Technology

Timeline

• 1894 - movie camera first developed (black + white with no sound)
• 1900-1927 - silent era of black + white films
• 1906 - Edward A. Turner + George A. Smith invented the first colour system
• 1926 - Scotsman J.L. Baird invented the television (not every family had a set until 50s-60s & not many films were shown)
• 1927-1979 - some synchronised sound appears. The first British film to be exhibited with sound was Alfred Hitchcock's Blackmail in 1929 (Hitchcock was 29 at the time).
• 1939 - computers got invented (would ultimately change the post-production process from linear editing to non-linear)
• 1970s - computer technology began to be used for non-linear editing during the 1970s, at this point the technology was expensive and massive.
• 1980s - CGI (could also be used to restore old films - this might lead to more revenue for Hollywood) Changed the shape of film because it was the decade that saw the 'rise of the blockbuster' as Hollywood dominated the market with special-effect driven Sci-fi, action and horror films
• Also 1980s - home media technology changed, most households not only had a coloured TV they also had a VCR (although videocassette recorders were developed in the late 1950s, they did not really hit the market until the 1980s). Cut budget of films
• 1990-2010 - in the early 1990s editing software was developed that made it possible for British film makers to use non-linear editing methods to create films that could gross a profit through VCR sales.
• 1995 - VHS was replaced by DVDs (the image quality is better, tapes are linear DVDs are digital - meaning they are interactive,  they do not wear out as quickly as tapes and they take up less space.)
• Late 1990s-2005 - the internet. more and more people in the USA and UK started to have home internet access which meant distributors could use the internet to target their audiences and audiences could watch films on their computers changing the face of exhibition. Has become more useful to helping cut back costs of marketing.