A Brief History of Movies

By Esther Lui

What Are Movies? Movies, also known as

films, are produced by recording images with cameras, or creating images through animation and special effects. These images, when put together, give the illusion of movement. The making of films is regarded as an art form.

The First Film First narrative film was

titled The Great Train Robbery (1903)

Directed and photographed by Edwin S. Porter

10 minutes long with 14 scenes

Precursor to the Western film genre

How Films are Made Typically produced in five

cycles Development – film is

scripted Pre-Production – movie is

designed and planned, crew and actors are hired

Production – movie is created and shot

Post-Production – clips are assembled by a film editor

Distribution – movie is released to cinemas or to DVD / VHS formats

Movie Theatres and the American Public

First theatre in the US was in New York City

Since then, many theatres designed for movie screenings were built

Although DVD and VHS lets people watch movies at their TV at home, the movie theatre is still a popular location for dates and a great place to see a picture with friends and family!

Genres of Film Action /

Adventure Animation Biography /

Documentary Comedy Crime Drama Family Fantasy Film-Noir

History Horror Music / Musical Mystery Romance Horror / Thriller Short Film Sports War Western

The Academy Awards Popularly known as

the Oscars Award ceremony

presented each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Awards (the golden Oscar statues) are given to directors, actors, writers, etc.

Different Award Categories Production

Picture Director Original Screenplay Adapted Screenplay

Acting Actor / Actress Supporting Actor / Actress

Technical Production Art Direction Cinematography Film Editing

Sound / Visual Effects Visual Effects Sound Mixing Sound Editing

Sound / Visual Effects Visual Effects Sound Mixing Sound Editing

Music Original Song Original Score

Costume / Makeup Costume Design Makeup

Animation Animated Feature Animated Short Film

Documentary Documentary Feature Documentary Short Subject

Other Foreign Language Film Live Action Short Film

The Future of Film The art of film has

evolved and refined into what it is today. Thanks to advanced special effects and 3d computer imaging, fantastic creatures and explosions that never happened look as realistic as the actors themselves. Only time can tell what the producers, crew, and actors of the future can accomplish!