The Russian Federation Government
The State Higher Education Establishment National Research University Higher School of Economics lt;http://google/url?sa=tamp;rct=jamp;q=amp;esrc=samp;source=webamp;cd=1amp;cad=rjaamp;ved=0CCcQFjAAamp;url=http%253A%252F%252Fhse%252Fen%252Famp;ei=iBTiUvb1MaeA4gTs-IG4DQamp;usg=AFQjCNEOnMZab9BFQLFy4zK796QRxv-wUwamp;bvm=bv.59930103,d.bGEgt;
Faculty of Philosophy
The School of Cultural Studies
The Transformation of Spectacular Forms in Mass Culture. The Problem of Genesis of the Language of Cinema (in terms of the USA of XIX-XX centuries)
2014
Contents
Abstract
. Theatrical performances and pre-cinema inventions
. The development of cinematography
Abstract
project contains research on the transformation of the first optical inventions and early performances into cinematography. The first part of the paper describes some visual devices which anticipated the appearance of motion-picture camera. It tells the ways of organizing theatrical performances with the help of these inventions as well. The second part analyzes the listed means of showing pictures and follows their influence on the early cinema. In other words, the paper has a brief history of the development of cinematography provided with the analysis of its connection to some other art forms. It also has potential for further, more detailed research.
Definitions
this paper some pre-cinema inventions are discussed. Each of them has its name and to make it more clear here are the definitions of them. (The term of Robert Barker is created from Greek pan ( all ) and horama ( view )) - a device that shows a picture on a cylindrical surface.- a theatre in the performances of which the pictures were highlighted by a special light. Thanks to mirrors and pulleys this effect made these pictures seem three-dimensional.- an invention that was put in a special theatre. It was near to panorama, but in this case a spectator did not have to make full round vision. The pictures were highlighted and changed with the help of shutters which regulated the light flow.Lantern - a device that projected images. It consisted of wooden or metal body and had an opening in it. Inside the box there was a source of light. The pictures painted on the glass plates were projected through this optical system and an opening on the front part of the device.
cinema invention theatrical performance
Introduction
the end of the 19 th century the mankind had already known such forms of popular culture as dime novels, popular songs, comics, the magic lantern, and the theatre. The magic lantern is supposed to become the ancestor of the cinematography, which marked the end of the 19 th century. The invention was a real success as it amazed all the spectators. People were excited by motion picture films, which had very simple plot and took only several minutes comparing to our contemporary films. But it wasn t the first attraction in the 19 th century that stirred up people. has been already said that there were some earlier spectacular forms of mass culture which influenced early cinema very much. Many features of the theatre may be found in the first films. For instance, many directors took the plots and ideas from the performances or from literature. At that time the theatre was an established art form that was very old while the cinematography even wasn t considered as an art form, it was just an entertainment and wasn t taken seriously. Many years would pass before it became a real art form. A lot of researchers notice the links between the cinema and early spectacular forms of art. Nevertheless, at the same time the cinematography differs from them greatly, as it presents a new form of expression and perception. We can understand the processes in the modern cinematography better if we analyze early cinema and realize in what way the aspects of modern cinema are linked to the first attractions. paper presents the research on the connection of the first movie pictures with the earlier art forms. It can be divided into two parts. The first part of the work is devoted mainly to the analysis of the theatrical performances. The second one overviews the way the cinematography borrows and represents some features of the preceding forms of art. So the purpose of this project is to follow the transformation of early spectacular forms, their influence on the inceptive cinematography and the points of contact with...
