The origin of cinema dates back to prehistoric times, with the discovery of cave paintings, such as the eight-legged wild boar in the caves of Altamira, Spain. The concept of movement through successive drawings was explored by ancient civilizations, including the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. In the 19th century, the invention of photography and the development of the kinetoscope by Thomas Edison paved the way for the creation of the cinematograph by the Lumière brothers.
The Lumière brothers held the first public screening of a motion picture on December 28, 1895, in Paris, marking the birth of cinema. Their short films, which showed everyday life, amazed audiences and laid the groundwork for various cinematographic genres. Georges Méliès, a magician and filmmaker, was inspired by the Lumière brothers and went on to create his own films, inventing special effects, cutting, and editing.
Other pioneers, such as Charles Pathé, Ferdinand Zecca, and Leon Gaumont, contributed to the development of cinema. The Brighton academy in Great Britain discovered and developed editing, and Edwin Porter's "The Flight of the Great Rapid" (1903) is considered the first action film and western.
Today, many of the original films are being restored and can be viewed online. The Lumière brothers and Georges Méliès have been honored in various tributes, including a special film by Martin Scorsese, "Hugo" (2010), which pays homage to Méliès' contributions to cinema.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The obsession with moving images has been present since prehistory.
2. Cave paintings in Spain's Altamira caves feature an eight-legged wild boar, which was an attempt to recreate the beast in action.
3. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans showed interest in capturing the idea of movement from successive drawings.
4. In Asia, Chinese shadows, or shadow plays, were performed on a white surface illuminated by a light.
5. The magic lantern was invented in the 17th century, which projected images from the outside into its interior.
6. The 19th century was a decisive era for the appearance of cinema.
7. The industrial revolution in Britain led to advances such as electricity and the steam locomotive.
8. Photography was invented in 1816 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce.
9. The daguerreotype, a photographic device, was perfected by Louis Daguerre and presented to the public in 1839.
10. Peter Mark Roberts, an English doctor, presented the thesis of retinal persistence in 1824.
11. The Belgian physicist Józef Anton Ferdinand Plato discovered that the human eye looks at approximately ten images per second.
12. Thomas Alva Edison created and patented the kinetoscope, a device that captured moving images, in 1891.
13. Edison was inspired by the zoopraxiscope, created by Eadweard Muybridge in 1879.
14. The Lumière brothers, Louis and Auguste, improved the kinetoscope and created the cinematograph.
15. The first public screening of the cinematograph took place on December 28, 1895, at the "Indian" lounge in Paris.
16. The Lumière brothers' short films showed everyday life, but also featured strong emotions such as fear and laughter.
17. Georges Méliès, a French filmmaker, was inspired by the Lumière brothers' screening and acquired a cinematograph.
18. Méliès discovered the fundamental tool of cinema: special effects, cutting, and editing.
19. Méliès innovated with camera tricks and created magical works of fiction, including the fade to black, dissolve, and superimposition.
20. Méliès' short film "Journey to the Moon" (1902) is considered his major work and the foundation stone of fantasy cinema.
21. The Lumière brothers, Méliès, and other filmmakers, such as Charles Patté, Ferdinand Zecca, and Leon Gaumont, contributed to the development of cinema.
22. Alice Guy, Leon Gaumont's personal secretary, was the first to film a narrative film: "The Cabbage Fairy" (1896).
23. The Brighton academy, a group of photographers, discovered and developed editing and other cinematic techniques.
24. Edwin Porter, an American filmmaker, created the first action film, "The Flight of the Great Rapid" (1903), which presented two technical innovations: parallel editing and the medium first shot.
25. The seventh art, cinema, has antecedents dating back to cave times, and a series of inventions like photography gave rise to it.
26. In 1995, the Lumière brothers received a tribute commemorating the first 100 years of cinema.
27. Martin Scorsese released "Hugo" (2010), a film about a child who meets George Méliès and saves him from his anonymity.