Early American cinema in transition : story, style, and filmmaking, 1907-1913 / Charlie Keil.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Keil, Charlie.

Series:

Wisconsin studies in film.

Wisconsin studies in film

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--United States--History--20th century.

Motion pictures.

Motion picture industry--United States--History--20th century.

Motion picture industry.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (321 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Madison : University of Wisconsin Press, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The period 1907-1913 marks a crucial transitional moment in American cinema. As moving picture shows changed from mere novelty to an increasingly popular entertainment, fledgling studios responded with longer running times and more complex storytelling. A growing trade press and changing production procedures also influenced filmmaking. In Early American Cinema in Transition, Charlie Keil looks at a broad cross-section of fiction films to examine the formal changes in cinema of this period and the ways that filmmakers developed narrative techniques to suit the fifteen-minute, one-reel format. Keil outlines the kinds of narratives that proved most suitable for a single reel's duration, the particular demands that time and space exerted on this early form of film narration, and the ways filmmakers employed the unique features of a primarily visual medium to craft stories that would appeal to an audience numbering in the millions. He underscores his analysis with a detailed look at six films: The Boy Detective; The Forgotten Watch; Rose O'Salem-Town; Cupid's Monkey Wrench; Belle Boyd, A Confederate Spy; and Suspense.

Contents:

Intro

Contents

Tables

Acknowledgments

1. Introduction

2. "Boom Time in the Moving-Picture Business" : Industrial Structure, Production Practices, and the Trade Press

3. "A Story Vital and Unified in Its Action" : The Demands of Narrative

4. "An Immeasurably Greater Freedom" : Time and Space in Transitional Cinema

5. "The Modern Technique of the Art" : The Style of Transitional Cinema

6. Analyzing Transition: Six Sample Films

7. Conclusion

Appendix A: Notes on Method

Appendix B: Shot-by-Shot Analyses for Chapter 6

Notes

Filmography: Viewed Titles, 1907-1913

Works Cited

Film Index

General Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Filmography: p. 270-286.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9786613486004

9781283486002

1283486008

9780299173630

0299173631

OCLC:

608918149