Milestones in Recording

How do you think these technological advances affected filmmaking? Which 3 of these advances do you think are the most important to video and film? Why?

    These technological advances affected filmmaking as the increasing developments allowed for sound to do more and more for films. The three advances that are most important to video and film are stereophonic sound, multitrack recording, and digital audio. The development of stereophonic sound introduced an entirely new dimension to the immersion of films; sounds could now be directional. This opens the door to new ways of storytelling through sound and making the audience feel like they're in the movie. Multitrack recording allowed for additional layers and complexity to audio and its manipulation capabilities. It allows for more precise editing and recording as you are able to layer audio. The introduction of digital sound is highly important with the transition from analog to digital in the industry. Digital sound allowed for more accessibility as well as even more freedom and editing capabilities. As said by the video, it allowed for common consumers to be able to edit sounds and played a role in the accessibility of modern video making.

History of Sound Questions

Take a moment to write down 2 questions about the history of sound at the movies that you would like to learn about. What do you want to know about these aspects of sound history?

    Two questions that I have about the history of sound at the movies that I would like to learn about is how did the technology of synchronous work for theaters and how did sound become digital? I'm curious as to the development process from the gramophone and phonograph to the technology that began to be used in theaters, and what they did to make it play in sync with video. It's hard to see how audio transitioned to digital and, although it was somewhat brushed upon in previous units, I want to learn more about that change and how it was developed.

Bit Rates

How would you describe the differences between the bit rates? Why do each of them sound different from each other?

    The differences that I noticed between the bit rates were about the quality; the lower bit rates had much more distortion and sounded more muffled than the higher bit rates. The difference is especially clear at 48kbps CBR as the higher bit rates had more subtle differences. Each of them sound different from each other as bit rate dictates how much data is uploaded per second. Having a higher one allows for more information to transfer and thus a smoother experience, the opposite when it comes to lower bit rates. You can think of it like water passing through a hole; the bigger the hole(bit rate), the easier it is for water(data) to pass through. When the hole is smaller, it's much harder for the water to come out.

What Does Sound Look Like?

What do you find interesting about this video? How does seeing sound visualized help you understand what sound is?

    Something that I find interesting about this video is the fact that sound itself is able to be visualized. Oftentimes, hearing, much like all the senses, is separated in an entirely unique category from the other senses. So to see how it can cross over and be sensed in a different way, i.e., through sight, is incredibly fascinating. Being able to see sound visualized helps me understand what sound is as it shows how it moves and, with the video especially, how it works fundamentally. The video explains how sound changes air density and can actually affect light, which is how it can be seen but also helps the viewer understand how it works.

Wrapping Cinema History

Take a few moments to reflect on what you have learned in this unit. The history of cinema is vast, and we could only cover a short part of it. After watching this video, what do you notice about the evolution of filmmaking? How did it all begin? How far have we come? In your opinion, where are we headed?

    Some things that I noticed about the evolution of filmmaking were how much it changed and the way some aspects sort of plateaued. In the beginning, it was incredibly rudimentary and was essentially just a gimmicky toy. When the invention of film came, the earliest motion pictures were only actualities, showing an incredible leap when people like George Méliès experimented with new techniques and content. The silent film era had the most rapid change, going from poor quality (in today's standards) to highly detailed and artistic feature length films that used special, in-camera, effects. This era saw the birth of the Star system and the boom of the film and entertainment industry as a whole. Many filmmaking techniques were solidified in this era, such as many types of shots and angles, some being more used or further developed as time went on. So far, we've come a long way if you were to compare modern films to earlier motion pictures. The film industry has been one of the fastest growing and evolving industries, and I think that it will continue being developed, hopefully in a positive way.

African Americans in Silent Film

Why was Micheaux so important in film history? What was so significant about his achievements considering the time period?

    Oscar Micheaux was so important in film history because he was the first Black filmmaker to have his films screened in "white" theaters and he tackled controversial topics within some of his films, Considering the time period, his achievements were so much more significant because of the rampant racism that the Black people of America had to face as well as the s

Bay Area Silent Roots

What are the roots of silent cinema in the Bay Area? How did it play an important role in early cinema history? What famous personalities made films here?

    The heart and birth of American filmmaking is often accredited to Los Angeles; however, the Bay Area also has a major role in the roots of silent cinema. Niles, now a neighborhood in Fremont, had been the home of Essany Film Manufacturing Company. It was a great location at the time because of the sunny weather and easy access to nearby railroads that led to both San Francisco and Chicago, some of the biggest locations for the exhibition of movies. This town and company played an important role in early cinema as it created one of the most well known silent film stars and producers today—Charlie Chaplin. During his time signed under the Essany Film Manufacturing Co., his role in the making of five films solidified his place as a movie star—having allowed him to transition from a minor supporting actor to a full out filmmaker, paving the way for him to create some of the most well known silent films. 

The Patent Wars

If you had to summarize and explain the events that led from the film industry's transfer from New Jersey to Los Angeles, how would you explain it? What was Thomas Edison's role in this transition? What role did patents and Nickelodeons play in this dispute?

    The events that led to the film industry's transfer from New Jersey to Los Angeles all had to do with the Patent Wars and the Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC). Thomas Edison was notorious for patenting technology, suing other companies for infringement and buying the patents of people who've gone bankrupt because of his lawsuits. This is exactly what he was doing during the early years of the film industry in America. Eventually, he and some of the largest film companies in America banded together to form the MPPC, using monopolistic strategies to control the industry and make profits using licenses and lawsuits. However, there were already far too many Nickelodeons (early movie theaters) for them to prosecute and many more to come with the large interest in movies as affordable entertainments for the working class and immigrants. Eventually, a German immigrant by the name of Carl Laemmle created the Independent Motion Picture Company (IMP) and eventually Universal Pictures. The IMP, with many other independent companies like modern day Paramount and 20th Century Fox, had migrated west to be as far as possible from the MPPC (located in New Jersey). They wound up in Los Angeles where they began to make movies. Nickelodeons and audiences loved these movies because they were better, longer, and more creative than what the MPPC produced. That's because the MPPC viewed movies as a novelty and were trying to stabilize the profits from films, meaning that they had no reason to innovate and the quality ultimately suffered. Thus, the increasing popularity of the independent 'illegal' films, made them wealthy and powerful enough to where  even the MPPC couldn't afford all the lawsuits that they were filing against the IMP. Eventually, the MPPC failed and was ruled as a monopoly and dismantled, leaving the biggest studios out in LA to thrive.

The Latham Loop

What is the Latham loop? How did it change cinema?

    The Latham loop is an integral part of every filmmaking camera. It is a method of pulling the film through the threading device in a way that eases the tension and prevents the film from tearing whilst running through the camera. This was incredibly important for the future of cinema as it gave people the ability to shoot much longer films as, prior to this, people had only made short clips such as Edison's and he Lumière brothers' early films. As such, feature length films such as The Birth of a Nation. Furthermore, the patent for the Latham loop was part of the conflict between Dickson and Edison and another aspect of filmmaking cameras that they could sue others for using without permission when they formed the MPPC.

D.W. Griffith Problematic Pioneer

After delving deeper into the context of D.W. Griffith's life and career, what are your reflections on his contributions to film? How do you believe Griffith's influence should be perceived and evaluated in the context of 21st-century cinema?

    Looking back at D.W. Griffith's contributions to film, we can see how the techniques that he's developed have become staples and key filmmaking techniques that are still commonly used to this day. However, one can't simply just appreciate his contributions without acknowledging the bad that came with him. His masterpiece Birth of a Nation, while highly advanced with major contributions like new editing techniques, close ups, and the ability to share an idea through film, was extremely racist. D.W. Griffith was a white supremacist and had created the film to criticize reconstruction and idealize the K.K.K. Thus, you need to acknowledge this when complimenting his work.

George Méliès

What were Méliès' contributions to cinema? Why is his work so significant?

    Some of George Méliès' contributions to cinema include creating the first European film studio—which was made with glass walls and ceilings—and being a key player in the development of narrative story and visual effects. He experimented greatly with filmmaking as a medium, finding creative ways to produce incredibly unique visual effects. His films were the first to include visual effects and it used editing to create illusions and tricks. For instance, he figured out how to make it look like someone vanished or changed into something different by stopping the camera and rolling it again after changing what it's filming. Is work was so significant because of the experimentation he did. Some of his works had the earliest examples of superimposition, split screen, editing within a scene, dissolving, double exposure and reverse shots. His masterpiece A Trip to the Moon is considered the first ever science fiction film and his films were one of the earliest fiction narratives on film, helping to pave the way for future filmmakers like D.W. Griffith.

Tonight, Tonight

 

What is this music video about? Why did the band and the filmmakers choose these images? Why are they significant? What do you think they are paying homage or emulating?

    This music video is about a couple who goes on an adventure through space; the two get captured by aliens on the moon before fleeing and landing in the ocean where they see mermaids who save them. The band and filmmakers chose these images because they reinforce the major themes and concept of the song, showing how the couple never gave up and kept fighting to the end. These images are significant because they are some of the most iconic images in film history, having been a part of A Trip to the Moon by George Méliès. They are paying homage to and emulating the works of George Méliès. Some of the images that are referenced are primarily from A Trip to the Moon and Under the Seas. This includes the locations of the moon and sea and the creatures that they encounter such as the aliens and the octopus. Additionally, they have the band dressed in similar outfits to the star people from A Trip to the Moon, and the included the iconic rocket hitting the Man in the Moon's eye scene.