Before Hollywood
Subtitle: from shadow play to the silver screen
By: by Paul Clee
Publisher: Clarion Books
Published: 2005
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 188
Subjects: Cinematography; Equipment and supplies; History
Description: Provides a history of cinematography from Leonardo da Vinci's description of the camera obscura in 1500, through the movie palaces of the early twentieth century, focusing on the technical equipment and supplies used in the industry. Illustrated with black-and-white archival prints, drawings, and photographs, from the simple camera obscurance of the 1500s to the 17th century's giant magic lanterns to the early films of Thomas Edison and the Lumiére brothers in the late 1800s, here is an intriguing story of invention and showmanship. Many of the techniques adopted by Hollywood were worked out by tinkerers, lanternists, and magicians in front of shocked and amazed audiences long before the first flickering black-and-white film was ever shown. This fascinating book explains how today's movies, as well as photographs, special effects, and animation came to be. Peppered with first-hand accounts and newspaper reports, excerpts from the notes of early inventors and filmmakers, and descriptions and diagrams of detailed optical gadgets, before Hollywood provides a window into the world of entertainment before movies were invented. It offers an illustrated tour of the beginnings of technologies that we take for granted today. Sidebars, afterword, timeline, endnotes, bibliography, internet resources, and index. Clee delivers an intriguing story of invention and showmanship that explains how today's movies, as well as photos, special effects, and animation came to be.--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Contents: A beam of light in a darkened room; title: The magic lantern; title: The lantern of fear; title: Artists of the big screen; title: Toys to tease the eye; title: The magic lantern meets the photograph; title: Etienne-Jules Marey and the first true films; title: The rush to the movies; title: Thomas Edison and the American movie machine; title: From the Grand Café to the moon; title: The movies tell stories.