"Film is the only art that allows us to know its birth date", this sentence comes from Ballaz's "Film Aesthetics", and this date is considered by many film historians to be December 28, 1895. Because on this day, Frenchman Louis Lumiere used his own film projector to show a movie in public for the first time. The screening location was in a cafe in Paris. It should be said to be in the basement to be precise. Short films such as "The Train Arrival" and "Baby's Breakfast" were screened. This is the beginning of the public screening of movies in human history.
Louis Lumiere was born in 1864, the son of a photographic equipment manufacturer in Paris. He is passionate about researching technology, and together with his brother August Lumiere, he successfully developed an event movie projector. Louis Lumiere is also a very skilled photographer. He has in-depth research on the composition, angle and light of photography, and he is better than quick photography. The study of science and technology and the cultivation of photography art have prepared good conditions for him to engage in film activities.
is constrained by ideas and technology. The Lumiere brothers' films are actually a kind of "active photography", a record of real life activities. Louis Lumiere pursues reproduction and realism, and regards keeping the original reality as the highest filming principle. For this reason, he even rejects processing and creation: no plot weaving, no director design, no actors, and sets. Therefore, the Lumiere brothers are regarded by later generations as the founders of documentary films. However, this has also become a limitation on their progress and innovation in shooting techniques. This is understandable considering the overall level of film art at that time.
Lumiere’s film uses some creative photographic techniques, such as the use of upside-down photography in "Demolition of the Wall" to restore the collapsed wall to its original shape; in "Baby's Breakfast" it uses a "close-up" style The big shot of, which shows the affection of father and daughter in a very detailed manner. In "Train Arrival", a black spot on the horizon is first shown. As it approaches, it is clear that the train is approaching. After arriving at the station, the train fills the entire screen. People go up and down from the car door, a couple pass by the camera, the crowd is full of life, and it has become a masterpiece of early movies. Lumiere used these creative photography techniques to serve his overall goal of "reproducing life", which was novel, unique and quite attractive at the time.
Lumiere opened the curtain of the film's public screening, and shot a series of films that marked the high level of the initial film, established the original documentary style of the film, and not only occupied a leading position in the early stage of the international film industry , And it also has merits that should not be erased in the entire world film history. Therefore, many people call Lumière "the father of movies." However, in my opinion, it is not very accurate to attribute the birth or invention of film to Lumiere.
First, at the same time as Lumiere, or even before Lumiere, there are many filmmakers of different nationalities who have made some short films. Second, what is decisive for the birth of film is the successful development of film cameras and projectors, and these two kinds of machines have been explored and gradually completed by many inventors of different nationalities in decades. The birth of movies has epoch-making significance in the history of human civilization, and this progress of human civilization is closely related to the development and progress of modern science and technology. Therefore, it should be said that movies are produced by modern industry.
Moreover, Lumiere’s films mainly use novel imaging tools as a selling point to attract audiences. It is not a mature feature film like today’s films. The initial films, whether they are producers, operators, or audiences, did not take them. Treated as art, some people in the field of literature and art simply reject movies as art. To move forward, the film must regain the audience, overcome its original limitations, and seek ways to develop and renew. Lumiere’s compatriot, George Mélière, made outstanding contributions to this.
Meili Ai itself is a magician, so Meili Ai's filming pursues the innovation of technology and picture, and his new artistic contribution can be summarized in the following two aspects. First, unlike Lumière's films, which almost purely record the scenes of life, Méliès pays great attention to drawing lessons from drama and stage art. Make the film overcome the limitations of the initial period and enhance the artistic character. Second, he devoted himself to the study of film shooting techniques and invented a variety of special effects photography techniques, which enriched the film language in practice. He invented stop-and-shoot and dissolve, shake photography, slow motionAfter him, the film has truly embarked on the road of art.
