciting than everyday life, so the audiences felt better connected to the films.

Technicolour (1932)

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It was during The Golden Age of cinema that Technicolour was widely introduced in film. However, as previously mentioned, it was not the first time that any form of colour was used in a motion picture. The first film to use any form of natural colour was A Visit To The Seaside, which was filmed in 1908. The technique used to colour this film was called Kinemacolour, which involved two filters of red and green which rotated, filtering colour onto the image, even though it may not have been natural or correct to the original colour. It was after this point that Technicolour was introduced. Whilst using a similar technique to Kinemacolour, Technicolour films were created using red, green and blue filters, which were then ultimately compressed together on one clear piece of film. It was through this technique that all of the colours were mixed, creating a natural looking scene. Before all of this, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, filmmakers would employ colourists that would colour each scene by hand, however, this process was very time consuming and expensive, hence why many films remained in monochrome. The first ever film to use this technique was ‘Annabelle Serpentine Dance’ which was filmed in 1895. Although not the first film to use the Technicolour process, The Wizard Of Oz is often seen as being one of the most notable for the technique. The contrast in the sepia toned world at the beginning of the film, to the array of colours as the film progresses into Oz makes the film even more intriguing to the viewers, as it represents the journey of colour in film. It was also at this point that it became apparent that colour would prove a useful storytelling device in film. Colour was able to reflect emotions and feelings behind the characters on screen and the situation. For example, in the scene where Dorothy lands in Oz, the sepia filter could represent her life of poverty and despair, compared to the vibrant colours of green in Oz, which could represent wealth and opulence. Another scene from The Wizard Of Oz where this technique has been used is when Dorothy makes her way down the yellow brick road. Yellow can be seen as a colour of happiness and hope, which can reveal and foreshadow what lies ahead on Dorothy’s journey. However, if this film was shot in monochrome colour, this aspect would be hidden from the viewer, and the filmmakers would have to rely solely on set, dialogue and action from the actors to portray emotion.