The Advent of Early Cinema Fantascope, Kinematic Scope, The Lumiere Brothers, and Thomas Edison

Precursors to Cinema Many inventors, scientists, manufacturers and scientists have observed the visual phenomenon that a series of individual still pictures set into motion created the illusion of movement - a concept termed persistence of vision. A number of technologies, simple optical toys and mechanical inventions related to motion and vision were developed in the early to late 19th century that were precursors to the birth of the motion picture industry

Precursors to Cinema Vaudville shows and the magic lantern - “Phantasmagoria” in vaudeville shows and Victorian playhouses - used to scare people, as it was something they had never seen before

Precursors to Cinema Fantascope or “Phenakistiscope -Belgian Inventor, Joseph Plateau Other “scopes” -Zoetrope: rotating cylinder with images inside, giving illusion of motion (wheel of life) – William Horner -Phasmotrope, Praxinoscope, etc.

Birth of Cinema Eadward Muybridge -British Inventor in the late 19th century, develops his own Zoopraxiscope, or “the wheel of life” - It was “a primitive motion-picture projector machine that also recreated the illusion of movement (or animation) by projecting images - rapidly displayed in succession - onto a screen from photos printed on a rotating glass disc.” (Dirks, filmsite.org) – Widely considered the first movie projector.

Birth of Cinema Thomas Edison and William K.L. Dickson -In 1892, Thomas Edison and his British partner, Dickson, develop the Kinetograph, which captures actual motion pictures for the first time. -These were no longer illusions, but actual motion pictures -The Kinetograph became the basis for the more popular hand cranked camera, which came along shortly after First public demonstration of a motion picture- “Dickson Greeting” (1892) Second Clip: “Corbett and Courtney” (1894) http://inventors.about.com/od/kstartinventions/a/Kinetoscope_2.htm

Birth of Cinema Early cinema was concerned about just showing MOTION PICTURES -The earliest filmmakers wanted to show that they could make pictures move, as that was amazing to audiences already. “Cats Boxing” (1894) “Falling Cat” (1890) “Eugen Sandow” (1894) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6faUd2fV4U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqL9siGDeBA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWM2ixqua3Y