PART 1
1895 – 1918 The World Discovers A New Art Form: The Birth of Cinema
What was the name of the first film made by the Lumiere brother’s and when was this? The Lumiere brother’s first film was called: Employees leaving the Lumiere Factory (1895)
What’s the “Phantom Ride”? A “Phantom Ride” is a tracking shot from front of a moving train (as if a ghost was floating through the air).
What was ground-breaking about silent films “The Sick Kitten” and “Life of an American Fireman”? The ground breaking aspect of these silent films were the use of cutting and editing (inside and outside continuity); fragmented shots emphasising movement – “Life of an American Fireman”. Along with introduction of the close up – “The Sick Kitten”
What was the name of the first Hollywood “Film star”? Florence Lawrence
1903-1918 The Thrill Becomes Story: The Hollywood Dream
According to Cousin’s, why did the hub of film production in the USA move from the East Coast of America to Hollywood? The film process had been copyrighted in the East Coast and California was far away from these rights owners (so easier to break the laws there). Thomas Edison.
Which nation’s film industry does Cousin’s describe as “the best in the world” in the 1910’s and why? Denmark – doing most innovative things, using the medium creatively
Find 2 films and 2 directors from this time cited by Cousin’s as remarkable. Carl Theodor Dreyer – The Passion of Joan of Arc and Benjamin Christensen- Häxan
Who Directed Birth of a Nation (1915) and why has the film continued to divide opinions among film critics, practitioners and theorists? D.W. Griffith’s – Racism and a negative portrayal of Black characters (white men in black face, politically unacceptable in modern standards) makes the film controversial, but the opinion is divided by critics due to it’s use of cuts.
PART 2
1918-1928
Who were Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and Harold Lloyd and why were they so influential? American comedy directors, black and white silent film.
Keaton- greatest comic image maker, defined silent cinema, physical comedy with deadpan expression
Chaplin- body movement, improvisation, politics
Lloyd- Actor, comedian, stunt performer, influenced by Chaplin
Some films they made and other filmmakers they influenced.
Chaplin- City Lights (1931), The Kid (1921), The Great Dictator (1940)
Lloyd- Safety Last (1923),
Palestinian film maker Elia Suleiman is influenced by Keaton.
Influenced by Chaplin- Nicolas Roeg, Jacques Tati, Harold Lloyd (Actor), Yasujiro Ozu.