Early Film

Every time a new type of media is introduced to the public it is considered the “IT” media that will transform society as we know it and will become a global unifier that will eventually create a better society. Such was the case with print and the first newspapers widely available, the telegraph with instant communication, photography and even radio. None of these forms of mass media in my opinion has had the impact that film and eventually video exercises on the society.

“Of all the facets of motion picture history, none is so stunning as the extraordinary rapid growth in the audience during the brief period between 1905 and 1918.” Early Motion Pictures. Daniel Czitrom P. 186

Images in motion let us share a commonality with film we cannot experience through other media. The first films depicting daily activities were so innovative that our need for more and more entertainment would eventually become insatiable. This new public sphere experienced a growth that is still going on today.

We can appreciate the extremely long path as shown by director Wener Nekes in "Film Before Film" that preceded the motion picture and how in a way we were easily amused by the basic laws of light and trickery of the same. Early film instantly captured our imagination and our endless need for entertainment is stronger than ever.

It used to be, since the beginning that we would wait for the new movie or the latest TV show installment. We have taken the origins of film to a new level with mass media like the internet and web sites like YouTube where we don’t rely for “someone else” to entertain us we are creating the entertainment ourselves.