In this vivid and accessible new account of the dawn of film in Britain, internationally respected film historian and curator Bryony Dixon introduces us to Britain's first cinematic pioneers – an eclectic mix of chemists, engineers, photography enthusiasts, fairground showmen and magicians – who in a few short years built a vibrant new industry. As she chronicles the emergence of the first embryonic film forms and genres, she reveals often surprising innovations, from cutting-edge science to ingeniously witty tricks and comedies, with filmmakers reflecting existing entertainment forms as well as advancing editing and cinematography in ways that shaped the art of film for many decades after.
Dixon offers fresh insights by focusing on the films themselves – many of them only recently available to view – while building on the work of generations of scholars. In the process, Dixon makes a compelling case for the British filmmakers of the era as inventive and creative figures, every bit as influential as their more celebrated contemporaries in France and the US.
- 192 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
The Story of Victorian Film
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Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- eCopyright
- Contents
- Acknowledgements.
- British Screen Stories: Editors’ Introduction.
- Introduction: Time Recorded.
- Montage: Meet the Pioneers
- 1. ‘Novelty? It’s as old as the hills’: Film and the Music Hall
- Close-up: The Victorian Film Catalogue
- 2. ‘Two Hundred Lies a Minute’: Actuality and News
- Close-up: Black Victorians
- 3. Here and Now: Topicals and Street Life
- Close-up: How to Identify Victorian Film
- 4. Everybody Marches: Military Films
- Close-up: The Pirates
- 5. The Greatest Draw: Local Film
- Close-up: The Kid Stays in the Picture
- 6. Moving Images: Panoramas, Phantom rides and Travel
- Montage: The Phantom Ride
- Close-up: Researching Victorian film
- 7. New Perspectives: Art and Science
- Close-up: Picturing Ideas: The Victorian Commercial
- 8. Dancing on the Ceiling: Trick Films
- 9. Larking About: Comedy
- Montage: The Facial
- 10. Plays without Words: Drama and Adaptation
- Close-up: The Sound of Silents
- Epilogue: The End of all Things
- Tables
- Recommended Reading
- Notes
- Index
- Illustration Credits
- BFI British Screen Stories
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Yes, you can access The Story of Victorian Film by Bryony Dixon in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.