The Lumber Brothers- First Films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Lumber Brothers- First Films - Essay Example Every film has an objective and reflects the tendency of Lumiere brothers to gauge the natural environment and convey meaning through them. The video starts with a 50 second movie shot in one camera setup showing the employees leaving the Lumiere Company. I think the clip is an important work of art as it not only gives a clear idea of a factory culture, environment of the closing time of a company in 1895 but also gives a clear view of how people accepted camera. People in all the clips are not at all shy, resilient or inquisitive to the new machine. All of them accepted it as something normal and casual which shows the confidence of the people of that time and also their tendency to accept technological advancements (Jay 174). The Arrival of the train at Ciatot Station portrays the train moving towards the camera at a sharp diagonal which endorses the God gifted abilities of the Lumiere brothers to think critically and innovatively. They not only invented a device but also gave its complete specification and usage to the viewers. â€Å"A Baby’s Meal† and â€Å"A Sprinkler Sprinkled† are short scenes taken from the daily life to nurture the early cinema by adding humor to routine life and making it interesting for the viewers. 2. GERTIE THE DINOSAUR (WINSOR MCCAY) Gertie the Dinosaur featured the first cartoon character in a feature length animated film. It was the first ever film which used key frame animation to create characters. The film is an attempt to blend nature with imitation. The film includes more than ten thousand animated drawings of individuals, background trees, rocks and water (Silver, 79). The film makes the drawings to live, speak and walk. An animated dinosaur walks to the foreground from the background through projected film. All the movements of the cartoon are very clearly represented by the careful and timely succession of card sheets on which the drawings are made. McCay talk and commands Gertie and she act upon th em. Gertie raised her left leg, move it forward, lay down on floor and sometime roll over on it too. She gulps down a tree stump and diverts her attention towards a sea serpent. A passing elephant was thrown by the Gertie into the lake. The film also depicted the emotions very well; Gertie cried childishly when she was scolded. She howled when McCay threw the pumpkin on her. Movements when Gertie breathes swaying forward and backward and dust particles falling from the trees along with the vibrating background keep the audience connected. Gertie was a playful character with charming personality and affable nature. Gertie marked a milestone in the history of animated films and brighten a new and undiscovered side of the film industry. Gertie is the pioneer of later animated characters like Blakton, Cohl and other popular cartoons of Walt Disney. Gertie outshined the prior animated films, embarking a wider and innovative scope for others to set their career in the industry of animated films. 3. UN CHIEN ANDALOU With the release of Un Chien Andalou, Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali marked the dawn of Surrealism in the history of silent short films. It is an outstanding potrait of surprise, superstition, myth, artificial and unexpected events. The deceptive name, which means â€Å"An Andalusian Dog† kept the audience inquisitive from the beginning of the movie till the last shot. Though the movie has nothing to do with a dog and totally revolves around dreams and subconcious activities. The movie is