7.2–History of Film

The history of film is vast, so our discussion here is brief and encapsulated. Although scholars continue to debate when the first film was created and what constitutes the first film versus the first moving pictures (for history buffs, see The Horse in Motion [1878], Roundhay Garden Scene [1888], Arrival of a Train [1895], the zoopraxiscope, and the Kinetoscope), the earliest motion pictures began in the late 19th century. During this time, movies were all black-and-white, without sound, and extremely short in duration. The use of multiple/specialized cameras, camera angles, and special effects, as we know them today, were not known to early filmmakers, but they had their own early equipment, techniques, and processes to make movies. Over time, film grew as a source for entertainment instead of a niche novelty; sound was introduced to the productions; color became an option (contemporary filmmakers continue use of the classic monochrome in works like Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill [2003], Lili Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night [2014], and Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse [2019]); and an industry boomed, filled with a multitude of roles: writers, directors, cinematographers, actors, casting directors, producers, and the major production companies that oversaw the development of Hollywood (“The Big Five” included MGM, Paramount Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros.). In America, strict film ratings based on social-morality codes of the 1930s–1960s transitioned into the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) with its current system: G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17, X (very rare). Fun Film Fact about Ratings: During the latter part of the system’s rigid guidelines (era of the Hays Code), Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), given an R-rating, shocked audiences—not because of murder, implied nudity, or early misunderstandings regarding gender and identity—because it was the first American film to show a toilet on the big screen; on the other hand, the John Hughes teen rom-com Sixteen Candles (1984) was rated PG with female nudity and derogatory language directed toward groups based on their cultural background and sexual identification. The ratings system has changed over time, and movies continue to adjust with it even during production and post-production (ex: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) was rated X before it was edited into an R-rated movie). In countries outside the U.S., ratings systems vary in their development and current classifications, such as Japan’s use of G, PG-12, R15+, and R18+ or Argentina’s ATP, +13, +16, +18, and C. Outside of ratings, one element that united filmmakers across the globe was the cost of moviemaking using film stock; using celluloid involves chemical emulsifications, physically cutting negatives, and concern over storage and degradation of the material—a costly and time-consuming process. Technological innovations pushed filmmaking toward more digital enterprises in the 1990s to remove analog challenges, resulting in the contemporary film industry we know today. Digital filmmaking has also opened the space for more creatives to access and participate in the industry. However, many movies are still shot using film stock, typically for editing and/or aesthetic reasons.