Media Timeline

By Taylor Cockley

MEDIA TIMELINE

THE HISTORY OF FILM

THE FIRST FILMS

• The history of film began in the late 1880s with the invention of the first movie camera

• The first films were silent and black and white. Actors made very exaggerated movements and mimes and then later title card were introduced

• Some people say the first film was ‘Race Horse’ which was created in 1878

• However some people say the first film was by the Lumiere Brothers

• In big cities an orchestra played some music while the audience watched the film

• ‘The little match girl’ was a classic example of a silent film and was made in 1902.

SOUND

• The first commercial sound film appeared in 1927.

• It was called ‘The Jazz singer’

• Before ‘The Jazz singer’ there were several experiments with sound in films in the USA.

THE FIRST CARTOON

• Walt Disney were the first people to create a cartoon

• Walt Disney created it’s most famous character Mickey Mouse in 1928

• It was still in Black and White

COLOUR

• The first coloured film was discovered in Bradford and is believed to have been created in 1902

• Technicolor appeared in 1916

• They were was especially common from 1922 to 1952.

• An excellent example is “wizard of Oz’ created in 1930.

• At first making coloured films was very expensive.

HISTORY OF HORROR

1800’S• In 1896, George Melies produced ‘The devils castle’ and it was the worlds

first ‘true’ horror film.

• The whole film last just a short 3 minutes.

• It was a silent and in black and white

• In 1898, George Albert was the first person who was able to show ghosts on screen through double exposure.

1900’S

• Vampires came into film in 1922

• In early 1930’s Universal Studios created Gothic Horror films. 2 Famous ones would be ‘Dracula’ and ‘Frankenstein’

• The Dracula was the first film with sound by Tod Browning

• 1931- Frankenstein was one of the greatest make-up monsters of all time

• Also in the 1930, Warner Brothers did gangster and waxwork horrors.

1900’S• In late 1930’s sadistic films were made

• The film ‘Freaks’ was the first film with circus characters.

• With advances in technology, the tone of horror films shifted from the Gothic towards contemporary concerns

• In the mid 1950’s horror films came to Great Britain

• In 1957, the film ‘The curse of Frankenstein’ was the first film in colour and used shocking gore and blood.

• In 1960, Hammer films became popular from British film studios

• Hollywood started to produce Physiological Horror

DEVELOPMENT OF HORROR FILM

• horror films developed over the years due to events that took place. For example the Vietnam War was described as a bloody war which then influenced horror films to use more blood and be more gory

• Also the 9/11 attack influenced horror film in a way in which people should be scared of the unknown. ‘Paranormal Activity’ is a good example of this as you never see the horror character.

CONVENTIONS OF HORROR FILMS

SOUND• Eerie

• Screams

• Growling

• Heavy breathing

• Harsh

• Fast

• Gloomy

• Doors creaking/slamming

• Whispering

COSTUME AND MAKE-UP• Clown outfit

• All black

• All white

• Exaggerated make up

• Cuts

• Blood

• Dark eyes

• Pale skin

TITLE• Letters with blood dripping

• Child like writing

• Scribbly

• Red letters

• Small

• Fast

• Minimal

SETTING• Dark old house

• Forest

• Basement

• Big house in the middle of no where

• Grave yard

• Haunted houses

• Derelict

• No one around/empty

• Dark

LIGHTING• Harsh

• Dull

• Shadows

• Flashing

• Gloomy

• Fading to black

• Dark

• Spot lights

PROPS• Knives

• China Dolls

• Toy clowns

• Phone

• Children's toys

• Chainsaw

• Axe