evolution of film industry essay

The History of Film Timeline — All Eras of Film History Explained

M otion pictures have enticed and inspired artists, audiences, and critics for more than a century. Today, we’re going to explore the history of film by looking at the major movements that have defined cinema worldwide. We’re also going to explore the technical craft of filmmaking from the persistence of vision to colorization to synchronous sound. By the end, you’ll know all the broad strokes in the history of film.

Note: this article doesn’t cover every piece of film history. Some minor movements and technical breakthroughs have been left out – check out the StudioBinder blog for more content.

• Pre-Film: Photographic Techniques and Motion Picture Theory
• The Nascent Film Era (1870s-1910): The First Motion Pictures
• The First Film Movements: Dadaism, German Expressionism, and Soviet Montage Theory
• Manifest Destiny and the End of the Silent Era
• Hollywood Epics and the Pre-Code Era
• The Early Golden Age and the Introduction of Color
• Wartime Film and Cinematic Propaganda
• Post-War Film Movements: French New Wave, Italian Neorealism, Scandinavian Revival, and Bengali Cinema
• The Golden Age of Hollywood: The Studio System and Censorship
• New Hollywood: The Emergence of Global Blockbuster Cinema
• Dogme 95 and the Independent Movement
• New Methods of Cinematic Distribution and the Current State of Film

When Were Movies Invented?

Pre-film techniques and theory.

Movies refer to moving pictures and moving pictures can be traced all the way back to prehistoric times. Have you ever made a shadow puppet show? If you have, then you’ve made a moving picture.

To create a moving picture with your hands is one thing, to utilize a device is another. The camera obscura (believed to have been circulated in the fifth century BCE) is perhaps the oldest photographic device in existence. The camera obscura is a device that’s used to reproduce images by reflecting light through a small peephole.

Here’s a picture of one from Gemma Frisius’ 1545 book De Radio Astronomica et Geometrica :

When Did Movies Start?  •  Camera Obscura in ‘De Radio Astronomica et Geometrica’

Through the camera obscura, we can trace the principles of filmmaking back thousands of years. But despite the technical achievement of the camera obscura, it took many of those years to develop the technology needed to capture moving images then later display them. 

When Was Film Invented?

The first motion pictures.

When were movies invented ? The first motion pictures were incredibly simple – usually just a few frames of people or animals. Eadweard Muybridge’s The Horse in Motion is perhaps the most famous of these early motion pictures. In 1878, Muybridge set up a racing track with 24 cameras to photograph whether horses gallop with all four hooves off the ground at any time

The result was sensational. Muybridge’s pictures set the stage for all coming films; check out a short video on Muybridge and his work below.

When Did the First Movie Come Out?  •  Eadweard Muybridge’s ‘The Horse in Motion’ by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Muybridge’s job wasn’t done after taking the photographs though; he still had to produce a projection machine to display them. So, Muybridge built a device called the zoopraxiscope, which was regarded as a breakthrough device for motion picture projecting.

Muybridge’s films (and tech) inspired Thomas Edison to study motion picture theory and develop his own camera equipment.

Films as we know them today emerged globally around the turn of the century, circa 1900. Much of that development can be attributed to the works of the Lumière Brothers, who together pioneered the technical craft of moviemaking with their cinematograph projection machine. The Lumière Brothers’ 1895 shorts are regarded as the first commercial films of all-time; though not technically true (remember Muybridge’s work).

French actor and illusionist Georges Méliès attempted to buy a cinematograph from the Lumière Brothers in 1895, but was denied. So, Méliès ventured elsewhere; eventually finding a partner in Englishman Robert W. Paul.

Over the following years, Méliès learned just about everything there was to know about movies and projection machines. Here’s a video on Méliès’ master of film and the illusory arts from Crash Course Film History.

When Were Movies Invented?  •  Georges Méliès – Master of Illusion by Crash Course

Méliès’ shorts The One Man Band (1900) and A Trip to the Moon (1902) are considered two of the most trailblazing films in all of film history. Over the course of his career, Méliès produced over 500 films. His contemporary mastery of visual effects , multiple exposure , and cinematography made him one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time .

Movie History

The first film movements.

War and cinema go together like two peas in a pod. As we continue on through our analysis of the history of film, you’ll start to notice that just about every major movement sprouted in the wake of war. First, the movements that sprouted in response to World War I:

DADAISM AND SURREALISM

History of Motion Pictures  •  Still From ‘Un Chien Andalou’ by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí

Major Dadaist filmmakers: Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, Germaine Dulac.

Major Dadaist films: Return to Reason (1923), The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928), U n Chien  Andalou (1929).

Dadaism – an art movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland during World War I (1915) – rejected authority; effectively laying the groundwork for surrealist cinema . 

Dadaism may have begun in Zurich circa 1915, but it didn’t take off until years later in Paris, France. By 1920, the people of France had expressed a growing disillusionment with the country’s government and economy. Sound familiar?

That’s because they’re the same points of conflict that incited the French Revolution. But this time around, the French people revolted in a different way: with art. And not just any art: bonkers, crazy, absurd, anti-this, anti-that art. 

It’s important to note that Paris wasn’t the only place where dadaist art was being created. But it was the place where most of the dadaist, surrealist film was being created. We’ll get to dadaist film in a short bit, but first, let’s review a quick video on Dada art from Curious Muse.

Where Did Film Originate?  •  Dadaism in 8 Minutes by Curious Muse

Salvador Dalí, Germaine Dulac, and Luis Buñuel were some of the forefront faces of the surrealist film movement of the 1920s. French filmmakers, such as Jean Epstein and Jean Renoir experimented with surrealist films during this era as well.

Dalí and Buñuel’s 1929 film Un Chien Andalou is undoubtedly one of the most influential surrealist/dadaist films. Let’s check out a clip:

History of Movies  •  ‘Un Chien Andalou’ Clip

The influence of Un Chien Andalou on surrealist cinema can’t be quantified; key similarities can be seen between the film and the works of Walt Disney, David Lynch , Terry Gilliam , and other surrealist directors.

Learn more about surrealism in film →

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM 

The Creation of Film and German Expressionism  •  Still From ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ by Robert Wiene

• German Expressionism – an art movement defined by monumentalist structures and ideas – began before World War I but didn’t take off in popularity until after the war, much like the Dadaist movement.
• Major German Expressionist filmmakers: Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau, Robert Wiene 
• Major German Expressionist films: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), and Metropolis   (1927).

German Expressionism changed everything for the “look” and “feel” of cinema. When you think of German Expressionism, think contrast, gothic, dark, brooding imagery and colored filters. Here’s a quick video on the German Expressionist movement from Crash Course:

History of Film Timeline  •  German Expressionism Explained

The great works of the German Expressionist movement are some of the earliest movies I consider accessible to modern audiences. Perhaps no German Expressionist film proves this point better than Fritz Lang’s M ; which was the ultimate culmination of the movement’s stylistic tenets. Check out the trailer for M below.

Most Important Film in History of German Expressionism  •  ‘M’ (1931) Trailer, Restored by BFI

M not only epitomized the “monster” tone of the German Expressionist era, it set the stage for all future psychological thrillers. The film also pioneered sound engineering in film through the clever use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound . Fun fact: it was also one of the first movies to incorporate a leitmotif as part of its soundtrack.

Over time, the stylistic flourishes of the German Expressionist movement gave way to new voices – but its influence lived on in monster-horror and chiaroscuro lighting techniques. 

Learn more about German Expressionism →

SOVIET MONTAGE THEORY

Film History 101  •  The Odessa Steps in ‘Battleship Potemkin’

• Soviet Montage Theory – a Soviet Russian film movement that helped establish the principles of film editing – took place from the 1910s to the 1930s. 
• Major Soviet Montage Theory filmmakers: Lev Kuleshov, Sergei Eisenstein , Dziga Vertov.
• Major Soviet Montage Theory films: Kino-Eye (1924), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Man With a Movie Camera (1929).

Soviet Montage Theory was a deconstructionist film movement, so as to say it wasn’t as interested in making movies as it was taking movies apart… or seeing how they worked. That being said, Soviet Montage Theory did produce some classics.

Here’s a video on Soviet Montage Theory from Filmmaker IQ:

Eras of Movies  •  The History of Cutting in Soviet Montage Theory by Filmmaker IQ

The Bolshevik government set-up a film school called VGIK (the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography) after the Russian Revolution. The practitioners of Soviet Montage Theory were the OG members of the “film school generation;” Kuleshov and Eisenstein were their teachers.

Battleship Potemkin was the most noteworthy film to come out of the Soviet Montage Theory movement. Check out an awesome analysis from One Hundred Years of Cinema below.

History of Film Summary  •  How Sergei Eisenstein Used Montage to Film the Unfilmable by One Hundred Years of Cinema

Soviet Montage Theory begged filmmakers to arrange, deconstruct, and rearrange film clips to better communicate emotional associations to audiences. The legacy of Soviet Montage Theory lives on in the form of the Kuleshov effect and contemporary montages .

Learn more about Soviet Montage Theory →

When Did Movies Become Popular?

The end of the silent era.

There was no Hollywood in the early years of American cinema – there was only Thomas Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company in New Jersey.

Ever wonder why Europe seemed to dominate the early years of film? Well it was because Thomas Edison sued American filmmakers into oblivion. Edison owned a litany of U.S. patents on camera tech – and he wielded his stamps of ownership with righteous fury. The Edison Manufacturing Company did produce some noteworthy early films – such as 1903’s The Great Train Robbery – but their gaps were few and far between.

To escape Edison’s legal monopoly, filmmakers ventured west, all the way to Southern California. 

Fortunate for the nomads: the arid temperature and mountainous terrain of Southern California proved perfect for making movies. By the early 1910s, Hollywood emerged as the working capital of the United States’s movie industry.

Director/actors like Charlie Chaplin , Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton became stars – but remember, movies were silent, and people knew there would be an acoustic revolution in cinema. Before we move on from the Silent Era, check out this great video from Crash Course.

When Did Movies Become Popular?  •  The Silent Era by Crash Course

The Silent Era holds an important place in film history – but it was mostly ushered out in 1927 with The Jazz Singer . Al Jolson singing in The Jazz Singer is considered the first time sound ever synchronized with a feature film . Over the next few years, Hollywood cinema exploded in popularity. This short period from 1927-1934 is known as pre-Code Hollywood.

When Did Hollywood Start?

Pre-code hollywood.

In our previous section, we touched on the rise of Hollywood, but not the Hollywood epic. The Hollywood epic, which we regard as longer in duration and wider in scope than the average movie, set the stage for blockbuster cinema. So, let’s quickly touch on the history of Hollywood epics before jumping into pre-code Hollywood.

It’s impossible to talk about Hollywood epics without bringing up D.W. Griffith. Griffith was an American film director who created a lot of what we consider “the structure” of feature films. His 1915 epic The Birth of a Nation brought the technique of cinematic storytelling into the future, while consequently keeping its subject matter in the objectionable past.

For more on Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (and its complicated legacy), check out this poignant interview clip with Spike Lee . 

History of Filmmaking  •  Spike Lee on ‘The Birth of a Nation’

As Lee suggests, it’s important to acknowledge the technical achievement of films like The Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind without condoning their horrid subject matter. 

As another great director once said: “tomorrow’s democracy discriminates against discrimination. Its charter won’t include the freedom to end freedom.” – Orson Welles.

Griffith made more than a few Hollywood epics in his time, but none were more famous than The Birth of a Nation .

Okay, now that we reviewed the foundations of the Hollywood epic, let’s move on to pre-code Hollywood.

PRE-CODE HOLLYWOOD

A History of Film  •  James Cagney in ‘The Public Enemy’

• Pre-Code Hollywood – a period in Hollywood history after the advent of sound but before the institution of the Hays Code – circa ~1927-1934.
• Major Pre-Code stars: Ruth Chatterton, Warren William, James Cagney.
• Major Pre-Code films: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), The Public Enemy (1931), Baby Face (1933).

Pre-Code Hollywood was wild. Not just wild in an uninhibited sense, but in a thematic sense too. Films produced during the pre-Code era often focused on illicit subject matter, like bootlegging, prostitution, and murder – that wasn't the status quo for Hollywood – and it wouldn’t be again until 1968.

We’ll get to why that year is important for film history in a bit, but first let’s review pre-Code Hollywood with a couple of selected scenes from Kevin Wentink on YouTube.

Movie Film History  •  Pre-Code Classic Clips

Pre-Code movies were jubilant in their creativity; largely because they were uncensored . But alas, their period was short-lived. In 1934, MPPDA Chairman William Hays instituted the Motion Picture Production Code banning explicit depictions of sex, violence, and other “sinful” deeds in movies. 

Learn more about Pre-Code Hollywood →

Development of Movies

The early golden age and color in film.

The 1930s and early 1940s produced some of the greatest movies of all-time – but they also changed everything about the movie-making process. By the end of the Pre-Code era, the free independent spirit of filmmaking had all but evaporated; Hollywood studios had vertically integrated their business operations, which meant they conceptualized, produced, and distributed everything “in-house.”

That doesn’t mean movies made during these years were bad though. Quite the contrary – perhaps the two greatest American films ever made, Citizen Kane and Casablanca , were made between 1934 and 1944.

But despite their enormous influence, neither Citizen Kane nor Casablanca could hold a candle to the influence of another film from this decade: The Wizard of Oz .

The Wizard of Oz wasn’t the first film to use Technicolor , but it was credited with bringing color to the masses. For more on the industry-altering introduction of color, check out this video on The Wizard of Oz from Vox.

When Was Color Movies Invented?  •  How Technicolor Changed Movies

Technicolor was groundbreaking for cinema, but the dye-transfer process of its colorization was hard… and cost prohibitive for studios. So, camera manufacturers experimented with new processes to streamline color photography. Overtime, they were rewarded with new technologies and techniques.

Learn more about Technicolor →

Cinema Eras

Wartime and propaganda films.

In 1937, Benito Mussolini founded Cinecittà , a massive studio that operated under the slogan “Il cinema è l'arma più forte,” which translates to “the cinema is the strongest weapon.” During this time, countries all around the world used cinema as a weapon to influence the minds and hearts of their citizens.

This was especially true in the United States – prolific directors like Frank Capra, John Ford, John Huston, George Stevens, and William Wyler enlisted in the U.S. Armed Forces to make movies to support the U.S. war cause. 

Documentarian Laurent Bouzereau made a three-part series about the war films of Capra, Ford, Huston, Stevens, and Wyler. Check out the trailer for Five Came Back below.

A History of Film  •  Five Came Back Trailer

Wartime film is important to explore because it teaches us about how people interpret propaganda. For posterity’s sake, let’s define propaganda as biased information that’s used to promote political points.

Propaganda films are often regarded with a negative connotation because they sh0w a one-sided perspective. Films of this era – such as those commissioned for the US Department of War’s Why We Fight series – were one-sided because they were made to counter the enemy’s rhetoric. It’s important to note that “one-sided” doesn’t mean “wrong” – in the case of the Why We Fight series, I think most people would agree that the one-sidedness was appropriate. 

Over time, wartime film became more nuanced – a point proven by the 1966 masterwork The Battle of Algiers .

History of Movies

Post-war film movements.

Global cinema underwent a renaissance after World War II; technically, creatively, and conceptually. We’re going to cover a few of the most prominent post-war film movements, starting with Italian Neorealism.

ITALIAN NEOREALISM

Movie Film History  •  Still from Vittorio De Sica’s ‘Umberto D.’

• Italian Neorealism (1944-1960) – an Italian film movement that brought filmmaking to the streets; defined by depictions of the Italian state after World War II.
• Major Italian Neorealist film-makers: Vittorio De Sica, Roberto Rossellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini .
• Major Italian Neorealist films: Rome, Open City (1945), Bicycle Thieves (1948), La Strada (1954), Il Posto (1961).

Martin Scorcese called Italian Neorealism “the rehabilitation of an entire culture and people through cinema.” World War II devastated the Italian state: socially, economically, and culturally.

It took people’s lives and jobs, but perhaps more importantly, it took their humanity. After the War, the people needed an outlet of expression, and a place to reconstruct a new national identity. Here’s a quick video on Italian Neorealism.

Movie History  •  How Italian Neorealism Brought the Grit of the Streets to the Big Screen by No Film School

Italian Neorealism produced some of the greatest films ever made. There’s some debate as to when the movement started and ended – some say 1943-1954, others say 1945-1955 – but I say it started with Rome, Open City and ended with Il Posto . Why? Because those movies perfectly encompass the defining arc of Italian Neorealism, from street-life after World War II to the rise of bureaucracy. Rome, Open City shows Italy in the thick of chaos, and Il Posto shows Italy on the precipice of a new era.

The legacy of Italian Neorealism lives on in the independent filmmaking of directors like Richard Linklater, Steven Soderbergh, and Sean Baker.

Learn more about Italian Neorealism →

FRENCH NEW WAVE

Development of Movies  •  Still From Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless

• French New Wave (1950s onwards) – or La Nouvelle Rogue, a French art movement popularized by critics, defined by experimental ideas – inspired by old-Hollywood and progressive editing techniques from Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.
• Major French New Wave filmmakers: Jean-Luc Godard , François Truffaut , Agnes Varda.
• Major French New Wave films: The 400 Blows (1959), Breathless (1960), Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962).

The French New Wave proliferated the auteur theory , which suggests the director is the author of a movie; which makes sense considering a lot of the best French New Wave films featured minimalist narratives. Take Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless for example: the story is secondary to audio and visuals. The French New Wave was about independent filmmaking – taking a camera into the streets and making a movie by any means necessary. 

Here’s a quick video on The French New Wave by The Cinema Cartography.

History of Filmmaking  •  Breaking the Rules With the French New Wave by The Cinema Cartography

It’s important to note that the pioneers of the French New Wave weren’t amateurs – most (but not all) were critics at Cahiers du cinéma , a respected French film magazine. Writers like Godard, Rivette, and Chabrol knew what they were doing long before they released their great works. 

Other directors, like Agnes Varda and Alain Resnais, were members of the Left Bank, a somewhat more traditionalist art group. Left Bank directors tended to put more emphasis on their narratives as opposed to their Cahiers du cinéma counterparts.

The French New popularized (but did not invent) innovative filmmaking techniques like jump cuts and tracking shots . The influence of the French New Wave can be seen in music videos, existentialist cinema, and French film noir .

Learn more about the French New Wave → 

Learn more about the Best French New Wave Films →

SCANDINAVIAN REVIVAL

A History of Film  •  Still from Ingmar Bergman’s ‘The Seventh Seal’

• Scandinavian Revival (1940s-1950s) – a filmmaking movement in Scandinavia, particularly Denmark and Sweden, defined by monochrome visuals, philosophical quandaries, and reinterpretations of religious ideals.
• Major Scandinavian Revival filmmakers: Carl Theodor Dreyer and Ingmar Bergman.
• Major Scandinavian Revival films: Day of Wrath (1943), The Seventh Seal (1957), Wild Strawberries (1957).

Swedish, Danish, and Finnish films have played an important role in cinema for more than 100 years. The Scandinavian Revival – or renaissance of Scandinavian-centric films from the 1940s-1950s – put the films of Sweden, Denmark, and Finland in front of the world stage.

Here’s a quick video on the works of the most famous Scandinavian director of all-time: Ingmar Bergman .

History of Cinema  •  Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema by The Criterion Collection

The influence of Scandinavian Revival can be seen in the works of Danish directors like Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier , as well as countless other filmmakers around the world.

BENGALI CINEMA

History of Motion Pictures  •  Still from Satyajit Ray’s ‘Pather Panchali’

• Bengali Cinema – or the cinema of West Bengal; also known as Tollywood, helped develop arthouse films parallel to the mainstream Indian cinema.
• Major Bengali filmmakers: Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen.
• Major Bengali films: Pather Panchali (1955) and Bhuvan Shome (1969).

The Indian film industry is the biggest film industry in the world. Each year, India produces more than a thousand feature-films. When most people think of Indian cinema, they think of Bollywood “song and dance” masalas – but did you know the country underwent a New Wave (similar to France, Italy, and Scandinavia) after World War II? The influence of the Indian New Wave, or classic Bengali cinema, is hard to quantify; perhaps it’s better expressed by the efforts of the Academy Film Archive, Criterion Collection, and L'Immagine Ritrovata film restoration artists. Here's an introduction to one of India's greatest directors, Satyajit Ray.

Evolution of Cinema  •  How Satyajit Ray Directs a Movie

In 2020, Martin Scorsese said, “In the relatively short history of cinema, Satyajit Ray is one of the names that we all need to know, whose films we all need to see.” Ray is undoubtedly one of the preeminent masters of international cinema – and his name belongs in the conversation with Hitchcock, Renoir, Kurosawa, Welles, and all the other trailblazing filmmakers of the mid-20th century.

Learn more about Indian Cinema →

OTHER POST-WAR & NEW WAVE MOVEMENTS

How Has Film Changed Over Time?  •  Still from Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Stray Dog’

Italy, France, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and India weren’t the only countries that underwent “New Waves” after World War II; Japan, Iran, Great Britain, and Russia had minor film revolutions as well.

In Japan, directors like Akira Kurosawa and Yasujirō Ozu introduced new filmmaking techniques to the masses; their 1940s-1950s films were great, but some filmmakers, like Hiroshi Teshigahara and Nagisa Ōshima felt they were better suited to make films about “modern” Japan. 

Here’s a quick video on the Japanese New Wave from Film Studies for YouTube.

Cinema Eras  •  Japanese New Wave Video Essay by Film Studies for YouTube

Some cinema historians combine the Japanese New Wave with the post-war era. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll do the same: the major films of this era (1940s-1960s) include Rashomon (1950), Tokyo Story (1953), and Seven Samurai (1954).

The Iranian New Wave began about fifteen years after the end of World War II, circa 1960-onwards. Iranian cinema is an important part of Iranian culture. Here’s a quick video on Iranian cinema from BBC News.

Important Dates in Film History  •  Spotlight on Iran’s Film Industry via BBC News

Cinema historians widely consider Dariush Mehrjui’s The Cow (1969) to be a foundational film for the movement. Abbas Kiarostami is perhaps the most famous Iranian filmmaker of all-time. His film Close-Up (1990) is regarded as one of the greatest films ever produced in Iran.

The British New Wave was a minor film movement that was defined by kitchen-sink realism – or depictions of ordinary life. Many filmmakers of the British New Wave were critics before they were directors; and they wanted to depict the average life of Britain through a filmic eye.

Here’s a lecture on the British New Wave from Professor Ian Christie at Gresham College. 

History of Filmmaking  •  Street-Life and New Wave British Cinema by Gresham College

The British New Wave became synonymous with Cinéma vérité (cinema of truth) over the course of its brief existence. Some of the major pictures of the movement include: Look Back in Anger (1959) and Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960).

Russian cinema is complex… probably just as complex as American cinema. We could spend 100 pages talking about Russian cinema – but that’s not the focus of this article. We already talked about Soviet Montage Theory, so let’s skip ahead to post World War II Soviet cinema. 

When I think of post-war Soviet cinema, I think of one name: Andrei Tarkovsky . Tarkovsky directed internationally-renowned films like Andrei Rublev (1969), Solaris (1972), and Stalker (1979) in his brief career as the Soviet Union’s pre-eminent maestro. 

Here’s a deep dive into the works of Tarkovsky by “Like Stories of Old.”

Film Industry Timeline  •  Praying Through Cinema – Understanding Andrei Tarkovsky by Like Stories of Old

Tarkovsky wasn’t the only great filmmaker in the post-war Soviet Union – but he was probably the best. I’d be remiss if I didn’t use this section to focus on him. 

History of Film Timeline

The golden age of hollywood.

The Hollywood Golden Age began with the fall of pre-Code Hollywood (1934) and lasted until the birth of New Hollywood (1968).

• Major stars of the Hollywood Golden Age: Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable, Ingrid Bergman, Henry Fonda, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, Grace Kelly, James Dean, Marlon Brando.
• Major filmmakers of the Hollywood Golden Age: Cecil B. DeMille , Orson Welles , Billy Wilder , Frank Capra , John Huston , Alfred Hitchcock , John Ford , Elia Kazan , David Lean , Joseph Manckiewicz.

Notice how many names we included? It’s ridiculous – it would be wrong to omit any of them; and still, there are probably dozens of iconic figures missing. The Hollywood Golden Age was all about stars. Stars sold pictures and the studios knew it. “Hepburn” could sell a movie every time; it didn’t matter which Hepburn – or what the movie was about.

Here’s a breakdown of the Hollywood Golden Age from Crash Course.

History of Movies  •  The Golden Age of Hollywood by Crash Course

There are a few sub-eras within the Hollywood Golden Age era; let’s break them down in detail.

Important Dates in Film History  •  Photo of MPPDA Chairman William Hays

In 1934, Chairman William Hays of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America instituted a production code that banned graphic cinematic depictions of sex, violence, and other illicit deeds. 

The “Production Code” or “ Hays Code ” was responsible for the censorship of Hollywood films for 34 years. 

For more on the history of Hollywood censorship and movie ratings, check out the video from Filmmaker IQ below.

How Has Film Changed Over Time?  •  History of Hollywood Censorship by Filmmaker IQ

The Hays Code kept cinema tame, which led to Hollywood romanticism. But it also made cinema unrealistic, which made the American public yearn for improbable outcomes. Not to mention that it set race relations back an indeterminable amount of years. The Hays Code specifically forbade miscegenation, or “the breeding of people of different races.” 

Ultimately, the censorship of Hollywood films was about keeping power in the hands of people with power. It had some positive unintended outcomes – but it wasn’t worth the cost of suppression.

Learn more about the Hays Code →

Learn more about the history of movie censorship →

Film Industry Timeline  •  Still from Nicholas Ray’s ‘In a Lonely Place’

Film noir is a style of film that’s defined by moralistic themes, high contrast lighting, and mysterious plots. Oftentimes, film noirs feature hardboiled protagonists . It’s important to note that film noir is a style, not a film movement. As such, we won’t list “film noir directors,” but we will list some iconic examples of film noir.

Major Hollywood film noirs: The Maltese Falcon (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Hollywood film noirs were inspired by classic detective fiction stories, like those of Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe. Over time, film noir was adopted as a style around the world – most famously in Great Britain with Carol Reed’s The Third Man .

Here’s a video on defining film noir from Jack’s Movie Reviews.

Eras of Movies  •  Defining Film Noir by Jack’s Movie Reviews

We could spend another 50 pages on film noir (like many other topics in this compendium) – but instead, let’s continue on.

Learn more about film noir →

How Movies Have Changed Over Time  •  Still from John Ford’s ‘The Searchers’

Hollywood westerns were incredibly popular during the Golden Age. Why? Because the American people loved stories of lawlessness and expansion, dating all the way back to Erastus Beadle’s dime novels – making the western the perfect subgenre for vicarious cinema.

Major Hollywood westerns: Stagecoach (1939), High Noon (1952), The Searchers (1956). 

Westerns, much like film noirs, allowed repressed audiences to feel alive at the movie theater. Remember: Hollywood films were censored during the Golden Age, which meant you couldn’t find graphic violence or pornography at the theaters. So, audiences took what they could get – which was usually film noirs and Westerns.

Here’s a video on the history of Westerns in Hollywood cinema. 

Evolution of Film  •  Western Movies History by Ministry of Cinema

Hollywood westerns inspired a global fascination with cowboys, mercenaries, and gunslingers, directly leading to samurai cinema, spaghetti westerns, zapata westerns, and neo-westerns.

Learn more about Spaghetti Westerns →

Learn more about Neo-Westerns →

McCARTHYISM & THE BLACKLIST

How Movies Have Changed Over Time  •  Bryan Cranston as Blacklisted Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo

In 1947, the state of Wisconsin elected notorious fear-monger Joseph McCarthy as senator of their state. McCarthy hated free-speech – that’s not a one-sided perspective, that’s the truth. McCarthy spent his entire career demagoguing, and his legacy shows that. 

In 1950, ten Hollywood screenwriters were summoned to appear before the United States Congress House of Un-American Activities, largely because of McCarthy's divisive rhetoric against communist sympathizers. The screenwriters were cited for contempt of congress and fired from their jobs, and thus, the blacklist was born.

For more on McCarthyism and the Hollywood blacklist , check out the video from Ted-Ed below.

The History of Film  •  McCarthyism and the Blacklist by Ted-Ed

The Hollywood blacklist derailed the careers of hundreds of writers, directors, and producers from 1950-1960. The blacklist ended when Kirk Douglas credited Dalton Trumbo – one of the most famous blacklisted screenwriters – as the screenwriter of Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus , effectively taking back control of Hollywood.

Learn more about the Hollywood Blacklist →

THE PARAMOUNT CASE

The History of Film  •  Paramount Studios Classic Style Logo

In 1948, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the five major motion picture studios: Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, and RKO violated the U.S. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

As a result of the decision, movie studios could no longer solely create and distribute movies to their own theaters.

It may not sound important, but the Paramount Case changed everything for American cinema. Here’s a quick video on the Case and its lasting impact on Hollywood.

The History of Filmmaking  •  Film History 101: The Paramount Decree by Omar Rivera

The Paramount Case opened the door for international films and independent theaters. It also gave businesses more freedom to show movies outside of the MPPDA ratings system.

Evolution of Cinema

New hollywood.

Movie History  •  Still from Arthur Penn’s’ Bonnie and Clyde’

• New Hollywood, otherwise known as the Hollywood New Wave, introduced “the film school generation” to Hollywood. New Hollywood films are defined as larger in scope, darker in subject matter, and overtly more graphic than their Golden Age predecessors.
• Major New Hollywood filmmakers: George Lucas , Steven Spielberg , Martin Scorsese , Brian De Palma , Peter Bogdanovich, Woody Allen , Francis Ford Coppola , James Cameron .
• Major New Hollywood films: Bonnie and Clyde (1967), The Graduate (1967), Easy Rider (1969), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The Godfather (1972), American Graffiti (1973).

New Hollywood ushered American filmmaking into a new era by returning to the popular genres of the pre-Code era, such as gangster films and sex-centric films. It also marked the emergence of “film-school” directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese. It’s clear from watching New Hollywood films that the writers and directors who produced them were acutely aware of cinema history. 

During this era, writers like Woody Allen employed themes of existentialist cinema found in the French New Wave and Italian Neorealism (among other movements). Directors like Martin Scorsese utilized advanced framing techniques pioneered by masters of the pre-war era.

For more on New Hollywood, check out this feature documentary based Peter Biskind's seminal book "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls."

Movie History  •  How New Hollywood Was Born

New Hollywood (and its immediate aftermath) produced some of the greatest films of all-time: such as The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), Chinatown   (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Network (1976), and Annie Hall (1977).

Somewhat tragically, New Hollywood ended with the emergence of blockbuster films – such as Jaws (1975) and Star Wars (1977) – in the mid to late 1970s.

Learn more about New Hollywood →

Eras of Movies

Dogme 95 and independent movements.

Big-budget movies dominated the movie-scene after New Hollywood ended. Suddenly, cinema became more of a spectacle than an art-form. That’s not to say movies produced during this era (1975-1995) were bad – some big-budget films, like Back to the Future (1985) and   Jurassic Park (1993) were financially successful and critically acclaimed; and writer/directors like John Hughes found enormous success making studio films about seemingly mundane life. 

But despite the financial prospect of making contrived studio films, some filmmakers decided to go back to their roots and make films independently, much in the vein of the artists of the French New Wave. This spirit inspired the Danish Dogme 95 movement and the American Independent movement.

Evolution of Film  •  Photo Still from ‘Festen’ by Thomas Vinterberg

D0gme 95 – a Danish film movement that brought filmmaking back to its primal roots: no non-diegetic sound, no superficial action, and no director credit. 

Major Dogme 95 filmmakers: Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier

Major Dogme 95 films: Dogme #1 – Festen (1998), Dogme #2 – The Idiots (1998), Dogme #12 – Italian for Beginners (2000).

It’s ironic that Dogme 95 , which states the director must not be credited, is perhaps best known for the fame of two of its founders: Thomas Vinterberg and Lars von Trier. Dogme 95 sought to rid cinema of extravagant special effects and challenging productions by making the filmmaking process as simple as possible. To do this, its founders created the Vows of Chastity: a ten-part manifesto for Dogme 95 filmmaking.

Check out a video on the Vows of Chastity and Dogme 95 below.

History of Cinema  •  Vows of Chastity – Films of Dogme 95 by FilmStruck

Ultimately, the Vows of Chastity proved too limiting for filmmakers – but their influence lives on in New Danish cinema and independent films all over the world.

Learn more about Dogme 95 →

History of Cinema  •  Still from Kevin Smith’s ‘Clerks’

Indie film – or late 80s, early 90s cinema produced outside of the major motion picture system – was about experimenting with new cinematic forms, pushing the Generation Next agenda, and making art by any means necessary. 

Major indie filmmakers: Richard Linklater , Wes Anderson , Steven Soderbergh , Jim Jarmusch . 

Major indie films: Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), Slacker (1990), and Bottle Rocket (1994).

The American indie movement launched the careers of a myriad of great directors. It also marked the beginning of a major decline for film. The advent of digital cameras and DVDs meant film was becoming a luxury. Conversely, it meant procuring the necessary equipment needed to make movies was easier than ever.

Indie-films introduced the idea that anybody could make movies. For better or worse, the point proved to be true. The '90s and early 2000s were littered with independently produced, scarcely funded movies. It was unrestrained, but it was also liberating.

Check out this video on no-budget filmmaking from The Royal Ocean Film Society to learn more about the indie movement.

Evolution of Cinema  •  Lessons for the No-Budget Feature by The Royal Ocean Film Society

The indie movement (as it was known then) ended when the major studios (like Disney and Turner) bought the independent studios (like Miramax and New Line). Today, we often refer to minimalist, low-budget movies as independent, but the truth is just about every production studio is owned by a conglomerate.

How Has the Film Industry Changed?

New distribution methods.

The current state of cinema is in flux due to a wide array of issues, including (but not limited to) the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the wide-adoption of new streaming services from first-party producers, i.e. Netflix, Disney, Paramount, etc., and the growth of new media forms.

Over the last few years, big-budget epics like Marvel’s The Avengers and Star Wars have performed well at the U.S. and Chinese box-office, but their success has often come at the expense of medium-budget movies; the result being a deeper lining of the pockets of exorbitantly wealthy corporations.

Still, there’s a lot of money to be made – a point perhaps best proven by the rise of the Chinese film industry. In 2020, China overtook North America as the world’s biggest box-office market, per THR. Check out a video on Hengdian, China’s largest film studio from South China Morning Report.

Movie History  •  Inside China’s Largest Film Studio by South China Morning Report

Movies seem to get bigger and bigger every year but the development of computer-generated-imagery and compositing techniques has given filmmakers the technology to create vast worlds in limited spaces.

So: what’s next for film? Who’s to say for certain? The future of the industry looks cloudy – but there’s definite promise on the horizon. More people have cinema-capable cameras in their pocket today than ever before. Perhaps the next great movement will take off soon.

Related Posts

• What is CinemaScope  →
• When Was the Camera Invented →
• What Was the First Movie Ever Made  →

100 Years of Cinematography

The history of film includes a lot more than what we went over here. In 2019, the American Society of Cinematographers celebrated 100 years of great cinematography with a list of legendary works. In our next article, we break down some of the ASC’s choices with video examples. Follow along as we look at the work of Conrad Hall, Vittorio Storaro, and more.

Up Next: Best Cinematography of All-Time →

Showcase your vision with elegant shot lists and storyboards..

Create robust and customizable shot lists. Upload images to make storyboards and slideshows.

Learn More ➜

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Pricing & Plans
• Product Updates
• Featured On
• StudioBinder Partners
• The Ultimate Guide to Call Sheets (with FREE Call Sheet Template)
• How to Break Down a Script (with FREE Script Breakdown Sheet)
• The Only Shot List Template You Need — with Free Download
• Managing Your Film Budget Cashflow & PO Log (Free Template)
• A Better Film Crew List Template Booking Sheet
• Best Storyboard Softwares (with free Storyboard Templates)
• Movie Magic Scheduling
• Gorilla Software
• Storyboard That

A visual medium requires visual methods. Master the art of visual storytelling with our FREE video series on directing and filmmaking techniques.

We’re in a golden age of TV writing and development. More and more people are flocking to the small screen to find daily entertainment. So how can you break put from the pack and get your idea onto the small screen? We’re here to help.

• Making It: From Pre-Production to Screen
• What is a Light Meter — Understanding the Photographer's Tool
• What is Metonymy — Definition, Examples & How to Use It
• What is a Short Story — The Art of Brevity in Literature
• What is an Action Hero — Best Examples & Defining Traits
• What is a Movie Spoiler — Types, Ethics & Rules Explained
• 1 Pinterest

Javascript is disabled

• We are changing
• Pictureville Presents
• Accessible screenings
• Sound and Vision
• Objects and stories
• Researchers
• Access to our collection
• Research help
• Research directory
• Donate an object
• Science Museum Group Journal
• Press office
• Support the museum
• Volunteering
• Corporate sponsorship

National Science and Media Museum Bradford BD1 1NQ

The museum, IMAX and Pictureville are temporarily closed. Find out about our  major transformation .

A very short history of cinema

Published: 18 June 2020

Learn about the history and development of cinema, from the Kinetoscope in 1891 to today’s 3D revival.

Cinematography is the illusion of movement by the recording and subsequent rapid projection of many still photographic pictures on a screen. Originally a product of 19th-century scientific endeavour, cinema has become a medium of mass entertainment and communication, and today it is a multi-billion-pound industry.

Who invented cinema?

No one person invented cinema. However, in 1891 the Edison Company successfully demonstrated a prototype of the  Kinetoscope , which enabled one person at a time to view moving pictures.

The first public Kinetoscope demonstration took place in 1893. By 1894 the Kinetoscope was a commercial success, with public parlours established around the world.

The first to present projected moving pictures to a paying audience were the Lumière brothers in December 1895 in Paris, France. They used a device of their own making, the Cinématographe, which was a camera, a projector and a film printer all in one.

What were early films like?

At first, films were very short, sometimes only a few minutes or less. They were shown at fairgrounds, music halls, or anywhere a screen could be set up and a room darkened. Subjects included local scenes and activities, views of foreign lands, short comedies and newsworthy events.

The films were accompanied by lectures, music and a lot of audience participation. Although they did not have synchronised dialogue, they were not ‘silent’ as they are sometimes described.

The rise of the film industry

By 1914, several national film industries were established. At this time, Europe, Russia and Scandinavia were the dominant industries; America was much less important. Films became longer and storytelling, or narrative, became the dominant form.

As more people paid to see movies, the industry which grew around them was prepared to invest more money in their production, distribution and exhibition, so large studios were established and dedicated cinemas built. The First World War greatly affected the film industry in Europe, and the American industry grew in relative importance.

The first 30 years of cinema were characterised by the growth and consolidation of an industrial base, the establishment of the narrative form, and refinement of technology.

Adding colour

Colour was first added to black-and-white movies through hand colouring, tinting, toning and stencilling.

By 1906, the principles of colour separation were used to produce so-called ‘natural colour’ moving images with the British Kinemacolor process, first presented to the public in 1909.

Kinemacolor was primarily used for documentary (or ‘actuality’) films, such as the epic With Our King and Queen Through India (also known as The Delhi Durbar ) of 1912, which ran for over 2 hours in total.

The early Technicolor processes from 1915 onwards were cumbersome and expensive, and colour was not used more widely until the introduction of its three‑colour process in 1932. It was used for films such as Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz (both 1939) in Hollywood and A Matter of Life and Death (1946) in the UK.

Frames of stencil colour film

Advertisement for With Our King and Queen Through India , 1912

Adding sound

The first attempts to add synchronised sound to projected pictures used phonographic cylinders or discs.

The first feature-length movie incorporating synchronised dialogue, The Jazz Singer (USA, 1927), used the Warner Brothers’ Vitaphone system, which employed a separate record disc with each reel of film for the sound.

This system proved unreliable and was soon replaced by an optical, variable density soundtrack recorded photographically along the edge of the film, developed originally for newsreels such as Movietone.

Cinema’s Golden Age

By the early 1930s, nearly all feature-length movies were presented with synchronised sound and, by the mid-1930s, some were in full colour too. The advent of sound secured the dominant role of the American industry and gave rise to the so-called ‘Golden Age of Hollywood’.

During the 1930s and 1940s, cinema was the principal form of popular entertainment, with people often attending cinemas twice a week. Ornate ’super’ cinemas or ‘picture palaces’, offering extra facilities such as cafés and ballrooms, came to towns and cities; many of them could hold over 3,000 people in a single auditorium.

In Britain, the highest attendances occurred in 1946, with over 31 million visits to the cinema each week.

What is the aspect ratio?

Thomas Edison had used perforated 35mm film in the Kinetoscope, and in 1909 this was adopted as the worldwide industry standard. The picture had a width-to-height relationship—known as the aspect ratio—of 4:3 or 1.33:1. The first number refers to the width of the screen, and the second to the height. So for example, for every 4 centimetres in width, there will be 3 in height. 

With the advent of optical sound, the aspect ratio was adjusted to 1.37:1. This is known as the ‘Academy ratio’, as it was officially approved by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscars people) in 1932.

Although there were many experiments with other formats, there were no major changes in screen ratios until the 1950s.

How did cinema compete with television?

The introduction of television in America prompted a number of technical experiments designed to maintain public interest in cinema.

In 1952, the Cinerama process, using three projectors and a wide, deeply curved screen together with multi-track surround sound, was premiered. It had a very large aspect ratio of 2.59:1, giving audiences a greater sense of immersion, and proved extremely popular.

However, Cinerama was technically complex and therefore expensive to produce and show. Widescreen cinema was not widely adopted by the industry until the invention of CinemaScope in 1953 and Todd‑AO in 1955. Both processes used single projectors in their presentation.

CinemaScope ‘squeezed’ images on 35mm film; when projected, they were expanded laterally by the projector lens to fit the screen. Todd-AO used film with a width of 70mm. By the end of the 1950s, these innovations had effectively changed the shape of the cinema screen, with aspect ratios of either 2.35:1 or 1.66:1 becoming standard. Stereo sound, which had been experimented with in the 1940s, also became part of the new widescreen experience.

Specialist large-screen systems using 70mm film were also developed. The most successful of these has been IMAX, which as of 2020 has over 1,500 screens around the world. For many years IMAX cinemas have shown films specially made in its unique 2D or 3D formats but more recently they have shown popular mainstream feature films which have been digitally re-mastered in the IMAX format, often with additional scenes or 3D effects.

How have cinema attendance figures changed?

While cinemas had some success in fighting the competition of television, they never regained the position and influence they held in the 1930s and 40s, and over the next 30 years audiences dwindled. By 1984 cinema attendances in Britain had declined to one million a week.

By the late 2000s, however, that number had trebled. The first British multiplex was built in Milton Keynes in 1985, sparking a boom in out-of-town multiplex cinemas.

Today, most people see films on television, whether terrestrial, satellite or subscription video on demand (SVOD) services. Streaming film content on computers, tablets and mobile phones is becoming more common as it proves to be more convenient for modern audiences and lifestyles.

Although America still appears to be the most influential film industry, the reality is more complex. Many films are produced internationally—either made in various countries or financed by multinational companies that have interests across a range of media.

What’s next?

In the past 20 years, film production has been profoundly altered by the impact of rapidly improving digital technology. Most mainstream productions are now shot on digital formats with subsequent processes, such as editing and special effects, undertaken on computers.

Cinemas have invested in digital projection facilities capable of producing screen images that rival the sharpness, detail and brightness of traditional film projection. Only a small number of more specialist cinemas have retained film projection equipment.

In the past few years there has been a revival of interest in 3D features, sparked by the availability of digital technology. Whether this will be more than a short-term phenomenon (as previous attempts at 3D in the 1950s and 1980s had been) remains to be seen, though the trend towards 3D production has seen greater investment and industry commitment than before.

Further reading

• Cinematography in the Science Museum Group collection
• The Lumière Brothers: Pioneers of cinema and colour photography , National Science and Media Museum blog
• Cinerama in the UK: The history of 3-strip cinema in Pictureville Cinema , National Science and Media Museum blog
• BFI Filmography—a complete history of UK feature film
• BFI National Archive
• Imperial War Museums film archive

Pictureville Cinema

Pictureville is the home of cinema at the National Science and Media Museum, showing everything from blockbusters to indie gems.

Robert Paul and the race to invent cinema

Discover the story of Robert Paul, the forgotten pioneer whose innovations earned him the title of ‘father of the British film industry’.

Cinema technology

Discover objects from our collection which illuminate the technological development of moving pictures.

• Part of the Science Museum Group
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy and cookies
• Modern Slavery Statement
• Web accessibility

History Of Film Timeline — A Visual Guide to the History of Film: From Silent Classics to Modern Masterpieces

• German Expressionism
• Surrealist Cinema
• Soviet Montage
• Poetic Realism
• French Impressionist

Pre-Code Hollywood

• Documentary Film Movement
• Italian Futurism
• Kammerspielfilm
• The Brighton School
• Women In Italian Neorealism
• Italian Neorealism
• The Polish School
• Free Cinema
• Direct Cinema
• Parallel Cinema
• British New Wave
• French New Wave
• Cinéma Vérité
• Third Cinema
• New German Cinema

New Hollywood

• Japanese New Wave
• Cinema Novo
• Czech New Wave
• Movie Brats
• LA Rebellion
• Australian New Wave
• Yugoslav Black Wave
• Grupo Cine Liberación
• Cinema Da Boca Do Lixo
• Cinema Of Moral Anxiety
• Soviet Parallel Cinema
• The Budapest School
• Cinéma Du Look
• New Queer Cinema
• Iranian New Wave
• Hong Kong New Wave
• Taiwanese New Wave
• Toronto New Wave
• Cinema Of Transgression
• New Mexican Cinema
• New French Extremity
• Romanian New Wave
• Hyperlink Cinema
• New Nigerian Cinema
• Pan-Indian Film
• Participatory Cinema
• The Berlin School
• New Generation Malayalam
• Remodernist Film
• Pluginmanifesto

The history of film is a fascinating journey through time, where technological advancements and artistic expressions blend to create the enchanting world of cinema.

From the early flickers of silent images to the immersive experience of modern masterpieces, film has continuously evolved, capturing the imagination of audiences worldwide.

This visual guide to the history of film will take you on a cinematic adventure, exploring the milestones that have shaped this art form.

The history of film can be divided into several distinct eras, each of which is characterized by certain technological, artistic, and social developments.

The History Of Film Timeline — All Eras Of Film History

Tracing the history of film is like unrolling a film reel that stretches back over a century. It begins in the late 19th century, with inventors across the globe experimenting with moving images.

This era saw the birth of motion pictures and the silent film era, where stories were told without spoken dialogue, often accompanied by live music.

The 1920s heralded the advent of sound in cinema, revolutionizing the way stories were told and experienced.

The Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s brought iconic stars and blockbuster films, setting a high bar for cinematic excellence.

The post-war era saw the rise of international cinema, with filmmakers around the world contributing diverse perspectives and styles.

The 1960s and 1970s witnessed a wave of innovation and rebellion against traditional storytelling, leading to the emergence of new genres and filmmaking techniques.

The advent of digital technology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries transformed film production, distribution, and consumption, leading to the contemporary era of film, where visual effects and digital storytelling continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cinema.

The History Of Film Timeline

The history of film can be traced back to the late 19th century, with the invention of motion picture cameras and the earliest recorded screenings of moving images.

1895: The first public screening of a motion picture takes place in Paris, France, using the invention of the Cinematograph by the Lumière brothers.

1903: The Great Train Robbery is released.

1915: The Birth of a Nation is released.

1927: The first “talkie” (motion picture with synchronized sound) is released, The Jazz Singer.

1930s: The Hollywood studio system, characterized by the major studios’ control over distribution and exhibition, emerges as the dominant force in American cinema.

1940s: Hollywood produces many films during World War II, many of them aimed at boosting morale and supporting the war effort.

1950s: Television becomes a major competitor to the film industry, leading to a slow decline in theater attendance.

1960s: The French New Wave, a movement characterized by a rejection of traditional Hollywood filmmaking techniques, becomes influential in international cinema.

1970s: The rise of independent cinema in the United States and the emergence of new Hollywood , characterized by a greater focus on personal expression and experimentation, takes place.

1980s: The advent of home video leads to a decline in theater attendance, but also allows for greater distribution of independent films.

1990s: The emergence of digital technology leads to a new wave of independent filmmaking and the rise of the Sundance Film Festival as a major showcase for independent films.

2000s: The proliferation of streaming platforms leads to a major shift in the way films are distributed and consumed.

2010s: The rise of superhero films and franchises dominate the box office and streaming platforms become the go-to destination for film consumption.

The Film Movements

There have been many film movements throughout the history of cinema, each with its own distinct style, themes, and techniques.

These are some of the main film movements that have shaped the history of cinema and continue to influence the way films are made today.

Each movement has its own unique style, themes and techniques and each one has made a significant impact in the world of cinema.

1. French Impressionism (1918-1930)     

French Impressionism in film emerged as an artistic response to the brutal realities of World War I, offering an alternative to the commercial cinema of the era.

This movement focused on the subjective experience of characters, using visual techniques such as naturalistic lighting, soft focus , and fluid camera movements to convey emotion and mood.

Filmmakers like Abel Gance and Jean Epstein sought to express inner realities, psychological complexities, and human emotions through a poetic and metaphorical style.

This approach transformed the medium into a form of artistic expression that emphasized mood and atmosphere over narrative.

2. German Expressionism (1919-1926)   

German Expressionism, born in the aftermath of World War I, was characterized by its use of stark, distorted sets, high contrast lighting, and bold shadows to evoke an emotional response.

This style was heavily influenced by the socio-political climate of post-war Germany, reflecting the anxieties and uncertainties of the time.

Iconic films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Nosferatu are prime examples of this movement, showcasing exaggerated set designs and a focus on themes like madness, betrayal, and the supernatural.

The movement had a profound influence on later genres, particularly in the development of horror and film noir.

3. Dadaism And Surrealism (1924-1930)

Dadaism and Surrealism in cinema were part of a broader artistic movement that rebelled against conventional art forms and societal norms.

Surrealist filmmakers like Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí created films that challenged reality, embracing the irrational and the absurd.

They used dreamlike sequences, bizarre imagery, and illogical narratives to subvert traditional storytelling techniques.

These films often explored the unconscious mind, seeking to shock and provoke the audience into questioning their perceptions of reality.

4. Soviet Montage (1924-1935) 

The Soviet Montage movement, pioneered by directors like Sergei Eisenstein and Dziga Vertov, revolutionized film editing.

Montage theory posited that film’s power lies in the editing, where the juxtaposition of images can create new meanings and elicit emotional responses from the audience.

This movement emerged in post-revolutionary Russia and aimed to use cinema as a tool for social and political change.

Films like “Battleship Potemkin” and “Man with a Movie Camera” showcased this dynamic editing style, using rapid cuts and symbolic imagery to convey powerful social messages and to experiment with the language of cinema.

5. Pre-Code Hollywood (1927-1934)

Pre-Code Hollywood refers to a brief era in the American film industry between the advent of sound in 1927 and the enforcement of the Hays Code censorship guidelines in 1934.

This period was known for more daring films that tackled subjects considered taboo by later standards, including sexual innuendo, violence, and social criticisms.

Movies from this era, such as “Scarface” and “Baby Face,” often portrayed strong female characters , challenged traditional societal norms, and pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on screen.

The period ended when the Hays Code began to be rigorously enforced, significantly restricting the content filmmakers could show.

6. Documentary Film Movement (1929-1950)    

The Documentary Film Movement, spanning from the late 1920s to the 1950s, marked the rise of documentary films as a powerful tool for education, propaganda, and social commentary.

Pioneers like Robert Flaherty, John Grierson, and Pare Lorentz expanded the scope of documentaries, using them to explore social issues, record historical events, and influence public opinion.

Films like “Nanook of the North” and “The Plow That Broke the Plains” showcased real-life situations and environments, combining artistic storytelling with factual reporting.

7. Poetic Realism (1930-1939)    

Poetic Realism was a film movement in France during the 1930s, blending realism with lyrical visual elements.

Directors such as Jean Renoir and Marcel Carné created films that portrayed daily life with a sense of beauty, melancholy, and romanticism.

This style often featured narratives about working-class characters and their struggles, enveloped in atmospheres that evoked mood and emotion rather than focusing solely on plot.

Films like “Le Jour Se Lève” and “The Rules of the Game” are exemplary, blending the harsh realities of life with poetic and artistic elements.

8. Italian Neorealism (1942-1951)

Italian Neorealism emerged during World War II as a reaction against the escapism of mainstream cinema.

This movement focused on stories about ordinary people and their daily struggles, often using non-professional actors and shooting on location to capture the reality of post-war Italy.

Directors like Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, and Federico Fellini presented a raw, unfiltered view of societal challenges and human conditions.

Films like “Bicycle Thieves” and “Rome, Open City” are considered classics of this genre, portraying the gritty reality of life with deep empathy and honesty.

9. The Polish School (1955-1963)

The Polish School was a post-war film movement in Poland, characterized by its thematic exploration of Polish history and the human psyche under oppressive regimes.

Directors like Andrzej Wajda and Jerzy Kawalerowicz created films that were artistically expressive and politically engaged, often examining the nation’s wartime experiences and struggles with identity.

Movies from this era, such as “Ashes and Diamonds” and “Mother Joan of the Angels,” are notable for their deep introspection, stylistic innovation, and subtle defiance of socialist realism.  

10. Free Cinema (1956-1959)

Free Cinema was a British documentary film movement in the late 1950s, initiated by filmmakers like Lindsay Anderson, Karel Reisz, and Tony Richardson.

It was born out of a desire to portray the everyday lives of working-class Britons and to challenge the conventions of mainstream cinema.

The movement emphasized a candid, unpolished style, often focusing on marginalized communities and social issues.

Films such as “Look Back in Anger” and “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” exemplified this style, combining realism with a strong personal voice and artistic integrity.

11. Direct Cinema (1958-1962)  

Direct Cinema, emerging in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was a North American documentary genre that sought to observe life as it is without any direct intervention from the filmmaker.

Pioneers like D. A. Pennebaker, Frederick Wiseman, and the Maysles Brothers aimed to create a fly-on-the-wall perspective, capturing events as they unfolded.

This style marked a departure from traditional, narrated documentaries, focusing instead on candid moments.

Films like “Don’t Look Back” and “Salesman” exemplified this approach, offering unfiltered glimpses into human experiences and societal segments.

12. British New Wave (1958-1963)

The British New Wave was a cinematic movement that portrayed the lives of working-class Britons, characterized by its gritty realism, complex characters, and social commentary.

Directors like Tony Richardson, Lindsay Anderson, and Karel Reisz drew inspiration from the Free Cinema movement, emphasizing naturalistic performances and location shooting.

Their films often dealt with contemporary social issues, challenging the established norms of British society.

Movies such as “A Taste of Honey” and “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” highlighted the struggles and aspirations of the youth and working class.

13. French New Wave (1959-1964)

The French New Wave, or Nouvelle Vague, was a radical and influential film movement led by directors like François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Claude Chabrol.

It revolutionized cinema with its innovative techniques, including jump cuts, natural lighting, and on-location shooting. The movement was known for its rejection of traditional filmmaking conventions, embracing a more personal and experimental approach.

Films like “Breathless” and “The 400 Blows” broke cinematic norms, offering fresh narratives and visual styles that heavily influenced future filmmaking.

Some of the key figures in the French New Wave include directors such as François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard , Alain Resnais, and Eric Rohmer.

Some of the notable films of the era include The 400 Blows (1959) by François Truffaut, Breathless (1960) by Jean-Luc Godard, Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) by Alain Resnais and My Night at Maud’s (1969) by Eric Rohmer.

The French New Wave had a significant impact on the development of French cinema and international cinema as well.

It influenced the development of other film movements such as the British Free Cinema and the Italian Neorealism and it is still considered one of the most important film movements of the 20th century.

The use of handheld cameras, location shooting, and the focus on youthful and unconventional storytelling are still techniques used in contemporary cinema.  

14. Cinema Novo (1960-1972)

Cinema Novo is a film movement that emerged in Brazil in the 1960s, specifically between 1960 and 1972. The movement was characterized by a focus on social and political themes, the use of non-professional actors, and a rejection of traditional filmmaking techniques and conventions.

Cinema Novo filmmakers were a group of Brazilian directors, including Glauber Rocha, Ruy Guerra, and Carlos Diegues, who sought to break away from the conventions of Brazilian cinema, which they saw as being overly commercial and lacking in artistic ambition.

They aimed to create a new type of cinema that would be more honest and realistic in its portrayal of working-class life and social issues.

Some of the key figures in Cinema Novo include directors such as Glauber Rocha, Ruy Guerra, and Carlos Diegues. Some of the notable films of the era include Terra em Transe (1967) by Glauber Rocha, Os Cafajestes (1962) by Ruy Guerra and Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol (1964) by Glauber Rocha.

Cinema Novo had a significant impact on the development of Brazilian cinema and it influenced other film movements such as the Latin American New Cinema and Third Cinema.

The use of non-professional actors, real locations, and the focus on social and political themes are still techniques used in contemporary cinema.

It also marked a new era of Brazilian cinema, where the films were more socially conscious and dealt with issues of poverty and inequality.

15. Czech New Wave (1962-1968)

The Czech New Wave, also known as the Czechoslovak New Wave, is a film movement that emerged in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, specifically between 1962 and 1968.

The movement was characterized by a focus on social and political themes, a rejection of traditional filmmaking techniques and conventions, and a focus on the use of unconventional storytelling.

The Czech New Wave filmmakers were a group of young Czech and Slovak directors, including Milos Forman, Ivan Passer, and Vera Chytilová, who sought to break away from the conventions of Czech and Slovak cinema, which they saw as being overly traditional and lacking in artistic ambition.

They aimed to create a new type of cinema that would be more innovative, personal, and expressive.

Some of the key figures in the Czech New Wave include directors such as Milos Forman, Ivan Passer, and Vera Chytilová.

Some of the notable films of the era include Loves of a Blonde (1965) by Milos Forman, Intimate Lighting (1965) by Ivan Passer, and Daisies (1966) by Vera Chytilová.

The Czech New Wave had a significant impact on the development of Czech and Slovak cinema and it influenced other film movements such as the French New Wave.

The use of unconventional storytelling, the focus on social and political themes, and the use of non-professional actors are still techniques used in contemporary cinema.

It also marked a new era of Czech and Slovak cinema, where the films were more innovative and dealt with issues of society and politics.       

16. The Movie Brats (Late 1960s – 1980s)             

The “Movie Brats” were a group of influential American film directors who came to prominence in the late 1960s and 1970s.

They included Martin Scorsese , Francis Ford Coppola , George Lucas, Brian De Palma , and Steven Spielberg.

These directors came from a variety of backgrounds, but they shared a common desire to break free from the conventions of Hollywood filmmaking and create more personal and experimental films.

They were known for their bold, innovative styles and their ability to push the boundaries of what was considered possible in cinema. Some of their most famous films include The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, and Taxi Driver.

17. LA Rebellion (1967-1991)

The LA Rebellion is a group of African American, Asian American, and Latino American filmmakers from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, active in the period between 1967 to 1991.

They produced a body of independent films that sought to tell stories and depict the experiences of underrepresented communities, particularly those of people of color, in the United States.

The filmmakers of the LA Rebellion aimed to create a new kind of cinema that was rooted in the lives and experiences of marginalized communities, and that could serve as a counter to the dominant white, male-centered Hollywood narrative.

Some of the most notable filmmakers of the LA Rebellion include Charles Burnett, Julie Dash, Haile Gerima, and Billy Woodberry.

Their films dealt with themes such as racism, poverty, and urban life and they were shot in a low budget and independent way.

The LA Rebellion films were not widely seen during the time they were made, but today they are considered important and influential works of independent cinema 

18. New German Cinema (1968-1982)    

New German Cinema, also known as “Young German Cinema” or “New Wave” was a movement in German cinema that emerged in the late 1960s and lasted until the early 1980s.

It was characterized by a group of young, independent filmmakers who sought to break away from the commercial and artistic conventions of the German film industry.

They aimed to create a new kind of cinema that was more personal, experimental, and reflective of the social and political changes happening in West Germany at the time.

Some of the key figures of New German Cinema include Rainer Werner Fassbinder , Wim Wenders, Volker Schlöndorff, and Werner Herzog.

They directed films that dealt with themes such as identity, social change, and the legacy of the Nazi past. They often used unconventional narrative structures, and often shot on low budgets and non-professional actors.

The movement had a significant impact on the German film industry, and many of the directors associated with New German Cinema went on to international success.

Their films have been praised for their exploration of complex social and political issues, and for their innovative style and storytelling.

17. Japanese New Wave (1975-1985)     

The Japanese New Wave, also known as the “Japanese New Cinema” or the “Japanese New Wave,” was a movement in Japanese cinema that emerged in the late 1970s and lasted until the mid-1980s. I

t was characterized by a group of young, independent filmmakers who sought to break away from the commercial and artistic conventions of the Japanese film industry.

They aimed to create a new kind of cinema that was more personal, experimental, and reflective of the social and political changes happening in Japan at the time.

Some of the key figures of the Japanese New Wave include Nagisa Oshima, Shohei Imamura, Susumu Hani and Terayama Shuji.

They directed films that dealt with themes such as sexuality, violence, and the changing nature of Japanese society. They often used unconventional narrative structures, and often shot on low budgets with non-professional actors.

The movement had a significant impact on the Japanese film industry, and many of the directors associated with the Japanese New Wave went on to international success.

18. Australian New Wave (1975-1985)   

The Australian New Wave was a movement in Australian cinema that emerged in the mid-1970s and lasted until the mid-1980s.

It was characterized by a group of young, independent filmmakers who sought to break away from the commercial and artistic conventions of the Australian film industry.

They aimed to create a new kind of cinema that was more personal, experimental, and reflective of the social and political changes happening in Australia at the time.

Some of the key figures of the Australian New Wave include Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Gillian Armstrong, and Fred Schepisi.

They directed films that dealt with themes such as the relationship between the Indigenous population and the colonizers, the changing nature of Australian society, and the country’s relationship with its past.

They often used unconventional narrative structures and often shot on low budgets with non-professional actors.

The movement had a significant impact on the Australian film industry and brought international attention to the country’s cinema.

The New Wave filmmakers were able to tell stories that were more reflective of the Australian experience, and they were able to break away from the stereotypes that had been associated with Australian films in the past.

19. Cinéma Du Look (1980-1991)              

Cinéma Du Look was a French film movement that emerged in the early 1980s and lasted until the early 1990s.

It was characterized by a group of young, independent filmmakers who sought to break away from the artistic conventions of the French New Wave cinema and create a new, more visually striking and extravagant style of filmmaking.

They often used flashy, stylized visuals, fast-paced editing, and a focus on youth and popular culture.

Some of the key figures of Cinéma Du Look include Jean-Jacques Beineix, Leos Carax, Luc Besson and Andrzej Zulawski.

They directed films that dealt with themes such as romance, crime, and the search for identity. They often used a visual style that was heavily influenced by music videos , advertising, and comic books, and they often incorporated elements of pop culture into their films.

The Cinéma Du Look movement was met with mixed reactions, some critics praised its visual style and energy while others criticized it as shallow and superficial.

Despite that, it had a significant impact on the French film industry and some of the filmmakers associated with Cinéma Du Look went on to international success.

Their films are still considered visually striking and memorable today, but also criticized for their lack of depth in storytelling.

20. New Queer Cinema 1990 – 1995        

New Queer Cinema (NQC) was a movement in American independent film that emerged in the early 1990s and lasted until the mid-1990s.

It was characterized by a group of young, openly LGBTQ+ filmmakers who sought to break away from the conventions of mainstream Hollywood cinema and create a new kind of cinema that reflected the experiences and perspectives of the LGBTQ+ community.

They aimed to create films that were more personal, experimental, and reflective of the social and political changes happening in the United States at the time.

Some of the key figures of New Queer Cinema include Gregg Araki, Todd Haynes, and John Waters. They directed films that dealt with themes such as sexuality, gender, and the experiences of marginalized communities.

The movement had a significant impact on the American film industry, bringing visibility to LGBTQ+ stories and perspectives, and many of the NQC filmmakers went on to international success.

Their films were praised for their exploration of complex and controversial issues, and for their innovative style and storytelling.

They were also criticized for their sometimes controversial and graphic content. NQC has been considered as an important contribution to the representation of LGBTQ+ people in the media.

21. Dogme 95 (1995 – 2005)        

Dogme 95 was a filmmaking movement that emerged in Denmark in 1995. It was founded by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, and it aimed to create a new kind of cinema that was more pure and authentic.

Dogme 95 filmmakers adhered to a set of strict rules, or “vows of chastity,” that aimed to strip away the artifice of traditional filmmaking and create a more raw, realistic style of filmmaking.

The rules of Dogme 95 stipulated that films must be shot on location, with no special lighting or sound effects, and that they must use only hand-held cameras. Other rules included: no genre movies, no special effects, no artificial music and no movie should be shot in more than one location.

Some of the key figures of Dogme 95 include Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, and Søren Kragh-Jacobsen. They directed films that dealt with themes such as relationships, family, and the human condition. Their films often had a raw, realistic style and dealt with serious and often controversial issues.

The Dogme 95 movement had a significant impact on the Danish film industry, and many of the filmmakers associated with the movement went on to international success.

Their films were praised for their innovative style, and for their focus on storytelling over spectacle. However, it was criticized for being limiting and for not allowing for creativity. Dogme 95 was a short-lived movement, ending around 2005.

22. Mumblecore (2002-)

Mumblecore is a subgenre of independent American cinema that emerged in the early 2000s and is still ongoing.

The movement is characterized by a group of young, independent filmmakers who create low-budget, dialogue-driven films that often focus on the everyday lives and relationships of young adults.

Mumblecore filmmakers often use non-professional actors, natural lighting, and minimal crew and shooting equipment to create a realistic, raw and intimate style.

Some of the key figures of Mumblecore include Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, and the Duplass brothers.

They directed films that deal with themes such as dating, friendships, and the struggles of young adulthood. Their films often have a low-key, slice of life feel and are known for the use of improvisation and the use of the actors own experiences to shape the story.

The Mumblecore movement has had a significant impact on the independent American cinema, and its influence can be seen in the works of many young filmmakers today.

Their films are praised for their honest and realistic portrayal of everyday life, and for their focus on character development over traditional plot-driven storytelling. However, it’s also criticized for being overly simplistic, and for lacking ambition.

When Were Movies Invented?

The genesis of movies dates back to the late 1800s when inventors and artists began toying with the idea of creating moving pictures.

This era was marked by various inventions that captured sequential images, setting the stage for the first motion pictures.

The exact date of the ‘invention’ of movies is debated, but it’s widely accepted that the late 19th century marked the birth of cinema as we know it.

Movies, also known as motion pictures, were invented in the late 19th century. The history of film can be traced back to the invention of the motion picture camera, which was developed in the late 1800s by inventors such as Thomas Edison and the Lumière Brothers.

In 1895, the Lumière Brothers, Auguste and Louis, presented the first public screening of motion pictures in Paris, France.

They showed a series of short films , each lasting about a minute, that featured everyday scenes such as a train arriving at a station and workers leaving a factory.

These early films were shot on celluloid film , which was the standard medium for motion pictures until the advent of digital technology in the 21st century.

In the United States, Thomas Edison and his associate, William Kennedy Dickson, had developed a similar device, the kinetoscope, in the early 1890s.

The kinetoscope was a peephole viewer that allowed one person at a time to watch short, looping films.

Thus, movies can be considered to have been invented in the late 19th century, with the invention of motion picture cameras and the first public screenings of films.

The Lumière Brothers and Thomas Edison are considered to be among the early pioneers of the motion picture industry.

The First Motion Pictures

The first motion pictures were simple yet groundbreaking. In the 1890s, pioneers like the Lumière brothers in France and Thomas Edison in the United States developed devices capable of capturing and projecting moving images.

These early films were short, often depicting everyday scenes, but they captivated audiences with the magic of moving pictures.

The Lumière brothers’ “Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat” and Edison’s “The Kiss” are iconic examples from this era.

The first motion pictures, later known as movies, were developed in the late 19th century by inventors such as the Lumière Brothers and Thomas Edison.

The Lumière Brothers, Auguste and Louis, were two French inventors who developed the Cinématographe, a motion picture camera, projector, and printer all in one.

On December 28, 1895, they presented the first public screening of motion pictures in Paris, France.

The program consisted of ten short films, each lasting about a minute, that featured everyday scenes such as a train arriving at a station and workers leaving a factory.

The kinetoscope was a peephole viewer that allowed one person at a time to watch short, looping films. The first kinetoscope parlor opened in New York City in 1894, where customers could pay a nickel to watch short films.

While both the Lumière Brothers and Thomas Edison contributed to the invention of motion pictures, the Lumière Brothers’ public screening in 1895 is considered the first true motion picture exhibition.

Their films were shown on a large screen to a paying audience, and this model of exhibition would go on to become the standard for movie theaters in the 20th century.

When Was Film Invented?

The invention of film as a medium can be traced back to the 1880s when George Eastman developed celluloid film strips.

However, the concept of capturing sequential images to create motion pictures evolved over several years, with multiple inventors contributing to its development. As we’ve covered, tt was in the 1890s that filmmaking itself emerged as a viable medium for storytelling, leading to the establishment of the film industry.

The history of film can be traced back to the invention of celluloid film, which was developed by George Eastman in 1884.

Eastman’s invention made it possible to take photographs on a roll of film, rather than having to use glass plates.

This made photography more accessible and affordable, and it paved the way for the development of motion picture cameras.

Pre-Film Techniques & Theory

Before the invention of motion picture cameras, several techniques and theories were developed that would later lay the foundation for the creation of moving images.

The Phenakistoscope, invented by Belgian Joseph Plateau in 1832, was a spinning disc that created the illusion of motion when viewed through slits.

The Zoetrope, invented by William Horner in 1834, was similar to the Phenakistoscope but used a cylinder with slits instead of a disc.

The Praxinoscope, invented by French Charles-Émile Reynaud in 1877, was an improved version of the Zoetrope that used mirrors to create a brighter and more stable image.

The theory of Persistence of Vision was first proposed by British scientist Peter Mark Roget in 1824, which suggested that the human eye retains a visual image for a fraction of a second after the source of the image is removed.

This theory was used to explain why the rapid succession of static images in these pre-film devices appeared to be moving.

The invention of the photographic process by Frenchman Joseph Nicéphore Niépce in 1827 and Louis Daguerre in 1839, allowed for the creation of permanent, light-sensitive images on a surface.

The invention of celluloid film by American George Eastman in 1884, allowed for the mass production of transparent, flexible film strips that could be used in motion picture cameras.

The invention of the motion picture camera by the Lumière brothers in 1895 and the invention of the projector by Thomas Edison in 1896, made it possible to record and display moving images to large audiences.

All these pre-film techniques and theories were essential for the development of the motion picture camera and the creation of the first motion pictures.

The End Of The Silent Era

The end of the silent era in film is generally considered to be around the late 1920s, when the first “talkies” (motion pictures with synchronized sound) were introduced.

The release of The Jazz Singer in 1927, directed by Alan Crosland and starring Al Jolson, is often considered the turning point in the transition from silent to sound films.

The film was a commercial success and marked the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized dialogue and singing.

After the release of The Jazz Singer, Hollywood studios quickly began to produce sound films, which were more expensive to make than silent films.

This led to a decline in the production of silent films and many silent film stars found themselves out of work.

However, the transition to sound was not immediate, and some silent films continued to be made well into the 1930s.

Additionally, many early sound films were not fully synchronized, and sometimes included only a musical soundtrack, or sound effects without dialogue.

The end of the silent era brought significant changes to the film industry, including the introduction of sound recording and editing equipment, the rise of the Hollywood studio system, and the decline of many silent film stars and independent filmmakers.

The end of the silent era also marked the beginning of a new era in cinema, where sound and dialogue became an integral part of the film experience and changed the way stories were told onscreen.

Pre-Code Hollywood refers to a distinct and dynamic period in the American film industry, spanning from the late 1920s until the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code in 1934.

This era, which coincided with the end of silent films and the rise of “talkies,” was marked by a significant departure from traditional norms in terms of content and narrative style.

During this time, Hollywood films explored themes and subject matter with a boldness and freedom that would later be curtailed by stricter censorship regulations.

The advent of sound in cinema brought with it new opportunities for storytelling. Dialogue added a new dimension to films, allowing for more complex and nuanced narratives.

This technical revolution coincided with significant societal changes, including the aftermath of World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the onset of the Great Depression, all of which influenced the content of films during this period.

Films of the Pre-Code era often featured content that would later be deemed controversial or even taboo.

This included open discussions of sexuality, infidelity, and promiscuity, as well as depictions of violence and crime.

Movies such as “Scarface” (1932) and “The Public Enemy” (1931) offered gritty, unglamorous portrayals of gangsters and crime, in stark contrast to the glorified depictions seen in later years.

Similarly, films like “Baby Face” (1933) and “Red-Headed Woman” (1932) portrayed strong, sexually liberated female characters who defied the traditional norms of the time.

This era also saw the exploration of social issues, such as poverty, race, and class struggle, in a manner that would later be softened or avoided altogether.

Films were more direct in their commentary on the societal problems of the day, often presenting a critical view of the status quo.

The Pre-Code era came to an end with the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code, commonly known as the Hays Code, in 1934. This set of industry moral guidelines drastically changed the landscape of American cinema.

The Code, named after Will H. Hays, who was the president of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), imposed specific restrictions on the content of films.

It prohibited profanity, suggestive nudity, the portrayal of illegal drug use, and the sympathy for criminals, among other things. The enforcement of this code marked the end of the freewheeling nature of Pre-Code Hollywood , ushering in a more conservative era in American film.

Despite its relatively short duration, the Pre-Code Hollywood era had a lasting impact on the film industry.

It was a time of immense creativity and innovation, pushing the boundaries of what was acceptable in mainstream entertainment.

The films of this period offered a candid, often provocative glimpse into the complexities of human behavior and social issues, leaving a legacy that continues to fascinate film historians and audiences alike.

The Pre-Code era serves as a reminder of a time when Hollywood briefly flirted with a level of artistic freedom that would not be seen again for many decades.

The Early Golden Age And Color In Film

The early Golden Age of Hollywood, spanning the 1930s and 1940s, was a period of unprecedented growth and innovation in the American film industry.

It was during this era that Hollywood truly solidified its status as the epicenter of global filmmaking, producing some of the most iconic and enduring films in history.

This period was characterized not only by its glamorous star system and larger-than-life movie moguls but also by significant technological advancements, most notably the introduction of color in films.

The transition to color cinema was a monumental shift. Technicolor, the most widely used color process, added a vivid, dynamic quality to films that captivated audiences.

The 1939 releases of The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind marked pivotal moments in cinematic history, showcasing the stunning potential of color filmmaking.

These films not only wowed audiences with their visual splendor but also demonstrated how color could enhance storytelling, adding emotional depth and realism to the cinematic experience.

Beyond technological advancements, the early Golden Age was a time of artistic excellence and exploration.

Studios, under the studio system, wielded enormous power, controlling every aspect of film production, from script to screen.

This system allowed for the creation of highly polished and stylistically consistent films but also, at times, led to formulaic productions.

Despite this, many directors, actors, and writers found ways to push creative boundaries within the constraints of the studio system.

The era saw the emergence of many of Hollywood’s most legendary figures, including directors like Alfred Hitchcock , Frank Capra , and John Ford , and stars such as Clark Gable, Bette Davis, and Katharine Hepburn.

Their work during this period left an indelible mark on the industry and contributed to the mythos of Hollywood.

The early Golden Age of Hollywood was more than just a time of technological innovation and star-making; it was a period that laid the foundation for narrative and aesthetic standards that continue to influence filmmaking today.

It was a time of opulence and creativity that represented the height of cinematic artistry in the pre-television era.

Wartime & Propaganda Films

During World War II, cinema played an instrumental role on the home front and in the psychological warfare against enemy nations.

Film, with its mass appeal and emotional impact, became a crucial tool for propaganda and morale-boosting, used by both the Allied and Axis powers.

The period saw the film industry in various countries actively participating in the war effort, producing a wide range of content from direct propaganda to more subtle works that embedded nationalistic and ideological messages.

In the United States, Hollywood was transformed into a propaganda machine, with many studios and filmmakers working directly with the government to produce content that supported the war effort.

This collaboration led to films that glorified the Allied troops, demonized the enemy, and promoted national unity and sacrifice.

Movies like “Casablanca” (1942) and “Mrs. Miniver” (1942) are notable examples, blending entertainment with subtle and overt messages supporting the war.

The propaganda films of this era often employed stirring narratives of heroism, sacrifice, and resilience.

They aimed to bolster public morale, encourage support for the war effort, and foster a sense of national identity and purpose.

Documentaries and newsreels also played a significant role, offering a curated glimpse of the warfront, meant to inform and inspire audiences back home.

Moreover, the war years saw the rise of films that depicted life on the home front, reflecting the challenges and changes in societies engaged in total war.

These films often highlighted the roles of women and families, the importance of the civilian contribution to the war effort, and the shared sacrifices required in times of conflict.

The impact of wartime and propaganda films extended beyond their immediate political and military objectives.

They influenced public opinion, shaped national and cultural identities, and left a lasting legacy on the film industry.

The techniques and styles developed during this period continued to influence filmmaking in the post-war years, both in terms of narrative content and the use of cinema as a tool for social and political influence.

Post-War Film Movements

The post-World War II era witnessed the emergence of several influential film movements around the world, as filmmakers sought to address the realities of a world transformed by conflict.

These movements, diverse in their styles and objectives, shared a common interest in exploring new forms of storytelling and cinematic expression.

Italian Neorealism, emerging in the mid-1940s, was a response to the war’s devastation and the Fascist regime’s collapse in Italy.

Directors like Roberto Rossellini , Vittorio De Sica, and Federico Fellini sought to depict the harsh realities of everyday life, focusing on ordinary people and their struggles.

Their films were characterized by on-location shooting, the use of non-professional actors, and a focus on the plight of the working class and the poor.

Classics such as “Bicycle Thieves” (1948) and “Rome, Open City” (1945) exemplified this movement’s raw, empathetic approach to storytelling.

In France, the New Wave (Nouvelle Vague) emerged in the late 1950s and early 1960s, driven by a group of young filmmakers who had grown disillusioned with traditional cinematic forms.

Directors like François Truffaut, Jean-Luc Godard, and Claude Chabrol championed a more personal and experimental approach to filmmaking.

They broke conventional narrative structures, utilized innovative techniques, and often acted as both writers and directors for their films.

The New Wave had a profound influence on global cinema, encouraging a more introspective and stylistically bold approach to filmmaking.

Other post-war movements included Japanese New Wave , German New Cinema , and the British Free Cinema .

Each of these movements, in their respective countries, represented a break from established filmmaking practices and a desire to address contemporary social and political issues through a more realistic and personal cinematic lens.

These post-war film movements played a crucial role in shaping the future of global cinema.

They not only challenged traditional narratives and styles but also paved the way for future generations of filmmakers to explore more diverse and complex themes in their work.

Their legacy is seen in the continued evolution of film as a medium for personal expression and social commentary.

The Golden Age Of Hollywood

The Golden Age of Hollywood, a term often used to describe the period from the late 1920s to the early 1960s, was a time of remarkable achievement and influence for the American film industry.

This era is remembered for its significant contributions to cinematic history, including the establishment of the studio system, the rise of iconic movie stars, and the production of films that have stood the test of time.

During the Golden Age, the Hollywood studio system was at its peak. Major studios like MGM, Warner Bros., Paramount , 20th Century Fox, and RKO controlled all aspects of film production, distribution, and exhibition.

They operated under a factory-like system, churning out films on a regular schedule and managing the careers of their contracted stars, directors, and writers.

This system allowed for a high degree of control over the filmmaking process, resulting in a consistent style and quality across productions.

The era produced a vast array of classic films that have become cultural touchstones. Genres like the musical, the screwball comedy, film noir , and the epic were either born or perfected during this time.

Films such as “Casablanca” (1942), “Gone with the Wind” (1939), “Citizen Kane” (1941), and “Singin’ in the Rain” (1952) not only exemplified the artistic heights of the era but also left a lasting impact on the language of cinema.

The Golden Age also saw the rise of some of the most legendary figures in film history. Stars like Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, James Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor became synonymous with Hollywood glamour and talent.

Directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles , and Billy Wilder made some of their most important works during this period.

Despite its name, the Golden Age was not without its challenges. The era saw the rise of anti-Communist sentiment in Hollywood, leading to the infamous blacklist.

The end of the period was marked by the decline of the studio system, changes in audience tastes, and the rise of television as a competing form of entertainment.

The Golden Age of Hollywood was a defining period in cinema history, shaping the industry and establishing standards in storytelling, visual style, and star power that continue to influence filmmakers today.

It was a time when Hollywood was synonymous with the film industry, producing works that remain iconic in the collective cultural memory.

The New Hollywood era, which spanned from the late 1960s to the 1980s, marked a significant transformation in American filmmaking.

This period saw a departure from the traditional studio system and the rise of a new generation of filmmakers who brought fresh perspectives and innovative techniques to cinema.

The era is characterized by a greater emphasis on artistic expression, thematic complexity, and auteur-driven projects.

Directors such as Francis Ford Coppola , Martin Scorsese , Steven Spielberg , and George Lucas were at the forefront of this movement.

They, along with their contemporaries, were influenced by various international film movements and the changing social and cultural landscape of the United States.

Their films often featured more realistic, gritty content, exploring themes of alienation, moral ambiguity, and societal conflict. This was a stark contrast to the more sanitized, formulaic productions of the earlier studio era.

New Hollywood filmmakers pushed the boundaries of cinematic storytelling, experimenting with narrative structures, visual styles, and editing techniques.

This period saw the birth of the modern blockbuster with films like “Jaws” (1975) and “Star Wars” (1977), which not only achieved unprecedented box office success but also transformed the business and marketing strategies of the film industry.

This era was also marked by the rise of independent filmmaking. Directors often worked outside the traditional studio system, allowing for greater creative control and the opportunity to tackle more unconventional subjects.

This independence fostered a more personal and intimate style of filmmaking, evident in movies like “Easy Rider” (1969) and “Taxi Driver” (1976).

The influence of New Hollywood extended beyond narrative and aesthetic innovations. It represented a shift in the power dynamics of the industry, with directors and writers gaining more influence relative to studio executives.

This period also saw the emergence of a more sophisticated audience, one that was more critical and attuned to the artistic aspects of filmmaking.

However, by the end of the 1970s and into the 1980s, the landscape began to change again. The success of blockbuster films led to a renewed emphasis on high-concept, commercially viable productions.

This shift marked the decline of the New Hollywood era, as the industry moved towards franchises and big-budget spectacles.

The legacy of New Hollywood is significant; it marked a period of rejuvenation and creativity that redefined American cinema.

The filmmakers of this era inspired subsequent generations of directors and contributed to the evolution of film as an art form.

Dogme 95 & Independent Film Movements

In the 1990s, a unique and groundbreaking film movement emerged in Denmark, known as Dogme 95.

Initiated by filmmakers Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg , Dogme 95 was a manifesto that advocated for a return to the fundamental elements of filmmaking.

The movement imposed strict rules to strip away production excesses, such as artificial lighting, sound post-production, and use of props not found on-site.

This minimalist approach was aimed at focusing on story, acting, and theme, rather than on technology and effects.

Dogme 95 had a profound impact on the international film community, inspiring filmmakers to explore more raw and authentic forms of storytelling.

The first film made under this manifesto, Vinterberg’s “The Celebration” (1998), was critically acclaimed and demonstrated the potential of the movement’s principles.

Similarly, von Trier’s “The Idiots” (1998) challenged audiences with its unorthodox style and controversial subject matter.

Alongside Dogme 95, other independent film movements began to gain prominence around the world.

In the United States, the Sundance Film Festival became a major platform for independent filmmakers, showcasing works that were outside the mainstream Hollywood model.

Directors like Quentin Tarantino , Steven Soderbergh , and David Lynch became notable figures in this movement, known for their innovative storytelling and stylistic flair.

These independent movements were characterized by their rejection of conventional filmmaking practices, often operating on limited budgets and with greater creative freedom.

They explored diverse and sometimes controversial themes, offering alternative perspectives to mainstream cinema.

The impact of these movements was far-reaching, contributing to a more diverse and vibrant film landscape. They challenged the norms of the industry, encouraged experimentation, and provided a voice for filmmakers who might otherwise have been marginalized.

The legacy of movements like Dogme 95 and the broader independent film scene continues to be felt in the industry, encouraging a continuous exploration of what cinema can be and do.

How Has The Film Industry Changed Over The Years?

The film industry has undergone many changes over the years, both in terms of technology and in terms of the stories it tells and the audiences it reaches. Some of the major changes include:

Technological advancements

The film industry has seen many technological advancements over the years, from the invention of the motion picture camera in the late 19th century to the development of digital filmmaking in the 21st century.

These advancements have greatly changed the way films are made and have expanded the possibilities for what can be done with the medium.

Distribution and exhibition

The way films are distributed and exhibited has also changed over the years. With the advent of television and home video, films began to be shown in more places and to more people than ever before.

The rise of streaming platforms in recent years has further expanded the reach of films and has made it easier for audiences to access them from anywhere.

Diversification of stories and representation

The film industry has also become more diverse in terms of the stories it tells and the people it represents.

There has been an increased representation of people from marginalized communities on both sides of the camera, and a growing interest in stories that are not just about straight, white, male characters.

The rise of independent cinema

In the last few decades, there has been a rise of independent cinema, which has allowed for more diverse stories, filmmakers, and perspectives to be represented in the industry. This has led to a more varied and dynamic film landscape.

The impact of globalization

The film industry has also been greatly impacted by globalization, with the increasing internationalization of production, distribution and exhibition. This has led to more cross-cultural exchange and the emergence of new film centers around the world.

Overall, the film industry has undergone significant changes over the years, and it continues to evolve in response to new technologies and changing social and cultural attitudes.

New Film Industry Distribution Methods

In recent years, the film industry has seen the emergence of new distribution methods that have changed the way films are released and consumed. Some of the new distribution methods include:

Streaming platforms

Streaming platforms like Netflix , Amazon Prime, and Disney+ have become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing audiences to watch films and TV shows on-demand from the comfort of their own homes.

These platforms have also begun to produce their own content, which has helped to change the way films are financed and released.

Video-on-demand (VOD)

Video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like iTunes, Google Play, and Vimeo allow audiences to rent or purchase films online and watch them on their own devices.

This has given filmmakers more control over their films’ distribution and has made it easier for audiences to access films that may not have been shown in theaters.

Online film festivals

With the pandemic, online film festivals have emerged as a new way of showcasing films to audiences who can’t go to traditional festivals or movie theaters.

This has allowed for films to reach new audiences, and for films that may not have been able to travel to festivals to be seen.

Theatrical-VOD

This is a hybrid distribution strategy that allows films to be released in theaters and on VOD platforms at the same time, or shortly after.

This allows films to reach audiences who are still interested in going to the theaters, and also allows for films to be seen by audiences who may not have access to theaters in their area.

Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR)

Filmmakers are also experimenting with new technologies like VR and AR to create immersive and interactive experiences for audiences.

This could change the way films are consumed in the future, allowing audiences to be fully immersed in a film’s world.

All these new distribution methods have given filmmakers more control over their films’ distribution, and have made it easier for audiences to access a wider variety of films.

They also have opened new opportunities for filmmakers and production companies to monetize their content and reach new audiences.

Technological Advancements In Film

From the late 19th century’s rudimentary motion picture cameras to today’s digital filmmaking, technology has dramatically transformed cinema.

The transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s revolutionized storytelling, while the 1930s’ Technicolor process brought vibrant color to the silver screen.

The post-war era saw widescreen formats like Cinemascope enhancing the theatrical experience.

The late 20th century introduced computer-generated imagery (CGI), fundamentally changing film production and visuals.

The 21st century’s digital revolution further democratized filmmaking, making it more accessible and versatile.

Today, technologies like high-definition, 3D, and virtual reality are pushing the boundaries of cinematic experience, continuously redefining what is possible in storytelling.

Global Cinema Beyond Hollywood

While Hollywood has long been a film industry titan, global cinema offers a rich tapestry of storytelling and innovation.

European cinema, particularly Italian Neorealism and the French New Wave, has had a profound impact on film aesthetics and narrative, emphasizing realism and personal expression.

Bollywood, or Indian cinema, is renowned for its vibrant musicals and has become a significant global force.

Asian cinema, particularly Japanese, Korean , and Chinese films, has gained international acclaim for unique storytelling and technical prowess.

African cinema, though less globally recognized, offers powerful narratives deeply rooted in cultural and social contexts.

These diverse cinematic traditions not only enrich the global film landscape but also foster cross-cultural understanding and artistic exchange.

Independent & Art Cinema

The rise of independent and art cinema has been pivotal in diversifying film narratives.

Independent films, often produced outside the major studio system, have pushed the boundaries of storytelling, exploring unconventional themes and styles.

Art cinema, characterized by its experimental approach, challenges mainstream narrative conventions, often focusing on the artistic vision and personal expression of the director.

Film festivals like Sundance have become crucial platforms for showcasing and promoting independent and art cinema, providing filmmakers with exposure and opportunities to reach wider audiences.

These movements have given voice to underrepresented groups and have introduced fresh perspectives, significantly enriching the cinematic landscape and offering alternatives to mainstream commercial cinema.

Recent Trends And The Future Of Cinema

Recent trends in cinema indicate a rapidly evolving industry. The rise of superhero movies reflects a preference for high-budget spectacles and franchises.

Musicals have seen a resurgence, appealing to a broad audience seeking escapism and nostalgia.

The international market’s influence, particularly China’s, has led to more globally conscious productions.

Advancements in technology like virtual and augmented reality are creating immersive cinematic experiences, offering new ways for storytelling.

The future of cinema may see more personalized and interactive content, with streaming services already facilitating a more customized viewing experience.

As audiences’ preferences and technologies evolve, cinema is poised to continue its transformation, embracing new formats and narratives.

Streaming Era Expansion

The advent of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ has revolutionized the film industry.

These platforms have challenged traditional theatrical release models, offering filmmakers flexibility in distribution and access to global audiences.

Streaming has democratized content creation, allowing independent and diverse storytellers to showcase their work. The impact on traditional cinemas is significant, with a shift towards home viewing experiences.

This era has seen a surge in binge-watching culture and an emphasis on serialized storytelling. The pandemic accelerated this shift, as streaming became the primary mode of film consumption.

The implications for the future are profound, with streaming likely to continue shaping how films are made, distributed, and watched.

History Of Film Timeline – Wrapping Up

The history of film is a journey through various movements and technological advancements, each shaping the way stories are told and experienced.

From the silent classics to the modern masterpieces, cinema has continually evolved, reflecting and shaping society.

As we look to the future, the film industry is poised to continue its evolution, embracing new technologies and storytelling techniques to captivate audiences worldwide.

The history of film is a long and complex one that spans over a century. Some of the major milestones and movements in film history include:

1895: The invention of the motion picture camera by the Lumière brothers, which marked the beginning of the motion picture industry.

1910s-1920s: The rise of Hollywood as the center of the American film industry and the emergence of the Hollywood star system.

1930s-1940s: The Golden Age of Hollywood, characterized by the production of high-quality, commercially successful films.

1950s-1960s: The emergence of the French New Wave, a movement in French cinema that sought to break away from the conventions of traditional filmmaking.

1970s: The rise of independent cinema in the United States and the emergence of movements such as the New Hollywood, the LA Rebellion, New German Cinema, Japanese New Wave, and Australian New Wave.

1980s-1990s: The emergence of new movements such as Cinéma Du Look and New Queer Cinema, as well as the rise of digital filmmaking and the advent of home video.

2000s-2010s: The rise of streaming platforms and the diversification of stories and representation in the film industry, as well as the emergence of new distribution methods like VOD and online film festivals.

Each of these movements and milestones has contributed to the evolution of the film industry and the development of new storytelling techniques and technologies.

The history of film is ongoing, and it continues to evolve in response to new technologies, changing social and cultural attitudes, and the ever-changing tastes of audiences.

Spirit Photography: Capturing the Paranormal On Camera

10 Best Kathryn Bigelow Movies: Powerhouse of Action and Thrills

Matt Crawford

Related posts, when was the golden age of hollywood: the complete history, 10 best norman jewison movies: the diverse director of socially relevant films, 25 best croatian movies: a journey through croatian cinema, 9 best karl freund movies: the architect of horror’s visual feast, what is participatory cinema complete guide to the film movement, what is queer theory: the complete guide, leave a reply cancel reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Username or Email Address

Remember Me

Registration is closed.

Pin It on Pinterest

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

8.2 The History of Movies

Learning objectives.

• Identify key points in the development of the motion picture industry.
• Identify key developments of the motion picture industry and technology.
• Identify influential films in movie history.

The movie industry as we know it today originated in the early 19th century through a series of technological developments: the creation of photography, the discovery of the illusion of motion by combining individual still images, and the study of human and animal locomotion. The history presented here begins at the culmination of these technological developments, where the idea of the motion picture as an entertainment industry first emerged. Since then, the industry has seen extraordinary transformations, some driven by the artistic visions of individual participants, some by commercial necessity, and still others by accident. The history of the cinema is complex, and for every important innovator and movement listed here, others have been left out. Nonetheless, after reading this section you will understand the broad arc of the development of a medium that has captured the imaginations of audiences worldwide for over a century.

The Beginnings: Motion Picture Technology of the Late 19th Century

While the experience of watching movies on smartphones may seem like a drastic departure from the communal nature of film viewing as we think of it today, in some ways the small-format, single-viewer display is a return to film’s early roots. In 1891, the inventor Thomas Edison, together with William Dickson, a young laboratory assistant, came out with what they called the kinetoscope , a device that would become the predecessor to the motion picture projector. The kinetoscope was a cabinet with a window through which individual viewers could experience the illusion of a moving image (Gale Virtual Reference Library) (British Movie Classics). A perforated celluloid film strip with a sequence of images on it was rapidly spooled between a light bulb and a lens, creating the illusion of motion (Britannica). The images viewers could see in the kinetoscope captured events and performances that had been staged at Edison’s film studio in East Orange, New Jersey, especially for the Edison kinetograph (the camera that produced kinetoscope film sequences): circus performances, dancing women, cockfights, boxing matches, and even a tooth extraction by a dentist (Robinson, 1994).

The Edison kinetoscope.

todd.vision – Kinetoscope – CC BY 2.0.

As the kinetoscope gained popularity, the Edison Company began installing machines in hotel lobbies, amusement parks, and penny arcades, and soon kinetoscope parlors—where customers could pay around 25 cents for admission to a bank of machines—had opened around the country. However, when friends and collaborators suggested that Edison find a way to project his kinetoscope images for audience viewing, he apparently refused, claiming that such an invention would be a less profitable venture (Britannica).

Because Edison hadn’t secured an international patent for his invention, variations of the kinetoscope were soon being copied and distributed throughout Europe. This new form of entertainment was an instant success, and a number of mechanics and inventors, seeing an opportunity, began toying with methods of projecting the moving images onto a larger screen. However, it was the invention of two brothers, Auguste and Louis Lumière—photographic goods manufacturers in Lyon, France—that saw the most commercial success. In 1895, the brothers patented the cinématographe (from which we get the term cinema ), a lightweight film projector that also functioned as a camera and printer. Unlike the Edison kinetograph, the cinématographe was lightweight enough for easy outdoor filming, and over the years the brothers used the camera to take well over 1,000 short films, most of which depicted scenes from everyday life. In December 1895, in the basement lounge of the Grand Café, Rue des Capucines in Paris, the Lumières held the world’s first ever commercial film screening, a sequence of about 10 short scenes, including the brother’s first film, Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory , a segment lasting less than a minute and depicting workers leaving the family’s photographic instrument factory at the end of the day, as shown in the still frame here in Figure 8.3 (Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire).

Believing that audiences would get bored watching scenes that they could just as easily observe on a casual walk around the city, Louis Lumière claimed that the cinema was “an invention without a future (Menand, 2005),” but a demand for motion pictures grew at such a rapid rate that soon representatives of the Lumière company were traveling throughout Europe and the world, showing half-hour screenings of the company’s films. While cinema initially competed with other popular forms of entertainment—circuses, vaudeville acts, theater troupes, magic shows, and many others—eventually it would supplant these various entertainments as the main commercial attraction (Menand, 2005). Within a year of the Lumières’ first commercial screening, competing film companies were offering moving-picture acts in music halls and vaudeville theaters across Great Britain. In the United States, the Edison Company, having purchased the rights to an improved projector that they called the Vitascope , held their first film screening in April 1896 at Koster and Bial’s Music Hall in Herald Square, New York City.

Film’s profound impact on its earliest viewers is difficult to imagine today, inundated as many are by video images. However, the sheer volume of reports about the early audience’s disbelief, delight, and even fear at what they were seeing suggests that viewing a film was an overwhelming experience for many. Spectators gasped at the realistic details in films such as Robert Paul’s Rough Sea at Dover , and at times people panicked and tried to flee the theater during films in which trains or moving carriages sped toward the audience (Robinson). Even the public’s perception of film as a medium was considerably different from the contemporary understanding; the moving image was an improvement upon the photograph—a medium with which viewers were already familiar—and this is perhaps why the earliest films documented events in brief segments but didn’t tell stories. During this “novelty period” of cinema, audiences were more interested by the phenomenon of the film projector itself, so vaudeville halls advertised the kind of projector they were using (for example “The Vitascope—Edison’s Latest Marvel”) (Balcanasu, et. al.), rather than the names of the films (Britannica Online).

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory: One of the first films viewed by an audience.

Craig Duffy – Workers Leaving The Lumiere Factory – CC BY-NC 2.0.

By the close of the 19th century, as public excitement over the moving picture’s novelty gradually wore off, filmmakers were also beginning to experiment with film’s possibilities as a medium in itself (not simply, as it had been regarded up until then, as a tool for documentation, analogous to the camera or the phonograph). Technical innovations allowed filmmakers like Parisian cinema owner Georges Méliès to experiment with special effects that produced seemingly magical transformations on screen: flowers turned into women, people disappeared with puffs of smoke, a man appeared where a woman had just been standing, and other similar tricks (Robinson).

Not only did Méliès, a former magician, invent the “ trick film ,” which producers in England and the United States began to imitate, but he was also the one to transform cinema into the narrative medium it is today. Whereas before, filmmakers had only ever created single-shot films that lasted a minute or less, Méliès began joining these short films together to create stories. His 30-scene Trip to the Moon (1902), a film based on a Jules Verne novel, may have been the most widely seen production in cinema’s first decade (Robinson). However, Méliès never developed his technique beyond treating the narrative film as a staged theatrical performance; his camera, representing the vantage point of an audience facing a stage, never moved during the filming of a scene. In 1912, Méliès released his last commercially successful production, The Conquest of the Pole , and from then on, he lost audiences to filmmakers who were experimenting with more sophisticated techniques (Encyclopedia of Communication and Information).

Georges Méliès’s Trip to the Moon was one of the first films to incorporate fantasy elements and to use “trick” filming techniques, both of which heavily influenced future filmmakers.

The Nickelodeon Craze (1904–1908)

One of these innovative filmmakers was Edwin S. Porter, a projectionist and engineer for the Edison Company. Porter’s 12-minute film, The Great Train Robbery (1903), broke with the stagelike compositions of Méliès-style films through its use of editing, camera pans, rear projections, and diagonally composed shots that produced a continuity of action. Not only did The Great Train Robbery establish the realistic narrative as a standard in cinema, it was also the first major box-office hit. Its success paved the way for the growth of the film industry, as investors, recognizing the motion picture’s great moneymaking potential, began opening the first permanent film theaters around the country.

Known as nickelodeons because of their 5 cent admission charge, these early motion picture theaters, often housed in converted storefronts, were especially popular among the working class of the time, who couldn’t afford live theater. Between 1904 and 1908, around 9,000 nickelodeons appeared in the United States. It was the nickelodeon’s popularity that established film as a mass entertainment medium (Dictionary of American History).

The “Biz”: The Motion Picture Industry Emerges

As the demand for motion pictures grew, production companies were created to meet it. At the peak of nickelodeon popularity in 1910 (Britannica Online), there were 20 or so major motion picture companies in the United States. However, heated disputes often broke out among these companies over patent rights and industry control, leading even the most powerful among them to fear fragmentation that would loosen their hold on the market (Fielding, 1967). Because of these concerns, the 10 leading companies—including Edison, Biograph, Vitagraph, and others—formed the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC) in 1908. The MPPC was a trade group that pooled the most significant motion picture patents and established an exclusive contract between these companies and the Eastman Kodak Company as a supplier of film stock. Also known as the Trust , the MPPC’s goal was to standardize the industry and shut out competition through monopolistic control. Under the Trust’s licensing system, only certain licensed companies could participate in the exchange, distribution, and production of film at different levels of the industry—a shut-out tactic that eventually backfired, leading the excluded, independent distributors to organize in opposition to the Trust (Britannica Online).

The Rise of the Feature

In these early years, theaters were still running single-reel films, which came at a standard length of 1,000 feet, allowing for about 16 minutes of playing time. However, companies began to import multiple-reel films from European producers around 1907, and the format gained popular acceptance in the United States in 1912 with Louis Mercanton’s highly successful Queen Elizabeth , a three-and-a-half reel “feature,” starring the French actress Sarah Bernhardt. As exhibitors began to show more features—as the multiple-reel film came to be called—they discovered a number of advantages over the single-reel short. For one thing, audiences saw these longer films as special events and were willing to pay more for admission, and because of the popularity of the feature narratives , features generally experienced longer runs in theaters than their single-reel predecessors (Motion Pictures). Additionally, the feature film gained popularity among the middle classes, who saw its length as analogous to the more “respectable” entertainment of live theater (Motion Pictures). Following the example of the French film d’art , U.S. feature producers often took their material from sources that would appeal to a wealthier and better educated audience, such as histories, literature, and stage productions (Robinson).

As it turns out, the feature film was one factor that brought about the eventual downfall of the MPPC. The inflexible structuring of the Trust’s exhibition and distribution system made the organization resistant to change. When movie studio, and Trust member, Vitagraph began to release features like A Tale of Two Cities (1911) and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1910), the Trust forced it to exhibit the films serially in single-reel showings to keep with industry standards. The MPPC also underestimated the appeal of the star system, a trend that began when producers chose famous stage actors like Mary Pickford and James O’Neill to play the leading roles in their productions and to grace their advertising posters (Robinson). Because of the MPPC’s inflexibility, independent companies were the only ones able to capitalize on two important trends that were to become film’s future: single-reel features and star power. Today, few people would recognize names like Vitagraph or Biograph, but the independents that outlasted them—Universal, Goldwyn (which would later merge with Metro and Mayer), Fox (later 20th Century Fox), and Paramount (the later version of the Lasky Corporation)—have become household names.

As moviegoing increased in popularity among the middle class, and as the feature films began keeping audiences in their seats for longer periods of time, exhibitors found a need to create more comfortable and richly decorated theater spaces to attract their audiences. These “dream palaces,” so called because of their often lavish embellishments of marble, brass, guilding, and cut glass, not only came to replace the nickelodeon theater, but also created the demand that would lead to the Hollywood studio system. Some producers realized that the growing demand for new work could only be met if the films were produced on a regular, year-round system. However, this was impractical with the current system that often relied on outdoor filming and was predominately based in Chicago and New York—two cities whose weather conditions prevented outdoor filming for a significant portion of the year. Different companies attempted filming in warmer locations such as Florida, Texas, and Cuba, but the place where producers eventually found the most success was a small, industrial suburb of Los Angeles called Hollywood.

Hollywood proved to be an ideal location for a number of reasons. Not only was the climate temperate and sunny year-round, but land was plentiful and cheap, and the location allowed close access to a number of diverse topographies: mountains, lakes, desert, coasts, and forests. By 1915, more than 60 percent of U.S. film production was centered in Hollywood (Britannica Online).

The Art of Silent Film

While the development of narrative film was largely driven by commercial factors, it is also important to acknowledge the role of individual artists who turned it into a medium of personal expression. The motion picture of the silent era was generally simplistic in nature; acted in overly animated movements to engage the eye; and accompanied by live music, played by musicians in the theater, and written titles to create a mood and to narrate a story. Within the confines of this medium, one filmmaker in particular emerged to transform the silent film into an art and to unlock its potential as a medium of serious expression and persuasion. D. W. Griffith, who entered the film industry as an actor in 1907, quickly moved to a directing role in which he worked closely with his camera crew to experiment with shots, angles, and editing techniques that could heighten the emotional intensity of his scenes. He found that by practicing parallel editing , in which a film alternates between two or more scenes of action, he could create an illusion of simultaneity. He could then heighten the tension of the film’s drama by alternating between cuts more and more rapidly until the scenes of action converged. Griffith used this technique to great effect in his controversial film The Birth of a Nation , which will be discussed in greater detail later on in this chapter. Other techniques that Griffith employed to new effect included panning shots , through which he was able to establish a sense of scene and to engage his audience more fully in the experience of the film, and tracking shots , or shots that traveled with the movement of a scene (Motion Pictures), which allowed the audience—through the eye of the camera—to participate in the film’s action.

MPAA: Combating Censorship

As film became an increasingly lucrative U.S. industry, prominent industry figures like D. W. Griffith, slapstick comedian/director Charlie Chaplin, and actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks grew extremely wealthy and influential. Public attitudes toward stars and toward some stars’ extravagant lifestyles were divided, much as they are today: On the one hand, these celebrities were idolized and imitated in popular culture, yet at the same time, they were criticized for representing a threat, on and off screen, to traditional morals and social order. And much as it does today, the news media liked to sensationalize the lives of celebrities to sell stories. Comedian Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, who worked alongside future icons Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, was at the center of one of the biggest scandals of the silent era. When Arbuckle hosted a marathon party over Labor Day weekend in 1921, one of his guests, model Virginia Rapp, was rushed to the hospital, where she later died. Reports of a drunken orgy, rape, and murder surfaced. Following World War I, the United States was in the middle of significant social reforms, such as Prohibition. Many feared that movies and their stars could threaten the moral order of the country. Because of the nature of the crime and the celebrity involved, these fears became inexplicably tied to the Artbuckle case (Motion Pictures). Even though autopsy reports ruled that Rapp had died from causes for which Arbuckle could not be blamed, the comedian was tried (and acquitted) for manslaughter, and his career was ruined.

The Arbuckle affair and a series of other scandals only increased public fears about Hollywood’s impact. In response to this perceived threat, state and local governments increasingly tried to censor the content of films that depicted crime, violence, and sexually explicit material. Deciding that they needed to protect themselves from government censorship and to foster a more favorable public image, the major Hollywood studios organized in 1922 to form an association they called the Motion Picture Producers and Distributers of America (later renamed the Motion Picture Association of America, or MPAA ). Among other things, the MPAA instituted a code of self-censorship for the motion picture industry. Today, the MPAA operates by a voluntary rating system, which means producers can voluntarily submit a film for review, which is designed to alert viewers to the age-appropriateness of a film, while still protecting the filmmakers’ artistic freedom (Motion Picture Association of America).

Silent Film’s Demise

In 1925, Warner Bros. was just a small Hollywood studio looking for opportunities to expand. When representatives from Western Electric offered to sell the studio the rights to a new technology they called Vitaphone, a sound-on-disc system that had failed to capture the interest of any of the industry giants, Warner Bros. executives took a chance, predicting that the novelty of talking films might be a way to make a quick, short-term profit. Little did they anticipate that their gamble would not only establish them as a major Hollywood presence but also change the industry forever.

The pairing of sound with motion pictures was nothing new in itself. Edison, after all, had commissioned the kinetoscope to create a visual accompaniment to the phonograph, and many early theaters had orchestra pits to provide musical accompaniment to their films. Even the smaller picture houses with lower budgets almost always had an organ or piano. When Warner Bros. purchased Vitaphone technology, it planned to use it to provide prerecorded orchestral accompaniment for its films, thereby increasing their marketability to the smaller theaters that didn’t have their own orchestra pits (Gochenour, 2000). In 1926, Warner debuted the system with the release of Don Juan , a costume drama accompanied by a recording of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra; the public responded enthusiastically (Motion Pictures). By 1927, after a $3 million campaign, Warner Bros. had wired more than 150 theaters in the United States, and it released its second sound film, The Jazz Singer , in which the actor Al Jolson improvised a few lines of synchronized dialogue and sang six songs. The film was a major breakthrough. Audiences, hearing an actor speak on screen for the first time, were enchanted (Gochenour). While radio, a new and popular entertainment, had been drawing audiences away from the picture houses for some time, with the birth of the “ talkie ,” or talking film, audiences once again returned to the cinema in large numbers, lured by the promise of seeing and hearing their idols perform (Higham, 1973). By 1929, three-fourths of Hollywood films had some form of sound accompaniment, and by 1930, the silent film was a thing of the past (Gochenour).

“I Don’t Think We’re in Kansas Anymore”: Film Goes Technicolor

Although the techniques of tinting and hand painting had been available methods for adding color to films for some time (Georges Méliès, for instance, employed a crew to hand-paint many of his films), neither method ever caught on. The hand-painting technique became impractical with the advent of mass-produced film, and the tinting process, which filmmakers discovered would create an interference with the transmission of sound in films, was abandoned with the rise of the talkie. However, in 1922, Herbert Kalmus’s Technicolor company introduced a dye-transfer technique that allowed it to produce a full-length film, The Toll of the Sea , in two primary colors (Gale Virtual Reference Library). However, because only two colors were used, the appearance of The Toll of the Sea (1922), The Ten Commandments (1923), and other early Technicolor films was not very lifelike. By 1932, Technicolor had designed a three-color system with more realistic results, and for the next 25 years, all color films were produced with this improved system. Disney’s Three Little Pigs (1933) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1936) and films with live actors, like MGM’s The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Gone With the Wind (1939), experienced early success using Technicolor’s three-color method.

Despite the success of certain color films in the 1930s, Hollywood, like the rest of the United States, was feeling the impact of the Great Depression, and the expenses of special cameras, crews, and Technicolor lab processing made color films impractical for studios trying to cut costs. Therefore, it wasn’t until the end of the 1940s that Technicolor would largely displace the black-and-white film (Motion Pictures in Color).

Rise and Fall of the Hollywood Studio

The spike in theater attendance that followed the introduction of talking films changed the economic structure of the motion picture industry, bringing about some of the largest mergers in industry history. By 1930, eight studios produced 95 percent of all American films, and they continued to experience growth even during the Depression. The five most influential of these studios—Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, RKO, 20th Century Fox, and Paramount—were vertically integrated ; that is, they controlled every part of the system as it related to their films, from the production to release, distribution, and even viewing. Because they owned theater chains worldwide, these studios controlled which movies exhibitors ran, and because they “owned” a stock of directors, actors, writers, and technical assistants by contract, each studio produced films of a particular character.

The late 1930s and early 1940s are sometimes known as the “ Golden Age ” of cinema, a time of unparalleled success for the movie industry; by 1939, film was the 11th-largest industry in the United States, and during World War II, when the U.S. economy was once again flourishing, two-thirds of Americans were attending the theater at least once a week (Britannica Online). Some of the most acclaimed movies in history were released during this period, including Citizen Kane and The Grapes of Wrath . However, postwar inflation, a temporary loss of key foreign markets, the advent of the television, and other factors combined to bring that rapid growth to an end. In 1948, the case of the United States v. Paramount Pictures —mandating competition and forcing the studios to relinquish control over theater chains—dealt the final devastating blow from which the studio system would never recover. Control of the major studios reverted to Wall Street, where the studios were eventually absorbed by multinational corporations, and the powerful studio heads lost the influence they had held for nearly 30 years (Baers, 2000).

Rise and Decline of Movie Viewing During Hollywood’s “Golden Age”

Graph from Pautz, Michelle C. 2002. The Decline in Average Weekly Cinema Attendance: 1930–2000. Issues in Political Economy, 11 (Summer): 54–65.

Post–World War II: Television Presents a Threat

While economic factors and antitrust legislation played key roles in the decline of the studio system, perhaps the most important factor in that decline was the advent of the television. Given the opportunity to watch “movies” from the comfort of their own homes, the millions of Americans who owned a television by the early 1950s were attending the cinema far less regularly than they had only several years earlier (Motion Pictures). In an attempt to win back diminishing audiences, studios did their best to exploit the greatest advantages film held over television. For one thing, television broadcasting in the 1950s was all in black and white, whereas the film industry had the advantage of color. While producing a color film was still an expensive undertaking in the late 1940s, a couple of changes occurred in the industry in the early 1950s to make color not only more affordable, but more realistic in its appearance. In 1950, as the result of antitrust legislation, Technicolor lost its monopoly on the color film industry, allowing other providers to offer more competitive pricing on filming and processing services. At the same time, Kodak came out with a multilayer film stock that made it possible to use more affordable cameras and to produce a higher quality image. Kodak’s Eastmancolor option was an integral component in converting the industry to color. In the late 1940s, only 12 percent of features were in color; however, by 1954 (after the release of Kodak Eastmancolor) more than 50 percent of movies were in color (Britannica Online).

Another clear advantage on which filmmakers tried to capitalize was the sheer size of the cinema experience. With the release of the epic biblical film The Robe in 1953, 20th Century Fox introduced the method that would soon be adopted by nearly every studio in Hollywood: a technology that allowed filmmakers to squeeze a wide-angle image onto conventional 35-mm film stock, thereby increasing the aspect ratio (the ratio of a screen’s width to its height) of their images. This wide-screen format increased the immersive quality of the theater experience. Nonetheless, even with these advancements, movie attendance never again reached the record numbers it experienced in 1946, at the peak of the Golden Age of Hollywood (Britannica Online).

Mass Entertainment, Mass Paranoia: HUAC and the Hollywood Blacklist

The Cold War with the Soviet Union began in 1947, and with it came the widespread fear of communism, not only from the outside, but equally from within. To undermine this perceived threat, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) commenced investigations to locate communist sympathizers in America who were suspected of conducting espionage for the Soviet Union. In the highly conservative and paranoid atmosphere of the time, Hollywood, the source of a mass-cultural medium, came under fire in response to fears that subversive, communist messages were being embedded in films. In November 1947, more than 100 people in the movie business were called to testify before the HUAC about their and their colleagues’ involvement with communist affairs. Of those investigated, 10 in particular refused to cooperate with the committee’s questions. These 10, later known as the Hollywood Ten, were fired from their jobs and sentenced to serve up to a year in prison. The studios, already slipping in influence and profit, were eager to cooperate in order to save themselves, and a number of producers signed an agreement stating that no communists would work in Hollywood.

The hearings, which recommenced in 1951 with the rise of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s influence, turned into a kind of witch hunt as witnesses were asked to testify against their associates, and a blacklist of suspected communists evolved. Over 324 individuals lost their jobs in the film industry as a result of blacklisting (the denial of work in a certain field or industry) and HUAC investigations (Georgakas, 2004; Mills, 2007; Dressler, et. al., 2005).

Down With the Establishment: Youth Culture of the 1960s and 1970s

Movies of the late 1960s began attracting a younger demographic, as a growing number of young people were drawn in by films like Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch (1969), Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider (1969)—all revolutionary in their genres—that displayed a sentiment of unrest toward conventional social orders and included some of the earliest instances of realistic and brutal violence in film. These four films in particular grossed so much money at the box offices that producers began churning out low-budget copycats to draw in a new, profitable market (Motion Pictures). While this led to a rise in youth-culture films, few of them saw great success. However, the new liberal attitudes toward depictions of sex and violence in these films represented a sea of change in the movie industry that manifested in many movies of the 1970s, including Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), and Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975), all three of which saw great financial success (Britannica Online; Belton, 1994).

Blockbusters, Knockoffs, and Sequels

In the 1970s, with the rise of work by Coppola, Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and others, a new breed of director emerged. These directors were young and film-school educated, and they contributed a sense of professionalism, sophistication, and technical mastery to their work, leading to a wave of blockbuster productions, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Star Wars (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). The computer-generated special effects that were available at this time also contributed to the success of a number of large-budget productions. In response to these and several earlier blockbusters, movie production and marketing techniques also began to shift, with studios investing more money in fewer films in the hopes of producing more big successes. For the first time, the hefty sums producers and distributers invested didn’t go to production costs alone; distributers were discovering the benefits of TV and radio advertising and finding that doubling their advertising costs could increase profits as much as three or four times over. With the opening of Jaws , one of the five top-grossing films of the decade (and the highest grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars in 1977), Hollywood embraced the wide-release method of movie distribution, abandoning the release methods of earlier decades, in which a film would debut in only a handful of select theaters in major cities before it became gradually available to mass audiences. Jaws was released in 600 theaters simultaneously, and the big-budget films that followed came out in anywhere from 800 to 2,000 theaters nationwide on their opening weekends (Belton; Hanson & Garcia-Myers, 2000).

The major Hollywood studios of the late 1970s and early 1980s, now run by international corporations, tended to favor the conservative gamble of the tried and true, and as a result, the period saw an unprecedented number of high-budget sequels—as in the Star Wars , Indiana Jones , and Godfather films—as well as imitations and adaptations of earlier successful material, such as the plethora of “slasher” films that followed the success of the 1979 thriller Halloween . Additionally, corporations sought revenue sources beyond the movie theater, looking to the video and cable releases of their films. Introduced in 1975, the VCR became nearly ubiquitous in American homes by 1998 with 88.9 million households owning the appliance (Rosen & Meier, 2000). Cable television’s growth was slower, but ownership of VCRs gave people a new reason to subscribe, and cable subsequently expanded as well (Rogers). And the newly introduced concept of film-based merchandise (toys, games, books, etc.) allowed companies to increase profits even more.

The 1990s and Beyond

The 1990s saw the rise of two divergent strands of cinema: the technically spectacular blockbuster with special, computer-generated effects and the independent, low-budget film. The capabilities of special effects were enhanced when studios began manipulating film digitally. Early examples of this technology can be seen in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and Jurassic Park (1993). Films with an epic scope— Independence Day (1996), Titanic (1997), and The Matrix (1999)—also employed a range of computer-animation techniques and special effects to wow audiences and to draw more viewers to the big screen. Toy Story (1995), the first fully computer-animated film, and those that came after it, such as Antz (1998), A Bug’s Life (1998), and Toy Story 2 (1999), displayed the improved capabilities of computer-generated animation (Sedman, 2000). At the same time, independent directors and producers, such as the Coen brothers and Spike Jonze, experienced an increased popularity, often for lower-budget films that audiences were more likely to watch on video at home (Britannica Online). A prime example of this is the 1996 Academy Awards program, when independent films dominated the Best Picture category. Only one movie from a big film studio was nominated— Jerry Maguire —while the rest were independent films. The growth of both independent movies and special-effects-laden blockbusters continues to the present day. You will read more about current issues and trends and the future of the movie industry later on in this chapter.

Key Takeaways

• The concept of the motion picture was first introduced to a mass audience through Thomas Edison’s kinetoscope in 1891. However, it wasn’t until the Lumière brothers released the cinématographe in 1895 that motion pictures were projected for audience viewing. In the United States, film established itself as a popular form of entertainment with the nickelodeon theater in the 1910s.
• The release of The Jazz Singer in 1927 marked the birth of the talking film, and by 1930 silent film was a thing of the past. Technicolor emerged for film around the same time and found early success with movies like The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind . However, people would continue to make films in black and white until the late 1950s.
• By 1915 most of the major film studios had moved to Hollywood. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, these major studios controlled every aspect of the movie industry, and the films they produced drew crowds to theaters in numbers that have still not been surpassed. After World War II, the studio system declined as a result of antitrust legislation that took power away from studios and of the invention of the television.
• During the 1960s and 1970s, there was a rise in films—including Bonnie and Clyde , The Wild Bunch , 2001: A Space Odyssey , and Easy Rider —that celebrated the emerging youth culture and a rejection of the conservatism of the previous decades. This also led to looser attitudes toward depictions of sexuality and violence in film. The 1970s and 1980s saw the rise of the blockbuster, with films like Jaws , Star Wars , Raiders of the Lost Ark , and The Godfather .
• The adoption of the VCR by most households in the 1980s reduced audiences at movie theaters but opened a new mass market of home movie viewers. Improvements in computer animation led to more special effects in film during the 1990s with movies like The Matrix , Jurassic Park , and the first fully computer-animated film, Toy Story .

Identify four films that you would consider to be representative of major developments in the industry and in film as a medium that were outlined in this section. Imagine you are using these films to explain movie history to a friend. Provide a detailed explanation of why each of these films represents significant changes in attitudes, technology, or trends and situate each in the overall context of film’s development. Consider the following questions:

• How did this movie influence the film industry?
• What has been the lasting impact of this movie on the film industry?
• How was the film industry and technology different before this film?

Baers, Michael. “Studio System,” in St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture , ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast (Detroit: St. James Press, 2000), vol. 4, 565.

Balcanasu, Andrei Ionut, Sergey V. Smagin, and Stephanie K. Thrift, “Edison and the Lumiere Brothers,” Cartoons and Cinema of the 20th Century , http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118600/index.phtml?menu=en%3B1%3Bci1001.html .

Belton, American Cinema/American Culture , 305.

Belton, John. American Cinema/American Culture . (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1994), 284 –2 90.

Britannica Online, s.v. “History of the Motion Picture”.

Britannica Online, s.v. “Kinetoscope,” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/318211/Kinetoscope/318211main/Article .

Britannica Online, s.v. “nickelodeon.”

Britannica Online. s.v. “History of the Motion Picture.” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/394161/history-of-the-motion picture ; Robinson, From Peep Show to Palace , 45, 53.

British Movie Classics, “The Kinetoscope,” British Movie Classics, http://www.britishmovieclassics.com/thekinetoscope.php .

Dictionary of American History, 3rd ed., s.v. “Nickelodeon,” by Ryan F. Holznagel, Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Dresler, Kathleen, Kari Lewis, Tiffany Schoser and Cathy Nordine, “The Hollywood Ten,” Dalton Trumbo, 2005, http://www.mcpld.org/trumbo/WebPages/hollywoodten.htm .

Encyclopedia of Communication and Information (New York: MacMillan Reference USA, 2002), s.v. “Méliès, Georges,” by Ted C. Jones, Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire, s.v. “Cinema.”

Fielding, Raymond A Technological History of Motion Pictures and Television (Berkeley: California Univ. Press, 1967) 21.

Gale Virtual Reference Library, “Motion Pictures in Color,” in American Decades , ed. Judith S. Baughman and others, vol. 3, Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Gale Virtual Reference Library, Europe 1789–1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire, vol. 1, s.v. “Cinema,” by Alan Williams, Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Georgakas, Dan. “Hollywood Blacklist,” in Encyclopedia of the American Left , ed. Mari Jo Buhle, Paul Buhle, and Dan Georgakas, 2004, http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/50s/blacklist.html .

Gochenour, “Birth of the ‘Talkies,’” 578.

Gochenour, Phil. “Birth of the ‘Talkies’: The Development of Synchronized Sound for Motion Pictures,” in Science and Its Times , vol. 6, 1900–1950 , ed. Neil Schlager and Josh Lauer (Detroit: Gale, 2000), 577.

Hanson, Steve and Sandra Garcia-Myers, “Blockbusters,” in St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture , ed. Sara Pendergast and Tom Pendergast (Detroit: St. James Press, 2000), vol. 1, 282.

Higham, Charles. The Art of the American Film: 1900–1971 . (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1973), 85.

Menand, Louis “Gross Points,” New Yorker , February 7, 2005, http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/02/07/050207crat_atlarge .

Mills, Michael. “Blacklist: A Different Look at the 1947 HUAC Hearings,” Modern Times, 2007, http://www.moderntimes.com/blacklist/ .

Motion Picture Association of America, “History of the MPAA,” http://www.mpaa.org/about/history .

Motion Pictures in Color, “Motion Pictures in Color.”

Motion Pictures, “Griffith,” Motion Pictures , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_6.html#0011 .

Motion Pictures, “Post World War I US Cinema,” Motion Pictures , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_10.html#0015 .

Motion Pictures, “Pre World War II Sound Era: Introduction of Sound,” Motion Pictures , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_11.html#0017 . Motion Pictures, “Pre World-War I US Cinema,” Motion Pictures: The Silent Feature: 1910-27 , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_4.html#0009 .

Motion Pictures, “Recent Trends in US Cinema,” Motion Pictures , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_37.html#0045 .

Motion Pictures, “The War Years and Post World War II Trends: Decline of the Hollywood Studios,” Motion Pictures , http://www.uv.es/EBRIT/macro/macro_5004_39_24.html#0030 .

Robinson, From Peep Show to Palace , 135, 144.

Robinson, From Peep Show to Palace , 63.

Robinson, From Peep Show to Palace , 74–75; Encyclopedia of the Age of Industry and Empire , s.v. “Cinema.”

Robinson, David. From Peep Show to Palace: The Birth of American Film (New York: Columbia University Press, 1994), 43 – 44.

Rogers, Everett. “Video is Here to Stay,” Center for Media Literacy , http://www.medialit.org/reading-room/video-here-stay .

Rosen, Karen and Alan Meier, “Power Measurements and National Energy Consumption of Televisions and Video Cassette Recorders in the USA,” Energy , 25, no. 3 (2000), 220.

Sedman, David. “Film Industry, Technology of,” in Encyclopedia of Communication and Information , ed. Jorge Reina Schement (New York: MacMillan Reference, 2000), vol. 1, 340.

Understanding Media and Culture Copyright © 2016 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

• 1-800-611-FILM

The Evolution of Film Over Time — A Brief History

Have you even noticed how much films are always seemingly evolving ? Over the past few decades, film technology has made major advancements. Just  compare the original “King Kong,” made in 1933, to the Peter Jackson remake from 2005.

Notice how lifelike the CGI King Kong looks in comparison to the stop-motion King Kong in the original film.

Here are some other films that have been remade … can you spot the changes in filmmaking technology?

“War of the Worlds”

“The Thing”

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”

“Casino Royale”

“The Karate Kid”

“The Mummy”

“Ocean’s 11”

While some changes to filmmaking technology and the craft of filmmaking might be obvious, there are other things that are not so apparent. Below, we’ve gone more in depth to four of the biggest changes in filmmaking.

1. Shorter Shots

James Cutting , a psychologist at Cornell University, was a panelist for the Oscars’ “ Movies in Your Brain — The Science of Cinematic Perception ” discussion in 2014, and has been studying perceptual and cognitive processing. Cutting examines how the brain’s processes relate to film components such as editing, frame rates, projection, and scene and narrative structure. He has been looking at shot duration over the past few years and has found that the average duration of a shot is consistently shorter now than it was a decade ago.

In an interview with “ Wired ,” Cutting said that the average length of a shot in 1930 was 12 seconds. Today, the average length is only 2.5 seconds. You may notice that in older films, directors added at least 1.5 seconds to each crowd scene, so the audience has time to look around and see who was  in the shot. That isn’t the case today.

Attention spans may have something to do with shorter shots and the different patterns as well. It is human nature for someone’s attention to waver, no matter how hard we try to focus. According to Cutter, “People flake out every few seconds. You fluctuate in and out, and there’s a natural pattern to this.”

It is worth noting that some film scholars disagree, but Cutter argues that different patterns of shots found in today’s films go better with natural fluctuations in human attention because each new shot forces the audience to refocus on the film. There is a fine line though: films with too many short shots require too much attention, while films with too many long shots may allow the audience’s attention to wander. A strategic mix of short and long shots will help keep the audience engaged and entertained.   

Of course, there are obvious exceptions. Recent popular movies such as “Birdman,” “Gravity,” and “1917” have almost no visible cuts at all. However, all three films take advantage of modern technology to move the camera in ways that would have been impossible even a few decades ago.

2. More Motion

Motion and action in a film help keep the audience’s attention. Have you ever watched an action movie and noticed your heart beating fast? Was your adrenaline pumping hard? It’s your body’s physiological response to motion within a shot. Filmmakers carefully and intentionally craft the motion we see on screen, to match the dramatic intensity of the scene.  

3 Changing Light

Modern digital technology has allowed filmmakers to maintain better control over a more dynamic range of light. Movies today are often shot with much less light than their predecessors, allowing for more naturalistic effects. Take “Collateral,” for example, which was shot in the nighttime streets of LA with mostly natural light. Additionally, modern films are often much darker than films made in the gold age of Hollywood. And even the application of color has been adjusted to suit the taste of modern audiences. As Cutter explains, bright colors have stayed the same but interestingly dark colors have gotten darker.

An example of this is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.” Notice that some shots from the trailer are extremely dark with only small focal points of light in the frame. Filmmakers use this technique to control where the audience looks and what they see.

4. Other Factors

There are other factors that have played a part in how film has evolved such as Blu-ray discs and IMAX theaters. Audiences can now also watch movies on smartphones, tablets, and computers, and stream movies through platforms such as Netflix.

Of course, these are just the changes in visual style that have been made possible by new technologies. Perhaps the biggest changes are those brought about by changes in society. But that’s the subject for another article.

Want to study film and filmmaking further? Explore our Filmmaking Workshops and Degree Programs to find one that fits you and your schedule.

History Cooperative

The History of Hollywood: The Film Industry Exposed

Hollywood: Perhaps no other place on earth evokes the same air of show-business magic and glamour. The legend of Hollywood began in the early 20th century and is an earmark of modern American society rich in history and innovation.

The Origin of Movies

The origin of movies and motion pictures began in the late 1800’s, with the invention of “motion toys” designed to trick the eye into seeing an illusion of motion from a display of still frames in quick succession, such as the thaumatrope and the zoetrope.

The First Movie

In 1872, Edward Muybridge created the first movie ever made by placing twelve cameras on a racetrack and rigging the cameras to capture shots in quick sequence as a horse crossed in front of their lenses.

Recommended Reading

The First Movie Ever Made: Why and when films were invented

Christmas Trees, A History

The first film for motion photography was invented in 1885 by George Eastman and William H. Walker, which contributed to the advance of motion photography. Shortly thereafter, the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumiere created a hand-cranked machine called the cinematographe, which could both capture pictures and project still frames in quick succession.

1900s Movies

The 1900’s were a time of great advancement for film and motion picture technology. Exploration into editing, backdrops, and visual flow motivated aspiring filmmakers to push into new creative territory. One of the earliest and most famous movies created during this time was The Great Train Robbery , created in 1903 by Edwin S. Porter.

Around 1905, “Nickelodeons”, or 5-cent movie theaters, began to offer an easy and inexpensive way for the public to watch movies. Nickelodeons helped the movie industry move into the 1920’s by increasing the public appeal of film and generate more money for filmmakers, alongside the widespread use of theaters to screen World War I propaganda.

The end of World War I ushered the United States into a cultural boom, a new industry center was on the rise: Hollywood, the home of motion pictures in America.

1910s Hollywood

According to industry myth, the first movie made in Hollywood was Cecil B. DeMille’s The Squaw Man in 1914 when its director decided last-minute to shoot in Los Angeles, but In Old California , an earlier film by DW Griffith had been filmed entirely in the village of Hollywood in 1910.

Notable actors of this period include Charlie Chaplin .

By 1919, “Hollywood” had transformed into the face of American cinema and all the glamour it would come to embody.

1920s Hollywood

The 1920’s were when the movie industry began to truly flourish, along with the birth of the “movie star”. With hundreds of movies being made each year, Hollywood was the rise of an American force.

Hollywood alone was considered a cultural icon set apart from the rest of Los Angeles, emphasizing leisure, luxury, and a growing “party scene”.

This age also saw the rise of two coveted roles in the movie industry: the director and the star.

Directors began to receive greater recognition for using and trademarking personal styles in the creation of their films, which previously in history had not been possible due to limitations in filmmaking technology.

Additionally, movie stars began to receive greater fame and notoriety due to increases in publicity and shifts in American trends to value faces from the big screen.

The United States First Film Studio

The 1920s also saw the founding of the first movie studio in the United States.

On April 4, 1923, four brothers, Harry, Albert, Sam, and Jack Warner used money loaned by Harry’s banker to officially incorporated their company Warner Brothers Pictures.

1930s Hollywood

READ MORE: Harmonizing History: Who Invented Jazz?

The 1930’s was considered the Golden Age of Hollywood, with 65% of the US population attending the cinema on a weekly basis.

A new era in film history began in this decade with the industry-wide movement towards sound into film, creating new genres such as action, musicals, documentaries, social statement films, comedies, westerns, and horror movies, with stars such as Laurence Olivier , Shirley Temple , and director John Ford rising to rapid fame.

The use of audio tracks in motion pictures created a new viewer dynamic and also initiated Hollywood’s leverage in the upcoming World War II.

1940s Hollywood

The early 1940’s were a tough time for the American film industry, especially after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese . However, production saw a rebound due to advances in technology such as special effects, better sound recording quality, and the beginning of color film use, all of which made movies more modern and appealing.

Like all other American industries, the film industry responded to World War II with increased productivity, creating a new wave of wartime pictures. During the war, Hollywood was a major source of American patriotism by generating propaganda, documentaries, educational pictures, and general awareness of wartime need. The year 1946 saw an all-time high in theater attendance and total profits.

1950s Hollywood

The 1950’s were a time of immense change in American culture and around the world. In the post-war United States, the average family grew in affluence, which created new societal trends, advances in music , and the rise of pop culture – particularly the introduction of television sets. By 1950, an estimated 10 million homes owned a television set.

A shift in demographics created a change in the film industry’s target market, which began creating material aimed at American youth. Instead of traditional, idealized portrayals of characters, filmmakers started creating tales of rebellion and rock n’ roll.

This era saw the rise of films featuring darker plot lines and characters played by “edgier” stars like James Dean, Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner, and Marilyn Monroe.

The appeal and convenience of television caused a major decline in movie theater attendance, which resulted in many Hollywood studios losing money. To adapt to the times, Hollywood began producing film for TV in order to make the money it was losing in movie theaters. This marked the entrance of Hollywood into the television industry.

1960s Hollywood

The 1960’s saw a great push for social change. Movies during this time focused on fun, fashion, rock n’ roll, societal shifts like the civil rights movements , and transitions in cultural values.

It was also a time of change in the world’s perception of America and its culture, largely influenced by the Vietnam War and continuous shifts in governmental power.

1963 was the slowest year in film production; approximately 120 movies were released, which was fewer than any year to date since the 1920’s. This decline in production was caused by lower profits due to the pull of television. Film companies instead began to make money in other areas: music records, movies made for TV, and the invention of the TV series. Additionally, the average film ticket price was lowered to only a dollar, in an attempt to draw more patrons to the cinema.

By 1970, this caused a depression in the film industry that had been developing over the past 25 years. A few studios still struggled to survive and made money in new ways, such as theme parks like Florida’s Disney World. Because of financial struggles, national companies bought out many studios. The Golden Age of Hollywood was over.

1970s Hollywood

With the Vietnam War in full swing, the 1970’s began with an essence of disenchantment and frustration within American culture. Although Hollywood had seen its lowest times, during the late 1960’s, the 1970’s saw a rush of creativity due to changes in restrictions on language, sex, violence, and other strong thematic content. American counterculture inspired Hollywood to take greater risks with new alternative filmmakers.

Latest Entertainment Articles

Who Invented Twerking? The Origins of a Viral Sensation

Who Invented Facebook? The Birth of a Social Media Revolution

The Mastermind Behind Blocks: Who Invented Minecraft Unveiled

The rebirth of Hollywood during the 1970’s was based on making high-action and youth-oriented pictures, usually featuring new and dazzling special effects technology.

Hollywood’s financial trouble was somewhat alleviated with the then-shocking success of movies like Jaws and Star Wars, which became the highest-grossing movies in film history (at that time).

This era also saw the advent of VHS video players, laser disc players, and films on video cassette tapes and discs, which greatly increased profits and revenue for studios. However, this new option to view movies at home once again caused a decrease in theater attendance.

1980s Hollywood

In the 1980’s, the past creativity of the film industry became homogenized and overly marketable. Designed only for audience appeal, most 1980’s feature films were considered generic and few became classics. This decade is recognized as the introduction of high concept films that could be easily described in 25 words or less, which made the movies of this time more marketable, understandable, and culturally accessible.

By the end of the 1980’s, it was generally recognized that films of that time were intended for audiences who sought simple entertainment, as most pictures were unoriginal and formulaic.

Many studios sought to capitalize on advancements in special effects technology, instead of taking risks on experimental or thought-provoking concepts.

The future of film looked precarious as production costs increased and ticket prices continued to drop. But although the outlook was bleak, films such as Return of the Jedi, Terminator, and Batman were met with unexpected success.

Due to the use of special effects, the budget of film production increased and consequently launched the names of many actors into overblown stardom. International big business eventually took financial control over many movies, which allowed foreign interests to own properties in Hollywood. To save money, more and more films started to launch production in overseas locations. Multi-national industry conglomerates bought out many studios, including Columbia and 20th Century Fox.

1990s Hollywood

The economic decline of the early 1990’s caused a major decrease in box office revenue. Overall theater attendance was up due to new multiscreen Cineplex complexes throughout the United States. Use of special effects for violent scenes such as battlefield scenes, car chases, and gunfights in high-budget films (such as Braveheart) was a primary appeal for many moviegoers.

Meanwhile, pressure on studio executives to make ends meet while creating hit movies was on the rise. In Hollywood, movies were becoming exorbitantly expensive to make due to higher costs for movie stars, agency fees, rising production costs, advertising campaigns, and crew threats to strike.

VCR’s were still popular at this time, and profits from video rentals were higher than the sales of movie tickets. In 1992, CD-ROM’s were created. These paved the way for movies on DVD, which hit stores by 1997. DVD’s featured a much better image quality as well as the capacity for interactive content, and videotapes became obsolete a few years later.

2000s Hollywood

The turn of the millennium brought a new age in film history with rapid and remarkable advances in technology. The movie industry has already seen achievements and inventions in the 2000’s, such as the Blu-ray disc and IMAX theaters.

Additionally, movies and TV shows can now be watched on smartphones, tablets, computers, and other personal devices with the advent of streaming services such as Netflix.

Explore More Entertainment Articles

Renaissance Riddles: Exploring Who Invented the Violin

Who Invented Pokemon? The Origins of the Iconic Pokemon Franchise

Origins of Lacrosse: Unveiling the History of Lacrosse and Its Native American Roots

The Dawn of Desire: Who Invented Porn?

Top 10 Ancient Mysteries: The Nazca Lines, Stonehenge, and More!

The 2000’s have been an era of immense change in the movie and technology industries, and more change is sure to come quickly. What new innovations will the future bring us? Only time will tell.

READ MORE : Shirley Temple

How to Cite this Article

There are three different ways you can cite this article.

1. To cite this article in an academic-style article or paper , use:

<a href=" https://historycooperative.org/the-history-of-the-hollywood-movie-industry/ ">The History of Hollywood: The Film Industry Exposed</a>

39 thoughts on “The History of Hollywood: The Film Industry Exposed”

Good evening, would you mind to tell me the writer of this article? I’m working on a research on this topic, can you help me. Thanks.

Me too I really need the name of the writer :/

The author’s name has now been added to the article. Hope that helps.

The article has now been updated with the author’s name.

Hollywood sucks, poor acting if it wasn’t for special affects no names would stand out as Great acting characters. The best of Hollywood is less than the worst of actors of early B and C grade of the worst films ever made. I cancelled pay tv I don’t watch the Hollywood news media wanta bee actors and I don’t go to movie houses as I did when movies were Great. The Hollywood scum liberal agenda of political radical correctness has been the catalyst of all decline in Europe and this country. The only thing that will save Hollywood and our Nation is a return to moral ethical lawful values .

Calm Down buddy its just a movie.

Dumbass who tf cares could you do any better

Maybe Hollywood will make better movies when you learn to use your grammar.

I have always found the story of movies to be fascinating. Especially when we’re talking about how the first movies were made. We Americans are so bold, we think that if it weren’t for us, movies would never have been made, but that isn’t true. Europe, particularly the French, Italians and even the Germans had a lot to do about it. I could go on, but let me say just one last thing. Edison gets way too much credit.

When you think of names like Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, or Tom Hanks, you cannot argue that there are no actors that are stand outs. Also, Hollywood movies, while many are money grabs, are also a brilliant tool to explore issues from our past, or expose people to issues of the present. Look at movies like Selma, or Spotlight, and tell me that Hollywood has a “scum liberal agenda”. Please do not generalize like this as it makes you seem uneducated and frankly, a little out of place.

Fascinating read. Thank you!

Thanks for sharing!

where did you get this information? Was it from research studies, professors, scientists, interviews with the general public, or someplace else?

Thank you for the information Mr. Hale. Although there are less and less actors that seem ‘great’ there is still a lot of history involved in Hollywood and the movie industry. Some just cannot see a value in anything that does not involve them personally. Good luck in your future endeavors.

I’m watching a documentary on Alice guy, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Guy – allegedly the first woman who directed movies – , and I searched for a summary of Hollywood history.

Great read, thanks.

I used this for a School project and i got a b+ Thanks allot

A lot* it’s two words with 1 l.

There are many inaccuracies in this report. The history of the film industry actually starts on the east coast. The following film will be released this year and change the history books.

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

Which sources are used for this article?

Are there any colleges in Southern California (LA area) that offer classes in the history of film?

great article actually i love english movies!

Well written about Hollywood Movie Industry has been written on this site, thanks for this

Nearly impossible for Americans to speak without referencing films, film names, or characters in films, as if they were real rather than fiction, up to and including principles, and lessons learned. AMericans are that brainwashed by Hollywood film industries.

I am working on a reserch paper . could tell me when this article was published?

Pls When this atrical was bublished?

it says who it is by. it is by Benjimin Hale

yeah, now but it didn’t before

Thanks for sharing.

I have question I want to be a director or someone who’s gonna be editing movies and my dream is to work in Hollywood industry movies , how you can help me for this dream that I have for many many years? please tell me or give me more information about that.

Thank you so much.

I am interested industry of hollywood’ history.so thanks all of publishers!

I think it’s wrong that all these wonderful People have too wate for a New Star Wars film. Why don’t they gave it out in August 2019 then December. I think that’s not fair too these People who love Star Wars. In cludeing My Sister Cara Her Husbend Brian my other Sister Mia & me we all love it . . May The Force Be With You All People.

Grass Skirt Chase go crazy bruh

A wonderful read. Thank you so much 🙂

The sources are spread out throughout the article. If you want to know more about any of the points in the article, please click through the links.

why is this coming up instead of the Movie review for the Patriot this is for a project and I was only given to sites to use and this was one of them

I initially present my excuses for my poor English, but perhaps my text can be understood. Greetings from Spain and Merry Christmas. It is well known that Hollywood has been and actually is the biggest dreams factory all over the world, but not only this but also a history library. The United States is perhaps the only country where two empires with different cultures lived together despite their military encounters, and both countries left a deep trace of their step through American lands. Two empires that dominated the world. Spain landed on U.S. lands in 1513. British did it on 1607. The whole films production of Hollywood is focused only to British inheritance, and it causes that a great part of US. Citizens has any knowledge about the history of their country. And I wonder, why Hollywood don’t exploit the immense story of the Spanish inheritance? A country that dominated great zones of Europe, America and Asia. A long list of unknown characters eagerly awaits the arrival of Hollywood researchers, historians and producers who have the courage to deepen the roots of the other part of their own history.

first of all take this a bit light hearted..wait for it. Two empires huh? You mean two invaders, who got lucky and took over largely due to simply the native nations not being able to resist foreign viruses, then they became empires taking all the resources kind of like when a tick was all skinny and latches on two a host and swells up many time the original size.. If your looking for stories how about researching looking into the deep roots like all the Native American stories and history. Well it worked for Apocalipto, huge hit, but don’t feel to bad you got Zorro, he is basically a descendent of mostly Spanish and that gave the creator of Batman the idea well he basically ripped off Zorro said it himself lol I research it when I started noticing similarities, now we all enjoyed batman movies for long time now. lol I’m just playing not trying to insultive just kinda speaking the truth lol. But yeah would be great to see movies on Spain itself, i mean before and after they were conquered by the Moors. I like Spanish movies too. For reals.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Social Sciences

© 2024 Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse LLC . All rights reserved. ISSN: 2153-5760.

Disclaimer: content on this website is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice. Moreover, the views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of Inquiries Journal or Student Pulse, its owners, staff, contributors, or affiliates.

Home | Current Issue | Blog | Archives | About The Journal | Submissions Terms of Use :: Privacy Policy :: Contact

Need an Account?

Forgot password? Reset your password »

Film Extended Essay Topic Ideas for IB Diploma

Table of contents

• Writing Metier

Welcome to our guide on Film Extended Essay topic ideas. If you’re passionate about cinema and eager to explore its many facets in your Extended essay, you’ve come to the right place. 

From the nuances of film genres and styles to the intricate workings of the film industry, our list covers a wide range of topics that will inspire and challenge you. 

Each Film EE topics category offers a unique perspective on Film, inviting you to analyze, critique, and appreciate the art of cinema in new and exciting ways.

List of Film extended essay topic categories

Evolution of the Horror Genre

The Rise of Documentary Filmmaking

Characteristics of Modern Science Fiction Films

Auteur Theory in Contemporary Cinema

Feminist Film Theory and Representation of Women

Postmodernism in Film

The Impact of the French New Wave

Golden Age of Hollywood Cinema

Italian Neorealism and Its Legacy

The Art of Visual Storytelling in Cinematography

Innovations in Film Editing Techniques

The Role of Sound Design in Modern Filmmaking

Representation of Minorities in Contemporary Cinema

Film as a Tool for Social Change

The Influence of Cinema on Popular Culture

The Evolution of the Global Film Market

Independent Filmmaking vs. Major Studio Productions

The Impact of Streaming Services on the Film Industry

Now, let’s discover each of these categories and subcategories in detail with exact Film extended essay topic ideas and research questions.

IB Film EE topic ideas

Here are two topics and corresponding research questions for each subcategory in extended essay Film topics.

Film Genres and Styles

Welcome to the exploration of Film Genres and Styles. 

In this category, we’re uncovering the evolving narratives and techniques in cinema, from the chilling progression of the horror genre to the insightful storytelling in documentaries and the imaginative worlds of modern science fiction films.

• Research Question:  How have horror film techniques evolved since the 1980s, and what factors have influenced this evolution?
• Research Question:  How do contemporary horror films reflect the cultural fears and anxieties of their time?
• Research Question:  How has the advent of digital technology transformed the production and distribution of documentary films?
• Research Question:  How have documentaries about environmental issues influenced public opinion and policy?
• Research Question:  How is artificial intelligence portrayed in modern science fiction films, and what does this say about contemporary societal concerns?
• Research Question:  How have advancements in special effects technology expanded the narrative possibilities in science fiction cinema?

Film Theory and Criticism

In Film Theory and Criticism, we engage with the intellectual frameworks shaping our understanding of cinema. 

This section delves into the auteur theory’s role in contemporary filmmaking, examines feminist perspectives in Film, and explores the complex layers of postmodernism in cinema.

• Research Question:  How does Wes Anderson’s distinctive style exemplify the concept of the auteur in contemporary cinema?
• Research Question:  How does Quentin Tarantino’s unique directing style influence audience perceptions of violence in his films?
• Research Question:  How have female protagonists in action films evolved since 2000, and how do they reflect changes in feminist film theory?
• Research Question:  How has the Bechdel Test influenced the representation of women in contemporary films?
• Research Question:  How do David Lynch’s films exemplify the characteristics of postmodern cinema?
• Research Question:  How does intertextuality contribute to the postmodern aesthetic in contemporary films?

Film History and Movements

Our path through Film History and Movements revisits the pivotal eras that have defined cinema. 

Here, we explore the groundbreaking impact of the French New Wave, the iconic era of Hollywood’s Golden Age, and the profound influence of Italian Neorealism on global filmmaking.

• Research Question:  How did the French New Wave influence the styles and techniques of independent American filmmakers in the 1960s and 1970s?
• Research Question:  What were the key cinematic innovations introduced by the French New Wave, and how have they impacted modern filmmaking?
• Research Question:  How did the star system evolve during the Golden Age of Hollywood, and what was its impact on film production and marketing?
• Research Question:  How did film noir contribute to and define the artistic achievements of Hollywood’s Golden Age?
• Research Question:  How has Italian Neorealism influenced the techniques and themes of contemporary realist filmmakers?
• Research Question:  How did Italian Neorealist films use social commentary to reflect the post-World War II reality in Italy?

Cinematography and Film Production

Focusing on Cinematography and Film Production, we explore the art and techniques behind the camera. 

This category sheds light on the craft of visual storytelling, the evolution of film editing, and the critical role of sound design in enhancing the cinematic experience.

• Research Question:  How does cinematography contribute to the emotional impact of a film, with specific examples from contemporary cinema?
• Research Question:  How have cinematic techniques evolved in the portrayal of biographical films, and how do they enhance storytelling?
• Research Question:  How has non-linear editing influenced the narrative structure and storytelling techniques in modern cinema?
• Research Question:  How did the montage techniques of Soviet cinema influence modern film editing practices?
• Research Question:  How has sound design evolved in horror films, and how does it enhance the genre’s emotional and psychological impact?
• Research Question:  How do contemporary filmmakers integrate diegetic and non-diegetic sound to create immersive film experiences?

Social and Cultural Impact of Film

In the Social and Cultural Impact of Film, we examine how cinema mirrors and influences societal dynamics . 

This section explores the representation of minorities in Film, the power of cinema as a tool for social change, and the significant role of films in shaping popular culture.

• Research Question:  How has the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in 21st-century films evolved, and what impact does it have on societal attitudes?
• Research Question:  How does diversity in casting affect film narratives and audience reception in contemporary cinema?
• Research Question:  How have documentary films contributed to environmental advocacy and influenced public awareness and policy?
• Research Question:  How does contemporary cinema influence public perception and understanding of mental health issues?
• Research Question:  How have superhero films influenced trends and themes in modern popular culture?
• Research Question:  How has cinema influenced fashion trends over the past two decades?

Film Industry and Business

Our final category, Film Industry and Business, takes a broader look at the evolution of the film market. 

We discuss the changing dynamics of the global film industry, the contrast between independent filmmaking and major studio productions, and the transformative impact of streaming services on traditional cinema.

• Research Question:  How have international co-productions influenced the themes, styles, and distribution of global cinema?
• Research Question:  How has globalization affected film production and distribution practices in the film industry?
• Research Question:  How do the creative freedoms and limitations in independent filmmaking compare to those in major studio productions?
• Research Question:  How have digital platforms (like Netflix, Amazon Prime) impacted the success and visibility of independent films?
• Research Question:  How have streaming services like Netflix and Hulu changed film viewing habits and preferences among audiences?
• Research Question:  How are streaming services influencing the financing, production, and distribution of films, and what does this mean for the future of cinema?

These topics are designed to be both engaging and feasible for investigation, allowing students to explore various aspects of Film within the framework of an IB Extended Essay.

As we conclude our exploration of Film Extended Essay topics, it’s clear that the world of cinema offers a rich tapestry of themes and concepts for in-depth study . 

Like with Music extended essay topics , whether you’re drawn to the artistic expressions in cinematography, the cultural reflections in film genres, or the evolving landscapes of the film industry, these topics provide a platform for a comprehensive and insightful analysis. 

Keep in mind that a successful Extended Essay in Film not only demonstrates your understanding of cinematic concepts but also reflects your ability to engage with and analyze the medium critically . 

If you find yourself needing guidance or support in shaping your ideas into a compelling Film extended essay, our team at Writing Metier is here to assist. 

We’re committed to helping you craft an essay that not only meets the IB criteria but also showcases your unique insights into the world of Film. Let’s turn your passion for cinema into an exceptional piece of academic work.

Free topic suggestions

Vasy kafidoff.

Vasyl Kafidoff is a co-founder and CEO at WritingMetier. He is interested in education and how modern technology makes it more accessible. He wants to bring awareness about new learning possibilities as an educational specialist. When Vasy is not working, he’s found behind a drum kit.

Similar posts

Business management extended essay topic ideas and rqs.

Looking for the perfect topic for your IB Business Management Extended Essay? Dive into our comprehensive guide, covering everything from organizational leadership to the latest trends in 2023. And if you need a bit of extra help, Writing Metier is just a click away to assist with topic suggestions, writing, and editing.

Economics Extended Essay Topic Ideas for IB Students

This article serves as a launchpad for students crafting their Economics Extended Essays, offering a diverse array of topics that span from the intricacies of microeconomic market structures to the broad strokes of macroeconomic policy. It provides a rich tapestry of ideas, inviting exploration into the complex interplay between economic theory and real-world application across various branches such as labor, environmental, and health economics.

English B Extended Essay Topic Ideas

Discover the perfect English B Extended Essay topic with our curated list, designed to spark your creativity and intellectual curiosity. And if you're looking for a bit of expert assistance in crafting your masterpiece, Writing Metier is just a message away. Let's turn your Extended Essay into a standout success!

Global Politics Extended Essay Topics and Research Questions

Dive into the dynamic world of Global Politics with our curated list of Extended Essay topics for 2023. From the digital revolution in democracy to the environmental challenges reshaping our planet, these topics offer a gateway to understanding and analyzing the pressing issues of our time.

IB History Extended Essay Topics and Research Questions

Explore our curated list of IB History Extended Essay topics, neatly categorized to simplify your selection process. From world conflicts to cultural revolutions, find the perfect subject for your academic exploration. Dive into history with us and uncover the stories that shaped our world!

How to Write a Reaction Paper to a Movie: Easy Steps

Writing a movie review can be a really interesting assignment. Why? Well, for starters, one of the tasks you would have to do is to watch the movie and who does not like watching movies for fun?

We rely on cookies to give you the best experince on our website. By browsing, you agree to it. Read more

The History of British Cinema Part 1: The Rise Of The Studio Film

• Facebook Data not found. Please check your user ID. Twitter You currently have access to a subset of Twitter API v2 endpoints and limited v1.1 endpoints (e.g. media post, oauth) only. If you need access to this endpoint, you may need a different access level. You can learn more here: https://developer.twitter.com/en/portal/product Youtube 1.1K

Why Animated Films Should Be Included In The Best Picture Category

Zero-Waste Set Design: Redefining Sustainability In The Entertainment Industry

“I’m Not Interested In Playing Easy To Like Characters” Interview With Jonas Chernick, Star & Writer Of THE BURNING SEASON

SOCIETY OF THE SNOW: Cinematic Reflections On Resilience

SXSW Film Festival 2024: AN ARMY OF WOMEN & WE WERE DANGEROUS

SXSW Film Festival 2024: BIRDEATER

REALITY: An Underrated Gem

RIDDLE OF FIRE: Weston Razooli’s Excellent Adventure

THE PROMISED LAND: An Old-Fashioned Historical Epic

CLUB ZERO: A Satisfying Serving Of Satire

SXSW Film Festival 2024: ROAD HOUSE, MONKEY MAN & THE FALL GUY

SXSW Film Festival 2024: DESERT ROAD

Tom is a recent graduate based in the UK, who…

Although British cinema began before the turn of the Twentieth Century, it was after the calamity and turmoil of World Wars I and II that it was truly born as a distinct artistic and economic entity.

The wars forced filmmakers to take genres that had only been invented and pioneered relatively recently, such as the documentary or action film, and use them to explore what it meant to be British during and after such a conflict. But whilst the wars necessitated in the development of cinema that could help a nation process its grief, the post-war period needed something else – distraction, diversion and entertainment. It was from this necessity that the legendary British film studios were born.

The Gainsborough Melodramas

The first major studio that pioneered their own genre of film was Gainsborough Studios, based in London, which was founded in 1924. Although it produced a plethora of films between its foundation and its closure in 1951, it is most famously remembered for the Gainsborough melodramas, a collection of films produced in the 1940s. These films became incredibly popular, despite – or perhaps because of – the war that was still raging when they were first released.

Nearly all of the films are period pieces, such as Fanny by Gaslight and Caravan which are based in the late 1880s. The use of period in many of the films is comparable by the more recent genre of Heritage films, which glorify real or fictitious events set in an idolised and nostalgised past that interacts with the present of the film’s release. By setting many of the melodramas in a simpler yet recent past, the producers appealed to the commonly held post-war desire for the simplicity and luxury of pre-war life.

Many of the themes featured in the films also harken back to Victorian literature, with stories exploring love across class ( The Man in Grey) or the societal expectations for women at the time ( Madonna of the Seven Moons ). Doing so has the same effect as setting the films in these times, although some films have added prescience for their themes also being related to war-time troubles. For example The Man in Grey features a couple who are descended from doomed lovers – the enduring nature of love presented by this couple harkens to the war’s nature of splitting up bonds.

The power of the Gainsborough melodramas came from their simplicity. Whilst the war was causing many to ask complex questions about humans’ inhumanity to each other, the melodramas focused on simple tales with small casts – so much so that some famous actors, such as James Mason, Margaret Lockwood and Phyllis Calvert , worked on the majority of them.

A lot of the stars of the films were women, but this gender equality was even more notable behind the camera. Most of the films were adapted from novels written by women, such as Eleanor Smith and Dorothy Whipple , and prolific producer Betty Box is considered now one of the most influential British producers of all time (and she was the only major female producer operating when she made the films). Unfortunately, the progressive nature of the films didn’t progress beyond gender – blackface and other insensitive racial issues plagued several of the films.

The Ealing Comedies

Another major name in the studio film boom was Ealing Studios, a London-based studio that started in 1902. Ealing still produces films, TV and music videos to this day, but one of the most important eras of its history was the popularity of the Ealing comedy. Beginning in 1947, the year after the final commonly-accepted Gainsborough melodrama was released, the genre combined British whimsy and post-war anxieties to popular and critical acclaim.

One of the most important themes of the films is that of community. In films such as Whisky Galore! and The Titfield Thunderbolt , rural communities must band together to continue to practice their customs against the will of outside forces. Similarly,  A Run for Your Money plays with stereotypes of Welsh people in an affectionate way to comment on the divide felt between the countries. Since post-war Britain was in the process of rebuilding its communities and culture, films that explored the power of people were an important motivational force for film-goers.

Unlike the majority of the Gainsborough films, the Ealing comedies didn’t shy away from the war – such as Whisky Galore! and Passport to Pimlico which both explore issues of rationing during the war. In the latter, newly discovered documentation shows that an area of Pimlico in London actually belongs to Burgandy, and therefore isn’t affected by rationing legislation. The fact that comedies explored issues that affected the lives of those suffering in the aftermath of war, with both films doing so through a fantastical spin on the issue, shows that the war was still an important issue in cinema – whether a film was looking at the topic or intentionally shying away, as was the case with Gainsborough.

However, communities and groups weren’t the only heroes in Ealing comedies. In The Ladykillers , a sweet old lady foils the plots of her mischievous tenants. In The Magnet and Hue and Cry , children must learn morality and personal agency through various trials. Normal everyday people were the heroes of the films just as much as communities were, which contrasted with the Gainsborough melodramas that put the higher classes on a pedestal through period drama.

This penchant for the power of people, be it in communities or individuals, was the real draw to the Ealing films – it inspired a much-needed sense of community in the years following the war, and encouraged people to band together to rebuild the country.

Where Gainsborough melodramas were pure escapism, Ealing comedies used a lighthearted approach to deal with the issues. The popularity of both could be due to the timing of both cycles – the films considered Gainsborough melodramas were all released during or immediately after the war, whereas Ealing comedies truly began in 1947, once it had finished, and with two years of hindsight.

The Studios’ Legacy

The popularity of both of these strains of studio film can be compared to modern day trends in cinema. Although to directly link cinematic movements over half a century would be a foolish overstatement, various elements of both Gainsborough melodramas and Ealing comedies can be seen in films to this day.

Gainsborough melodramas, being mostly period pieces, have a lot in common with the British Heritage film movement. The term ‘Heritage film’ refers to a film that glorifies Victorian-era Britain, usually through a conservative slant, and has been used to describe films from Chariots of Fire to The Remains of the Day and The King’s Speech . Gainsborough period pieces retain the view of history as exclusively upper-class that Heritage films do – in The Wicked Lady and Fanny by Gaslight all the main characters are Sirs or Ladies or Lords, and the stories follow the various misadventures of rather well-off people.

Of course, not all period films are Heritage films. The term is used exclusively to nostalgised views on the past, and ones that are without any anachronism or social commentary that is prescient at the time of release.

The main difference between Gainsborough period pieces and Heritage films is purely the genre – whilst Gainsborough films invest fully in the melodrama of the story (the Wikipedia plot summary to The Wicked Lady attests to this, every new paragraph is a knot of plot twists and betrayals), Heritage films choose to focus on either the romance or drama, instead of both.

Ealing comedies have a far clearer lineage in the influence they’ve had on future British comedies. The power of community is a common trope in British comedy films, with notable examples including Brassed Off and Pride . In particular, the conflict between a community and outside perceived threats has been explored in films such as The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain .

Comedies like these help a community explore their differences to other parts of the same country – many of these films are set in Ireland or Wales, and the divergent cultures despite the small size of Britain creates conflicts that the films can explore. In particular these films are aimed at audiences from these cultures – in The Englishman Who Went up a Hill but Came Down a Mountain , which is set in Wales, there’s a joke in the Welsh language which flies under the radar for anyone who isn’t fluent.

It’s likely that, regardless of the existence of Ealing comedies, there would be films that explored the way communities interact with themselves and with the outside world. However, it’s undeniable that the Ealing films paved the way for the particular brand of self-celebratory comedy that these and many other films enjoy.

However, there was another cinematic force after World War II that had as much, if not more, impact on cinematic history. A powerful force in cinema in the post-year wars was the two-man production company The Archers, which consisted of Emeric Pressburger and Michael Powell . Their dramatic films didn’t use the veil of genre to distract from the war, but explored it in intense detail to create some of the most well-remembered war films.

Their films, which include A Matter of Life and Death and A Canterbury Tale , didn’t use a particular genre repeatedly to distract or entertain audiences. The former explores the effects of the war on a man but also tracks this theme through various other wars and decries the bureaucracy of war and death. Although the film is at its core a love story, the disgusted view of war is the main theme.

The rise of studio films as important cinematic movements had no previous precedent in the history of British cinema, but the economic success of a series of thematically linked films would clearly be at home in the twenty-first century. Using the same sets, recurring crew and casts, and stories that spoke to British experiences in the war, the studios could mass-produce content that was guaranteed to make money.

However, the studio films shouldn’t be remembered as the genesis of capitalist-inspired cinema – not least because they aren’t. They should be remembered as the roots of many elements and dispositions that have recurred in British films in the half-century since.

British cinema didn’t stay in the era of studio films for long, however. When Gainsborough moved to Pinewood in the late 1940s, and Ealing was taken over by the BBC in 1955, the cinematic environment took a sharp left turn into one of the strangest and wackiest, yet most genuine-feeling, periods of British film ever – the Free Cinema Movement.

What are your thoughts on the studio era of British film history?

Does content like this matter to you?

Become a Member and support film journalism. Unlock access to all of Film Inquiry`s great articles. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more.

Tom is a recent graduate based in the UK, who writes about films and games, and makes a few of his own. If he's not watching a film, playing a game or writing a script - don't worry! - he's probably just gone to make a cup of tea. He's never far from a screen.

STOPMOTION: Breathing Life Into Horrific Brilliance

THE IRON CLAW: A Tragic Tale Of Wrestling Royalty

Horrific Inquiry: LET ME IN (2010)

• Write for Us
• Become a Patron
• Comment Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Staff Login

© 2023 Film Inquiry. All Rights Reserved.