Vintage film projector and film screening fsh2pgv scaled 2364495804

The Birth of Cinema

By Arpine
  • 1st Moving picture

    1st Moving picture

    Eadweard Muybridge invents the first moving pictures.
  • 1st Practical light bulb

    1st Practical light bulb

    Sir Joseph Wilson Swan was the first person to invent a practical and longer-lasting electic lightbulb.
  • Improvement of roll film

    Improvement of roll film

    David Houston patents the roll film for cameras.
  • Film on a roll

    Film on a roll

    George Eastman from the USA introduced film on a roll, enabling longer motion pictures.
  • Motion picture camera + film experiments

    Motion picture camera + film experiments

    Thomas Edison’s studio allowed short films to be created and projected: early controlled filmmaking environment.
  • 1st Projection + Portable camera

    1st Projection + Portable camera

    Lumière brothers in France created a lightweight, hand-cranked motion picture camera that also served as a projector and film printer. "Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory" was the 1st movie projected to the public.
  • Portable motion-picture camera

    Portable motion-picture camera

    Lumiere Brothers invent a portable motion-picture camera, film processing unit and projector called the Cinematographe. Lumiere Brothers using their Cinematographe are the first to present a projected motion picture to an audience of more that one person.
  • Realistic cinematic illusion

    Realistic cinematic illusion

    "Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat" by Lumière brothers shocked the audience. The audiences believed the train was coming toward them. This is an early exploration of cinematic realism.
  • Special effects in cinema

    Special effects in cinema

    Georges Méliès’ camera jammed and resumed filming, creating disappearing effects, recognized as the first special effects director. One of his famous work is A Trip to the Moon (1902), establishing Méliès as the first “cinematic magician. Investment in cinema grew in France, supported by pioneers like Alice Guy-Blaché.
  • Widescreen / 63 mm format (Veriscope)

    Widescreen / 63 mm format (Veriscope)

    Enoch J. Rector (USA) filmed a boxing match on 63 mm The Corbett–Fitzsimmons Fight (1897), establishing early widescreen cinema.
  • 1st Close Up

    1st Close Up

    George Albert Smith (United Kingdom) experimented with cinematic perspectives, creating narrative depth and intimacy. He used the 1st close up in cinema showing a little kitten drinking milk in the movie The Little Doctor and the Sick Kitten (1901).
  • Radio receiver, 1st successful transmission

    Radio receiver, 1st successful transmission

    The first radio receiver, successfully received a radio transmission. Invented by Guglielmo Marconi.
  • Editing Advancements

    Editing Advancements

    Multiple cuts and cross-cutting introduced in The Great Train Robbery (1903) in the USA. Edwin S. Porter advanced narrative editing, using multiple shots to create dynamic action sequences: early foundation of modern cinematic storytelling. Theatrical cinema gave way to action cinema.
  • 1st Commercial Cinemas

    1st Commercial Cinemas

    Early small cinemas by Nickelodeons in the USA charging 5 cents. Cinema became accessible mass entertainment for working-class audiences.
  • 1st Feature-length film

    1st Feature-length film

    Charles Tait produced the first feature-length narrative film (~60–70 min) in Australia. The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) proved the audience is interested in long-form storytelling.
  • 1st movie star- Florence Lawrence

    1st movie star- Florence Lawrence

    Florence Lawrence became the first movie star: public fascination with actors’ personalities influenced Hollywood’s costume, style, and film psychology. Hollywood learned and focused on costumes and luxury, adding an element of sublime to stardom
  • Parallel editing & Continuity editing

    Parallel editing & Continuity editing

    Charles Pathé used editing to contrast events and build tension across multiple storylines. Le Cheval Emballé (The Horse That Bolted) (1907, France)
  • Color photography

    Color photography

    Color photography invented by Auguste and Louis Lumiere. (The image is not the 1st color photograph but one of the 1st ones)
  • 1st Reverse-angle shot

    1st Reverse-angle shot

    In Assassination of the Duke de Guise (1908, France) reverse-angle shot is used for the first time.
  • Hovhannes Adamian

    Hovhannes Adamian

    Hovhannes Adamian was an Armenian enginner who patented a color television system based on the tricolor principle in Germany, marking a significant advancement in television technology. The system utilized red, green, and blue filters to reproduce color images, laying the foundation for modern color television.
  • First Hollywood studio

    First Hollywood studio

    Nestor Motion Picture Company built the first studio in Hollywood using open-air platforms which was a tent-like structure. It inspired bigger, permanent studios that shaped the American film industry.
  • The superheterodyne radio circuit

    The superheterodyne radio circuit

    The superheterodyne radio circuit invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong. Today, every radio or television set uses this invention.
  • Polaroid photography

    Polaroid photography

    Polaroid photography invented by Edwin Herbert Land
  • The voice recognition machine

    The voice recognition machine

    Bell Labs invents the voice recognition machine
  • Modern color television system

    Modern color television system

    Peter Goldmark invents modern color television system.
  • The internet

    The internet

    The internet was put into use in the USA.
    This milestone laid the foundation for modern global networking, email, and the World Wide Web.