History of film

The history of film began in the 1890s, when motion picture cameras were invented and film production companies started to be established. Because of the limits of technology, films of the 1890s were under a minute long and until 1927 motion pictures were produced without sound. The first decade of motion picture saw film moving from a novelty to an established large-scale entertainment industry. The films became several minutes long consisting of several shots. The first rotating camera for taking panning shots was built in 1897. The first film studios were built in 1897. Special effects were introduced and film continuity, involving action moving from one sequence into another, began to be used. In the 1900s, continuity of action across successive shots was achieved and the first close-up shot was introduced (that some claim D. W. Griffith invented). Most films of this period were what came to be called "chase films". The first use of animation in movies was in 1899. The first feature length multi-reel film was a 1906 Australian production. The first successful permanent theatre showing only films was "The Nickelodeon" in Pittsburgh in 1905. By 1910, actors began to receive screen credit for their roles, and the way to the creation of film stars was opened. Regular newsreels were exhibited from 1910 and soon became a popular way for finding out the news. Overall, from about 1910, American films had the largest share of the market in Australia and in all European countries except France.

Cinema of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has had a significant film industry for over a century. While film production reached an all-time high in 1936, the "golden age" of British cinema is usually thought to have occurred in the 1940s, during which the directors David Lean,Michael Powell, (with Emeric Pressburger) and Carol Reed produced their most highly acclaimed work. Many British actors have achieved international fame and critical success, including Maggie Smith, Michael Caine,Sean Connery and Kate Winslet. Some of the films with the largest ever box office returns have been made in the United Kingdom, including the second and third highest-grossing film series (Harry Potter and James Bond). The identity of the British industry, and its relationship with Hollywood, has been the subject of debate. The history of film production in Britain has often been affected by attempts to compete with the American industry. The career of the producer Alexander Korda was marked by this objective, the Rank Organisation attempted to do so in the 1940s, and Goldcrest in the 1980s. Numerous British-born directors, including Alfred Hitchcock and Ridley Scott, and performers, such as Charlie Chaplin and Cary Grant, have achieved success primarily through their work in the United States.

Film & History

Film & History: An Interdisciplinary Journal (print: ISSN 0360-3695, online: ISSN 1548-9922) is a peer-reviewed academic journal founded in 1970 and dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of film, television, and other moving-image arts. It is currently hosted by Lawrence University (Appleton, WI). The editor-in-chief is Loren P. Q. Baybrook. The journal's Advisory Board consists of seventeen scholars:

David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Thomas Cripps, Morgan State University

Natalie Zemon Davis, University of Toronto

Thomas C. Doherty, Brandeis University

Gary Edgerton, Butler University

Raymond Fielding, Florida State University

Sam Grogg, Adelphi University

Andrew Horton, University of Oklahoma

Garth S. Jowett, University of Houston

John Shelton Lawrence, Morningside College

Charles J. Maland, University of Tennessee

Frank Manchel, University of Vermont

Steven Mintz, Columbia University

Laura Mulvey, Birkbeck College, University of London

Robert A. Rosenstone, California Institute of Technology