History of Hollywood Cinema

The evolution of Hollywood cinema has been a long and steady process since the late 1800s. Much of what is commonly considered Hollywood is quite different today than it was even 20 years ago. This article will examine the history of Hollywood Cinema from the technological advancements in the early 1900s to the present, as well as discuss milestones and achievements from the movie industry.

Before any motion picture to be captured, the invention of a camera had to occur. The Kenetograph was invented in 1890, and it was the first camera that was capable of capturing motion pictures. It was a crude camera that synchronized the picture with a phonograph record. The kenetograph was instrumental to the emergence of Hollywood cinema.

While the kentograph combined sound and picture, only music was used for the sound. It was not until 1927 that the first ever full length talking movie. Warner Brothers produced the Jazz Singer, which was a full-length production with dialogue.

In 1935, the first feature-length colored film was created using a three-color strip technology called Technicolor. The film was Vanity Fair and it was produced by RKO.

The next major achievement in the history of Hollywood cinema was in 1939. Many historians and movie buffs have deemed this year as the greatest year in film history. There were no major technological advances in cinema, but rather many of today’s acclaimed classics were produced in 1939. Some of the most notable films included Gone with The Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, and Wuthering Heights. All of those films regularly appear in any critics’ list of top movies of all time.

Technological advances in 1953 paved the way for wide screen cinema. 20th Century Fox created CinemaScope, which uses an anamorphic lens. These lenses allow the illusion of a wider screen. Soon after the implementation of the anamorphic lenses, other major Hollywood companies integrated cameras with a wide screen projection.

One of the most groundbreaking movies for special affects was produced in 1977. Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind were both movies that utilized special effects for an out of this world experience for moviegoers.

During the 80s, most films were produces for mass appeal. The general themes were the same as the 70s, rouge cop movies, disaster films, and buddy movies. While the same themes were successful in the 70s, there were no advancements in groundbreaking story lines. Many critics note that few films in the 1980 ever achieved the status of classics because of their stock characters and plots.

In 1995, special effects were taken to new heights. For the first time ever, Disney and Pixar created a full-length completely digital film. The film was generated from computer programs and the result was a realistic 3D world.

2000 was another major year for technological advances in Hollywood cinema. Clint Eastwood directed Space Cowboys and was the first feature film to be produced in high definition technology.

In the early 2000s, Hollywood had hit a slump. Movies were not as profitable as they once were. Less people were actually going to the theaters to watch a movie. Rather, they waited until the film was released on DVD.

In the past few years, Hollywood has favored producing sequels and remakes as opposed to creating new material. There is an increasing number of super hero and comic book story lines that have been resurrected onto the Hollywood screen. Movies like Harry Potter, Superman, and Lord of the Rings have rallied people back to the theater.

Share & EnjoyThese icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.: