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Early Cinema

Early Cinema. Lecture 3. Methodological Issues. Textual/formal analysis (e.g. Barry Salt, André Gaudreault ) What are the films themselves like? What stories are told? What techniques are used? Economic context (e.g. Bordwell and Thompson)

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Early Cinema

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  1. Early Cinema Lecture 3

  2. Methodological Issues • Textual/formal analysis (e.g. Barry Salt, André Gaudreault) • What are the films themselves like? What stories are told? What techniques are used? • Economic context (e.g. Bordwell and Thompson) • Who directed the films? Who (i.e. what entity) produced/paid for the films? How did producers fit into the industry landscape? • Cultural and social context (e.g. Tom Gunning, Charles Musser) • What social forces were shaping or influencing filmmakers and production entities? How do cinema institutions situate themselves vis-à-vis other cultural forms? • Audiences/exhibition context • How did audiences receive the films? Who made up film-going audiences (i.e. what was the audience demographic)? Where did audiences see them? Under what circumstances?

  3. “Cinema of Attractions” argument 1 • Rejects three related assumptions about film history that have long dominated its historiography ( see Tom Gunning) • 1) evolutionary assumption • Film history is linear and evolving • Early cinema is primitive cinema • 2) cinematic assumption • The development of cinema owes to its slow discovery of a “cinematic essence”—that which it was destined to be • Early cinema is still beholden and imitative of other forms like theater. • 3) narrative assumption • Cinematic essence was discovered when films fully embraced storytelling • Early cinema had not yet embraced storytelling, therefore it is primitive rather than different

  4. “Cinema of Attractions” argument 2 • Dominant mode of filmmaking before 1908 is NOT a storytelling mode • Cinema pre-1908 favors display, surprise: ”a cinema of attractions”

  5. What is a “cinema of attractions”? • Foregrounds the act of display • Prefers current events (i.e. topicals), scenes from daily life (actualities: vizLumière), performances (e.g. dances, acrobatics: “Sandow,” “Serpentine dances”), camera tricks (e.g. Hepworth, Méliès) • acknowledges the spectator • Exhibitionist rather than voyeuristic (or diegetic absorption) • Arouses curiosity that gets satisfied by surprises rather than by suspense • Occurs in the present tense

  6. Formal innovations 1:From the single shots to multiple shots, from still camera to moving camera • Single shots • Actualities, direct address, violate “the fourth wall” • Ex: Lumière, Edison • Moving camera (tracking and panning) • The “phantom” ride films (tracking) • Ex: Lumière: “Leaving Jerusalem” 1896 • Multi-shot “phantom” ride (tracking) • Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Kiss in the Tunnel” 1899 • Panning • Ex: Porter: “Life of an American Fireman” 1903 • Ex: Porter: “The Great Train Robbery” 1903

  7. Single shot: Lumière 1896

  8. Single shot: Lumière 1896

  9. Moving Camera (tracking): Phantom ridesLumière, 1896

  10. Moving Camera (tracking), Multi-shot Phantom ride: G.A. Smith, 1899

  11. Moving Camera (panning): Porter: “Life of an American Fireman,” 1903

  12. Moving Camera (panning): Porter: “The Great Train Robbery,” 1903

  13. Formal innovations 2: • Multi-scene films • Shot transitions • Dissolve • Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902 • Straight cut • Ex: Williamson: “Stop, Thief!” 1901 • Vertical wipe • Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” • Pull focus • Dream transition • Ex: G.A. Smith: “Let me Dream Again” 1900 • Scene Dissection • Cut-in, masking, point of view shots • Ex: G.A. Smith: “Granma’s Reading Glass” 1900 • Camera repositioning • Ex: G.A. Smith: “The Sick Kitten” 1903 • Ex: G.A. Smith: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903

  14. Multiple scenes 1: transitions: dissolves: Méliès, 1902

  15. Multi-Scene films 1: transitions: straight cuts: Williamson, “chase films,” 1901

  16. Multi-Scene films 1: transitions: vertical wipe: G.A. Smith, “Mary Jane Mishap,” 1903

  17. Multiple scenes 1: transitions: Pull focus: G.A. Smith, 1900

  18. Multi-Scene films 2: Cut-ins, masking, point-of-view [p.o.v] shots: G.A. Smith, 1900

  19. More masking, cut-ins, and p.o.v. shots:G.A. Smith: “As Seen Through a Telescope,” 1900

  20. More masking, cut-ins, and p.o.v.shots:Pathé Frères, “Peeping Tom,” 1901

  21. Formal innovations 2: Camera Repositioning: G.A. Smith, “The Sick Kitten” 1903

  22. Formal innovations 2: Camera Repositioning: G.A. Smith,”Maryjane’s Mishap”

  23. Formal innovations 3: • Multi-scene films (cont.) • Screen direction • Ex: Méliès: “A Trip to the Moon” 1902 • Mental subjectivity (rendering interiority) • Dreaming and visions • Set within a set • Ex: Zecca: “History of a Crime” 1901 • Photographic superimposition • Ex: Porter: “Life of an American Fireman” 1903 • Ex: “Mary Jane’s Mishap” 1903 • Perceptual subjectivity (creating ‘sensual impact’) • Ex: Hepworth: “How it feels to be run over” 1900

  24. Formal innovations 3: Screen Direction: Méliès, 1902

  25. Formal innovations 3: Dreamingset within a set: “History of a Crime”

  26. Formal innovations 3: DreamingPhotographic superimposition: “Life of an American Fireman”

  27. Formal innovations 3: visionssuperimposition: “Mary Jane’s Mishap”

  28. Formal innovations 3: visionssuperimposition: “The Great Train Robbery” 1903

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