New Media and Cinema
November 10, 2009
It is interesting to see how cinema has evolved. In both my ADP lecture and digital studio class at the School of Art & Design, I have learned about several aspects of film. Similar to the evolution of new media, the development of modern cinema has derived from a basic concept. The foundation of new media incorporates technological advancements with an attempt to better the lives of human beings; meanwhile, the basic concept of film has been to entertain people. New media has also facilitated the growth of films that play in theaters today.
The chronology of cinematic inventions helped pave the way for modern, high- tech films. Primarily, Emile Reynaud is responsible for the first animated films with his creation of the Praxinoscope, an animation device used during the late 1800s. Next, Thomas Edison invented the Kinetoscope. This introduced the basic practice that would become the standard for all cinematic projection. This particular device created the illusion of movement by conveying a strip of film bearing sequential images over a light source. Lastly, the Lumiere brothers reproduced animated photographs.
New media has fostered the production of outstanding, modern films only since the end of the 20th century. The programs of new media borrow the same concept of the old; however, they are in an advanced form. It is incredibly easy to decipher modern movies from movies that were produced before the 1990s. Today, people laugh at the special effects in movies from decades ago because they’re uncomparable to the special effects that are present in modern films. Recent technological devices and computer programs have allowed movie- makers to create successful and real- looking films. A perfect example of a new media program is Final Cut Pro. I have been using this program for my digital class. Perhaps, if new media hadn’t been invented, old animation from the late 1800s and other special effects from the 1970s and 80s would still be considered impressive.
