Given the title the father of narrative film, edwin s. Porter was an instrumental force in the development of motion pictures. Porter, best known as the director of the great train robbery, is the subject of an hourlong documentary cowritten and directed by film scholar charles musser and narrated by silent film star blanche sweet. Porter, chief of production at the edison studio, helped to shift film production toward narrative story telling, with such films as the first realistic or documentary story film life of an american fireman 1903 and the popular western tale the great train robbery 1903. One other notable aspect of the great train robbery is its innovative use of a closeup. Barnes, who appears at the end of the film and points a gun at the audience and fires which was anderson s original idea to porter for a publicity stunt for the film. The projector, which emitted a more graphic and steady picture, stopped being made in 1900when porters factory was destroyed in a fire. They patented an improved cinematograph, which in contrast to thomas edisons peepshow kinetoscope allowed simultaneous viewing by multiple parties. Porter s contribution to the invention of motion pictures. At a time when most film makers were content with crude onetake shorts of straightforward dramatic design, porter was. Overview of the edison motion pictures by genre history of. The techniques used in this film were better applied to his next film the great train robbery 1903.
The art of film and video editing part1 videouniversity. Edwin s porter s contribution to the history of the movies is enormous. Porter begun his career in film by designing the earliest projectors. Edwin stanton porter was an american film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the edison manufacturing comp.
Yet there is one technical revolution that porter can claim as his own. Mar 24, 2015 porter was the first to use stock footage to help create a film. Porter s first film of major importance was the life of an american fireman, made in 1902 or early 1903. Armitage june 19, 1874 in seneca falls, ny january 3, 1933 in ecorse, mi was an early american motion picture cinematographer and director, working primarily for the american mutoscope and biograph company. Porter was the first to push the cinema toward the cinematic way. Griffith was the first film director who became a superstar in the world of cinema in his day. Porter is often credited as the first american film director. Film pioneer edwin stratton porter knew what scared and thrilled an audience. Edwin stanton porter was one of the earliest film pioneer in the history which is well known in his directing movies such as life of an american fireman and the great train robbery in 1903. Film historians commonly cite this as an early example of parallel editing, showing two lines of narrative action happening at the same time, although porter s use of this device here is ambiguous. Although this may not be true in the literal sense, it is not unjustified to give porter this title.
He worked collaboratively, producing, directing, and editing a variety of films, including the first blockbuster motion picture, the great train robbery in 1903. Porter built upon the innovations of contemporaneous filmmakers by developing the narrative in film making. Porter was more of an artistic mechanic than a dramatic artist. Porter was born in connellsville, pennsylvania, on april 21, 1870. Butch and sundance train robbery directly inspired this film. April 1941 in new york city war ein usamerikanischer filmpionier. All but forgotten today, american director edwin s. Still, porters one important contribution to filmmakinga freer style of editingwas a. Porter 18891905 21 rare early films restored from the paper prints.
The award honors a scholar who has made an outstanding contribution through research, teaching, and service to the field of film and media studies. Porter for the edison film company in the year following his dramatic success with the great train robbery. Porter 18701941 was a prominent innovator in the early years of cinema. The greatest pioneers of early cinema were thomas edison, edwin s. Porter s life of an american fireman in 1902 is considered the first edited film. Edwin stanton porter april 21, 1870 april 30, 1941 was an american film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the edison manufacturing company and the famous players film company. In this video, i discuss the unique aspects of edwin s.
George melies and his contributions to cinema history essay. Porter s significant contributions to the development of early narrative film was he pioneered the use of continuity editing. He used the footage found in edisons library and spliced that together with staged filming to create a fictional narrative. It can be said that it was porters films that gave rise to the codification of genre, while simultaneously initiating auteur cinema. The film was inspired by scott marble s 1896 stage play, and may also have been. Porter, a camera operator in the edison laboratory, who became one of. Porter, thomas edisons mechanic and cameraman, who is now recognized as americas first important filmmaker and a major contributor to the evolution of film structure. Porter also contributed to film actualities, a kind of precursor to todays. Edwin stanton porter was one of the earliest film pioneer in the history which is well known in his directing movies such as life of an american fireman and the great train robbery in. He reworked other people ideas and made them better. But through the contributions of talented artists, a new cinematic language of editing emerged. Porter and wallace mccutcheon in new york in march 1906. Overview of the edison motion pictures by genre acutalities actuality is a term used by historians to describe short nonfiction films produced by american and european filmmakers during the first ten years of the motion picture industry.
Still, porter s one important contribution to filmmakinga freer style of editingwas a turning. A romance between a railroad engineer and the switchman s daughter is nearly ruined by train wreckers who knock out the girl and leave her on the tracks to be run over. Porters first film of major importance was the life of an american fireman, made in 1902 or early 1903. Of over 250 films created by porter, his most important include jack and the beanstalk 1902, life of an american fireman 1903, the great train robbery 1903. In 1897, porter devised his own film projector, called the beadnell. Important people in film editing history the art of the. In the late 1890s porter worked as both a projectionist and mechanic, eventually becoming director and cameraman for the edison manufacturing company. May 11, 2018 in this video, i discuss the unique aspects of edwin s. His 1903 film the life of an american fireman is often hailed as the first movie to use crosscutting, despite being a nearly identical copy of williamsons earlier fire. In them, he helped to develop the modern concept of continuity editing, paving the way for d.
Porter is the first american filmmaker to edit his films. Preserved films national film preservation foundation. The great train robbery is a 1903 american silent short western film written, produced, and directed by edwin s. Having partially been raised on the western genre, i thought id go back and take a look at the movie that is likely the first western and while it obviously isnt going to be up to the standards of later films it s pretty good for the time. Porter in 1903 is frequently acknowledged as the first narrative film. Porter s significant contributions to the development of early narrative film. Although he may not have invented things like closeups and certain concepts of editing, he was able to exploit them and reinvent them into something that today is prevalent in every film. But this wouldnt be his only contribution to film and editing, porter would go on to create the film he is wellknown for, the great train robbery. Griffith who would expand on porter s discovery that the unit of film structure was the shot rather than the scene.
Porters short film the great train robbery became one of the first blockbuster films. Porter s approach to film editing, and how his background as a film exhibitor led him to those develo. The story of the kelly gang was the first feature film to be produced and its production was done in australia. Porter facts, bio, family, life, info sticky facts. The great train robbery is an interesting little film to watch if you are interested in the history of movies.
The movie is also considered to be the first western film. Porter was a projectionist, inventor and entrepreneur before starting work in 1900 for the edison company, where he was swiftly promoted to head of film profuction. Porter was hired in 1900 to redesign and tweak the edison companys picture gear. Mussser will receive the award at the society s annual conference in april, where he will deliver a presentation reflecting on his career and the field of film and media studies. Porter was the first to use stock footage to help create a film. While usually remembered for his work in front of the camera, charlie chaplin s contributions to film.
Charles musser honored for outstanding contribution to film and media studies. Porter s greatest contribution to early film making came in 1903, when he directed the great train robbery a famous scene of which is shown at left. For a history of edison s and porter s early filmmaking, see charles musser, before the nickelodeon. Edwin stratton porter in connellsville, pennsylvania, 21 april 1869. From the standpoint of continuity as it would develop in cinema, this duplication of event was a deviant use of. Influenced by both the brighton school and the story films of georges melies, porter went on to make important shorts such as life of an american fireman 1903 and the great train robbery 1903. One of the milestones in film history was the first narrative film, the great train robbery 1903, directed and photographed by edwin s. Porter, pioneer american film director whose innovative use of dramatic editing piecing together scenes shot at different times and places in such films as the life of an american fireman 1903 and the great train robbery 1903 revolutionized filmmaking. Anderson as a slain passenger and a robber, walter cameron as the sheriff. At just 12 minutes long, it was still a milestone achievement in american filmmaking as it employed production and editing techniques previously unheard of in filmmaking.
Little else is currently known about his early life. George melies and his contributions to cinema history. The great train robbery is a 1903 american western film directed by edwin s. The disc includes three vintage shorts never before available on dvd. Todays deals your gift cards help whole foods registry sell disability customer. An accomplished vaudeville performer, chaplin made his first film in 1914 and later that year created his signature character, the tramp. Noted film historian charles musser the emergence of cinema cowrote and directed this definitive tribute to edwin s. Acting on advice from a friend, griffith tried his hand at writing scenarios for movie companies. The current generation of technology savvy cinema goers, saturated by 3d and special effects, may not remember or even know that it was georges melies who started it all, the first wizard of. Porter, in an attempt to resist the new industrial system born out of the popularity of nickelodeons, left edison in 1909 to form his.
Porter also filmed the extraordinary panamerican exposition by night 1901, which used timelapse photography to produce a circular panorama of the expositions electrical illumination, and the 10scene jack and the beanstalk 1902, a narrative that simulates the sequencing of lantern slides to achieve a logical, if elliptical, spatial continuity. For example, at one point in his film life of an american fireman he cuts from shooting from within a building to shooting from outside the building. Porters contribution to the invention of motion pictures. Porter is one of cinemas greatest ripoff merchants. Cinematic pioneer today is the birthday of edwin s. Life of an american fireman 1903, directed by edwin s. It was a primitive onereeler action picture, about 10 minutes long, with 14scenes, filmed in november 1903 not in. Working under the stage name of lawrence griffith, he submitted an adapted play to none other than edwin s. He used the footage found in edison s library and spliced that together with staged filming to create a fictional narrative. It is not clear that he means for the parallel editing to establish that the two lines of action are in fact happening simultaneously. Porter contributed the following editing styles and techniques to film. This glimpse into the personality and mind of porter tells us much about the man behind one of the most famous silent films of all time the great train robbery. The society for cinema and media studies has selected charles musser, professor of film and media studies, as the recipient of its distinguished career achievement award. George melies and his contributions to cinema history the film industry encompasses technological and commercial organizations of filmmaking.
Edwin stanton porter april 21, 1870 april 30, 1941 was an american film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer. Charles musser honored for contribution to film and media. Porter, head producer at the edison manufacturing company, owned by thomas a. Porter s landmark the great train robbery1903, the part of the head bandit was played by mustachioed justus d. Griffith laid the foundations for filmmaking and developed techniques in film we still see today. Influenced by both the brighton school and the story films of georges melies, porter went on to make important.
Porter s reputation has come to rest primarily on these two films. The development of editing editing actor, film, voice. Porter founded the defender film company in 1910 and then the rex motion picture manufacturing company in 1911. Edwin s porter was an expert builder of photographic equipment and a film projectionist, he worked for thomas edison. Discuss the contributions to the grammar of film and to the story film made by edwin s. Porter joined thomas edison s vitascope marketing company as a mechanic in 1895, and spent much of his time there working to perfect the movie projector. Other films were produced at rex and famous players film company. He used a dissolve between every shot just and he frequently had the same action repeated across the dissolves. Films were mostly enjoyed by the audience for their spectacles. It was directed by edwin s porter and stars justus d. Porter, thomas edison s mechanic and cameraman, who is now recognized as america s first important filmmaker and a major contributor to the evolution of film structure. Since little is known of porters personal life, the emphasis here is on his technique and contributions to the art of the cinema. Prior to this film, most motion pictures were little more than recordings of everday occurences, news events, or scenes from stage shows filmed as if the stationary camera were a seated patron.
Porter, who had previously worked for thomas edison as a cameraman, takes the plot from a story based on a real train robbery, written by scott marble in 1896. L dickson, the lumiere brothers and georges melies. Porter, in an attempt to resist the new industrial system born out of the popularity of. Porter edwin stanton porter was an american film pioneer, most famous as a producer, director, studio manager and cinematographer with the edison manufacturing company and the famous players film company. This film was largely composed of stock shots from earlier edison company films. In what sense did porter build upon the innovations of contemporaneous filmmakers, and for what purposes. From the beginning of early cinema, it was a cinema of attractions, enjoyed primarily for the spectacle, not for the story. Porter interesting facts, biography, family, updates, life, childhood facts, information and more. Cite specific contributions made by each and how these contributions advanced the art of film.
22 467 310 451 672 1318 147 576 1244 577 172 1417 23 1227 732 1007 312 337 1537 990 242 616 130 1371 1353 570 832 239