Polytechnic University of the Philippines

College of Communication
Department of Communication Research
NDC Campus Anonas Street Sta. Mesa, Manila

The Flash of Cinema’s Lumiere

Term Paper

on

Film/ Motion Picture

Cruzada, Carol
BACR 1-1/ 2019-16094-MN-0
cruzada.carol1@gmail.com

Diche, Kenya Rose

BACR 1-1/2019-12593-MN-0
dichekenyarose@gmail.com

Galang, Sandra Denise

BACR 1-1/2019-10032-MN-0
galang.sandra1@gmail.com

Obanil, Quiney
BACR 1-1/ 2019-08596-MN-0
obanil.quineymae1@gmail.com

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

COMM 20023 Introduction to Communication and Media
First Semester AY 2019-2020

September 12, 2019

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The Flash of Cinema’s Lumiere

1.0 Introduction

According to Oxford Dictionary, f ilm is a thin flexible strip of plastic with light-sensitive emulsion

for exposure in a camera and it is used to produce photographs or motion pictures. In other words,

film is a motion or a moving picture. Film started by putting together pictures and then flashing it.

As time pass by, it improved into recording the subjects and then adding special effects through

elements such as lighting, audio, and many more that contributed to the best quality films we have

today. During the primary stages of the development of film, flashing the pictures one by one

produced a flickering effect after showing the first image and before proceeding to the next. This

flickering effect is not noticed by the viewers due to an effect known as the persistence of vision,

where the eye reserves the image of the photo flashed for a millisecond after it is withdrawal. This

also helps to cause a persistence in motion, a psychological effect known as beta movement where

we think a set of photos in generous order flashed is making a movement through succession.

In addition, many might be wondering if "film" and "movie" is the same or not. These words are

synonymous but differs in derivation. “Film” is obviously from the fact that the images are

impressed on a roll film. “Movie” means “moving pictures” or “motion picture”. “Film” is an

English word used by British people while “movie” is an American word. Also, “film” is often

used in a more ‘highbrow’ sense the same way “literature” might be used instead of “books”. So,

an arts student might study ‘film’ rather than ‘movies’.

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2.0 Origin and History of Film

As with most tools in communication, no one was associated on the invention of the motion

picture. It evolved through a series of small step done by different people. No one had an idea that

their steps would contribute on the development of one of the known tools in communicating

today, it is Film. According to the book A History of Mass Communication of Irvin Fang (1997),

motion pictures has three roots if we are going to look back on the different development of it. The

three roots are chemistry of films, projection and stills in motion.

2.1 Chemistry of Films

The founder of Stanford University, Leland Stanford had a bet with his friend whether a trotting

horse could lift its four feet at the same time. In order to settle the bet, Stanford hired a professional

photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Muybridge put 24 cameras on the crack and took a photo on

the trotting horse, when he put the photos together successively, he noticed the effect of constant

motion. With this discovery of Muybridge, he studied it and exhibit his works on Paris in 1881, in

there he met Etienne Jules Murey, a physician and who happened to be researching on animal

locomotion as the flapping of a bird’s wing. That meeting led Murey to contribute an important

step on developing what Muybridge had discovered. She built a single camera that could rapidly

shoot a series of picture on single plate.

These was the

picture that Muybridge
put together successively,
which he discovered that
it could create an effect of
motion.
Source: History of Mass Communication: Six
Information Revolution of Irvin Fang (1997).
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2.2 Edison Orders an Invention

In the United States, on Thomas Edison’s laboratory he ordered his assistant W.K.L. Dickson to

create a motion picture system based on the invention of Murey. Dickson worked with strips of

celluloid film on building the system. In the years of 1891 and 1892, he invented the Kinetograph

camera and the motor- driven Kinetoscope. Afterwards, he built a studio building where he could

take advantage of light from the sun coming from the roof opening. In there he started creating

short films, mostly about animal acts and circus entertainers. With the popularity of his invention,

Kinetoscope were shipped around the country as fast as they reached the end of Edison’s assembly

line.

The Kinetoscope was

designed for films to be
viewed by one individual at
a time through a peephole
viewer window at the top of
the device.

Source:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ah
UKEwjgu865mcvkAhWGZt4KHcMAAjYQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A
%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FKinetoscope&psig=AOvVaw1W-
dEjWlsLiKX9VUgit_iY&ust=1568374764668583

2.3 Motion Picture Projection

In France, Louis and Auguste Lumiere, owners of photographic products, saw a Kinetoscope on a

display in Paris and they had an idea to improve the device that Dickson made. They combined a

camera, film printer and projector, which they were able to project films on a screen for the

audience so many people can watch the film unlike on the Kinetoscope. On this invention of the

Lumiere brothers it was lightweight, and you bring it to other place unlike to the big and bulky

invention of Dickson. On March 1895, they shot their first film, which happened to be workers
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leaving their factory, and it was shown on a special exhibit. In a basement in a cafe in Paris they

projected there first motion pictures. The first films that was made back then was more on the daily

lives of the people, movements of animals and what is currently happening around them.

As time goes by, the audience got tired on that kind of genre, it was where fiction movies entered

the scene. This was the start of many movies produced on the Hollywood where it is known as a

dream factory.

2.4 History of Films in the Philippines

A. Period of Silent Pictures (1897-1929)

The primary films showed in the country (January 1897) by the colonizers are silent film

documentaries about natural scenes or disasters such as volcano eruptions, gold mining, local bull

fighting, etc. During the American colonization, feature films rose to popularity. One of the

primary feature films was Rizal's execution, Florante at Laura, Noli Me Tangere, and more.

In 1917, we established our own production film labelled Malayan Movies, thanks to Jose and

Hesus Nepomuceno. Our very first film as entitled "Dalagang Bukid" was premiered in 1919

starring Atang de la Rama and Marceliano Ilagan. Other films by Nepomuceno were La Venganza

de Don Silvestre (1920) and Noli Me Tangere (1930). On this period, the genres and concept of

films are safe, mostly it has nationalistic approach.

B. Talking Pictures Period (1929-1970)

The first audio-induced movie in the Philippines was "Ang Aswang" in 1932. During this era,

many film producing companies rose such as Excelsior amd Sampaguita Pictures in 1937. In 1936,

we produced a film for both local and international release entitled as "Zamboanga". Various
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themes and genres were added into our film system such as action, comedy, melodrama and more.

We were under Japanese regime during this time that's why Japanese produced films were

recognized, one of which was a film entitled "Tatlong Maria". The fifties were the golden age of

the film industry, the grand award-giving bodies was born during this time. The Maria Clara

Awards of the Manila Times Publishing Co and Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences or

FAMAS award. In the sixties, some of the big film studios came to an end, but on the lighter side,

independent films came about. More genres were put into the pot during this time. During this

period, most of the films were about war because during that time there are a lot of wars that

happened. So, the film makers incline the concept to for the people to be attracted.

C. New Cinema (1970 onwards)

A new breed of film directors was born in the seventies. They were more equipped with knowledge

from abroad studies of film media arts, so were the actors. This was the time during the Marcos

era that's where most of the films centered on activism. After the assassination of Ninoy Aquino,

they produced films exposing the abuses of the Marcos regime. Under Cory Aquino's

administration, government agencies about Philippine films were established. Movie and

Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), Video Regulatory Board (VRB), Film

Development Foundation of the Philippines (FDFP), NMPC Color Laboratory and Film Archives.

Presently, movies are engaged on different genres, plots, characterizations and cinematic styles. In

conclusion, the topics of our movies from very start up until now were inclined on the current state

of the surrounding and to the things that the people can relate with.
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3.0 Audience

The film industry is interested in studying the tastes and opinions of actual audiences through

empirical studies, such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Because the film industry is a

moneymaking enterprise, it remains successful only by producing films that make a profit over

and above their (increasingly sizable) budget and marketing costs. The industry needs to bring in

as many viewers as possible and therefore must keep close tabs on what types of stories will appeal

to the greatest number of viewers at any given moment. The industry cannot afford to bank on

hypothetical concepts of the film viewer but must seek out real audiences, both through research

and through marketing in order to ensure that financial investments pay off. However, audiences

shift over time in accordance with cultural tastes and trends. Film content has largely mirrored the

tastes of its audiences, which is a direct result of the industry's increasing proficiency in adapting

to changing audience preferences. Audiences are very important in film. It is the only way to make

a film successful.

In the Philippines, since the millennials are more active on social media, they are also the one who

are more engaged on watching movies. As have been observed, we can really see how the

millennials react on every film that is being released. They are so updated and some even create

movie review for others to be informed. One of the reasons of it is because the film’s genre and

topic today are so relatable for them, it is like that movie was created for them.

4.0 Current Developments in Film/ Motion Picture

4.1. Early Cinema

In the Early Cinema, no one believed that they could relay the message through Film/. Until one

company in 1891 thinks that they can develop a model that will enable for one person at a time in

viewing moving pictures and this was called "Kinetoscope" by the Edison Company in the USA.
 7

Afterwards, the Lumiere brothers were the first one who presented the moving pictures to the

audience at the Grand Cafe in Paris on December 28, 1895, and this is the reason why they're held

as one of the inventors of cinema. In line with their prosperous time, the invention of

cinematography and autochrome has started. They not just identified for being the famous

inventors but also the developers of cinemas with their contribution. The film recognized by the

ordinaries because it was shown at the place where people used to go, and the duration of the film

is not eating too much time of a busy person because it was just a short video. Some of the films

that were shown have the topic of societal problems, it does not produce by a nonsense reason. It

can specify as comedy, foreign lands, and local scenes and activities. We can understand that in

the early cinema, the rise of the film is not visible by some, but it attracts the one who can

understand and can be entertained.

4.2. Rise of the Film Industry

Many people already appreciated the essence of watching a film at this time. At 1914 many film

industries have started including the foreign countries like Europe, Russia and Scandinavia were

as important as America. People started to like watching the film, so, filmmakers thought that they

could extend the running time of it. The industry of film gets bigger and better, that lead them to

invest more in production, distribution, and exhibition. But, when the First World War happened,

it limited the film industry in Europe. On the other hand, it was the time where the America’s film

industry rose and became bigger.

 8

4.3. Adding Color

Due to the high demand in the Film industry, they need to improve it into a higher quality. Adding

color to the media is one of the crucial aspects because of the combination of colors that needed

to be done properly. Through tinting, toning, and stenciling it produced a chromatic clip. By 1906,

the principles of color separation were developed and so the "natural color", late 1909 it was

presented by the public.

4.4. Adding Sound

They already have a high-quality video clips, and to add some intensity, they needed to think of a

way that could intensify their audience. That's why they invented a "phonographic cylinders or

discs" to add synchronized sound. The first movie who possesses a synchronized dialogue is "The

Jazz Singer" (1927) who used by the Warner Brothers' Vitaphone system.

4.5. Cinema’s Golden Age

The Golden Age of Cinema was the peak of success of the Motion Pictures. By 1930, the films

already owned a high-quality chromatic color with a synchronized sound for them to lead their

victory in presenting films to American Industry. During 1930-1940, cinema was the main form

of entertainment of people who are attending the cinema twice a week. There were different genres

of movie during those time, that will suit the age and the taste of the audiences.

These were some of the films back then, each movie has its own genre that suited the different
ages of the audiences. Picture Source: https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/very-short-history-of
cinema/?fbclid=IwAR3xl6hxXgKO69BiEdLOpzyoSKfFadd57bJN4aatD0TCrh0xYFo8iwJpZMo
 9

4.6 Aspect Ratio

In terms of width of the picture, the aspect ratio is not immediately agreed by some, Thomas Edison

used 35mm film in the Kinetoscope and it became the standard in the film industry until 1909. The

picture had a height-to-width relationship—known as the aspect ratio—of 3:4 or 1:1.33. There

were no changes even after many experiments conducted, so it was used until 1950.

Picture Source: https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/very-short-history-of

cinema/?fbclid=IwAR3xl6hxXgKO69BiEdLOpzyoSKfFadd57bJN4aatD0TCrh0xYFo8iwJpZ
Mo
4.7 Competing with Television

Television was rolled out. The cinema got shaken because people tend to see the good side of

watching television. It results in cinema to do some proper examination for them to maintain their

standing between the other competitor. It was the beginning of "Cinerama" a three -projector and

a wide, deeply curved screen with multi-track surround sounds. It gives the audience a sense of

involvement because of the vibe it delivers. But it was for a short-period solution because it is too

expensive for them to create more Cinerama. The good side of the Cinerama process is it helped

the cinema back its reputation, it might not be the same, but it gives its comeback. Today, a

significant number of people choose television because they can also watch movies there.

Picture Source: https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/very-short-history-of

cinema/?fbclid=IwAR3xl6hxXgKO69BiEdLOpzyoSKfFadd57bJN4aatD0TCrh0xYFo8iwJpZ
Mo
 10

4.8 Cinema makes a Comeback

Through the years, the competition between the television and cinema was still prominent.

Although cinema made a lot of success while competing with the television, it never brought the

popularity that it has back then. But the industry kept going, and it led to many international films

that were produced, that caught the attention of the people which became one of the reasons why

cinema is still going. America became the most influential film industry, where a lot of films were

made and directed internationally and financed by multinational companies that have interests

across the range of media.

5. Prospects of the Medium

As time pass by, producing and making films are constantly changing, from its production and

editing process. Today, the quality of films we have are highly- advanced, the colors and sounds

are properly done that really suits the mood of a movie. We even used green screens, advance film

application editors and 3D imaging. According to Ziad Lammam, Director of Product

Management at Teradici, film industry is becoming more and more IT- intensive and

technologically advanced. A lot of devices and gadgets are being used to create beautiful movies

may it be an action, romantic, and comedy films. That is why films to be produced in the future

are expected to be more advanced and highly innovated than the films we have today.

In an interview on Smithsonian.com, James Cameron said that “I think there will be movie theaters

in 1,000 years. People want the group experience, the sense of going out and participating in a film

together. People have been predicting the demise of movie theaters since I started in the business.”

He pointed out that cinema will not be easily remove in the industry because it is already part of
 11

the lives of many people. Attending movie theaters became a habit and bonding of a certain group

friends or a family. In short, film theaters are still to be part of the industry for the next years.

For us, filmmaking and film itself, will continue to happen and develop as time goes by. Watching

movies became a habit and a form of stress reliever to many people. It is something that cannot

easily be remove. People loves watching movies, so directors, film makers and producers will

continue to create it. If there are movie enthusiasts, films will stay no matter what years or age will

it be. Like what John F. Kennedy (1930) said “The motion picture today is the greatest medium of

expression the world has ever known. It is capable of giving life and form to all ideas, practical

and emotional …Its only limitation is human ingenuity.” We, humans who created and continually

creating films are the only limitation of it. Our ideas and imaginations are the limitation. If people

stopped exploring and thinking new concepts, there is a possibility that Films can have its downfall

but I don’t think it will happen, humans are creative enough to always find a way to make different

kinds of movies that the audiences will love. I really believe that people even years after, films

will still be there, having a new concept, ideas and more advance and innovated than what we have

today.
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References
Anonymous. (2018). History and Development of Cinema.
https://blog.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/very-short-history-of-
cinema/?fbclid=IwAR3xl6hxXgKO69BiEdLOpzyoSKfFadd57bJN4aatD0TCrh0xYFo8i
wJpZMo
Fang, I. (1997). A History of Mass Commmunication: Six Information Revolution. Boston:
Butterworth- Heinemann.
Red Rock Entertainment Ltd. (2018, December 12). How to uncover the proper target audience
for your film. https://medium.com/@red_rock_films/how-to-uncover-the-proper-target-
audience-for-your-film-bfbb101d078
Ustaris, C. (2014, July29). History of Philippine Mass Media.
https://www.slideshare.net/chrissyustaris/history-of-philippine-mass-media

Annexures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wKavp4hfdY&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR2b2eGaGfhLNhgR Gr
z7ZoVtEBHELUoAbIY7asbN_akXp-gMsBvsUr4g0cE