Film Development TIMELINE

1890's Thomas Edison constructed a motion picture.
1903 The great train robbery
beginnings of films.
1920's Charlie Chaplin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfGs2Y5WJ14
Feature length comedies.
1930s sound recorded became universal in film.
With sound, rose musicals and gangster films.

1928 film animation gained popularity - Steamboat Willie first disney animation.
1937 colour animation Snow White - 1939 Wizard of Oz.




1941 Citizen Kane
1950's some colour comes to cinema. By 1960, colour was the standard.
In 1960's directors became recognised as the most important part of the film.
1970's new generation of films as independent films are made. Brat pack


Tv shows become big and therefore films have to become more consistent with excitement as they can't be slow anymore. Scenes became shorter.
1975 - Jaws first blockbuster



Star wars 1977 impressive new use of special effects. Blockbuster.



Blockbusters were mainly adventure films and films based on comic heroes. They were Visceral - bombarded the senses.
Titanic - top grossing film with less digital effects and large scale creations.


In relations to the films we are studying, One flew over the cuckoo's nest 1975 was made when multiple new generation independent film makers were joining the industry. Foreman was one of the new independent directors.  He did not have the security in making films and therefore OFOTCN was a risk for him. The film had few celebrities and no famous actors.
Opposing to this, Vertigo was created in Hitchcock's secure career. In 1958 he worked for the studios which owned the cinemas. His movie being shown was guaranteed by this point and people would go and watch the film due to the famous director and film stars. 
In 1974, Forman was given a second chance to make an “American” film. Actor Michael Douglas and independent producer Saul Zaentz sent him an offer to direct a film adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel OFOTCN. Later, Forman learned that Michael’s father Kirk Douglas had already sent the same offer to him in the 1960’s. It was probably confiscated by the secret police, because it never got to Forman. Nonetheless, the film OFOTCN was a huge blockbuster and received Academy Awards in all the main categories.


Comments

  1. Much better explanation at the end of this post, well done.

    All the best

    Mr Cooper

    ReplyDelete

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