This page lists chronologically the first achievements in cinema. The development of cinema is characterised by technological breakthroughs, from early experiments in the recording of day-to-day activity, experiments in colour, different formats and sound. From the 1970s, the development of
computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images may ...
became integral to the way that films are produced.
In parallel with the developments in
technology
Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
, its content and the way it reflects society and its concerns and the way society responds to it have changed too. The list attempts to address some of these events.
19th century
Pre-1870
1824
*
Peter Mark Roget
Peter Mark Roget ( ; 18 January 1779 – 12 September 1869) was a British physician, natural theologian, lexicographer and founding secretary of The Portico Library. He is best known for publishing, in 1852, the '' Thesaurus of English Words ...
's wrote the article ''Explanation of an optical deception in the appearance of the spokes of a wheel when seen through vertical apertures'' which described a stroboscopic illusion.
1832
*Almost simultaneously, around December 1832, the Belgian physicist
Joseph Plateau
Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (14 October 1801 – 15 September 1883) was a Belgian physicist and mathematician. He was one of the first people to demonstrate the illusion of a moving image. To do this, he used counterrotating disks with repea ...
and the Austrian professor of practical geometry
Simon Stampfer
Simon Ritter von Stampfer (26 October 1792 (according to other sources 1790)), in Windisch-Mattrai, Archbishopric of Salzburg today called Matrei in Osttirol, Tyrol – 10 November 1864 in Vienna) was an Austrian mathematician, surveyor and in ...
invented the
Phenakistiscope
The phenakistiscope (also known by the spellings phénakisticope or phenakistoscope) was the first widespread animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion. Dubbed and ('stroboscopic discs') by its inventors, it has been known und ...
, the first practical device to create a fluid illusion of motion. Plateau introduced the device in January 1833 in a scientific magazine.
1878
*
Chronophotography
Chronophotography is a photographic technique from the Victorian era which captures a number of phases of movements. The best known chronophotography works were mostly intended for the scientific study of locomotion, to discover practical informa ...
is the first time that movement is captured in several frames.
1870s
1874
* French astronomer
P.J.C. Janssen came up with the idea for a "revolver photographic". This huge camera system used a Maltese cross-type mechanism, very similar to the system that would later be of great importance in the development of movie cameras. He successfully captured both
transits of Venus
frameless, upright=0.5
A transit of Venus across the Sun takes place when the planet Venus passes directly between the Sun and a superior planet, becoming visible against (and hence obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. During a transi ...
, 1874 in Japan, that of 1882 at
Oran
Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...
in Algeria. The motion picture was known as
Passage de Vénus
''Passage de Vénus'' is a series of photographs of the transit of the planet Venus across the Sun on 9 December 1874. They were purportedly taken in Japan by the French astronomer Jules Janssen and Brazilian engineer Francisco Antônio de Al ...
1878
*Using a fast-motion series of 24 cameras
Eadweard Muybridge
Eadweard Muybridge (; 9 April 1830 – 8 May 1904, born Edward James Muggeridge) was an English photographer known for his pioneering work in photographic studies of motion, and early work in motion-picture projection. He adopted the first ...
films a horse in motion, ''
Sallie Gardner at a Gallop
''The Horse in Motion'' is a series of cabinet cards by Eadweard Muybridge, including six cards that each show a sequential series of six to twelve "automatic electro-photographs" depicting the movement of a horse. Muybridge shot the photogr ...
''.
1880s
1880
*
Eadweard Muybridge
Eadweard Muybridge (; 9 April 1830 – 8 May 1904, born Edward James Muggeridge) was an English photographer known for his pioneering work in photographic studies of motion, and early work in motion-picture projection. He adopted the first ...
projects the moving images of ''
Sallie Gardner at a Gallop
''The Horse in Motion'' is a series of cabinet cards by Eadweard Muybridge, including six cards that each show a sequential series of six to twelve "automatic electro-photographs" depicting the movement of a horse. Muybridge shot the photogr ...
'' on a screen when he gave a presentation at the California School of Fine Arts, making this exhibit the earliest known motion picture exhibition.
1882
*
Étienne-Jules Marey
Étienne-Jules Marey (; 5 March 1830, Beaune, Côte-d'Or – 15 May 1904, Paris) was a French scientist, physiologist and chronophotographer.
His work was significant in the development of cardiology, physical instrumentation, aviation, cinema ...
develops the Chronophotographe, which can take 12 pictures per second.
1888
*In
Leeds
Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
Louis Le Prince
Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince (28 August 1841 – disappeared 16 September 1890, declared dead 16 September 1897) was a French artist and the inventor of an early motion-picture camera, possibly the first person to shoot a moving picture sequ ...
films ''
Roundhay Garden Scene
''Roundhay Garden Scene'' is a short silent motion picture filmed by French inventor Louis Le Prince at Oakwood Grange in Roundhay, Leeds, in the north of England on 14 October 1888. It is believed to be the oldest surviving film. The camera ...
'', believed to be the first motion picture recorded.
1890s
1889 or 1890
*''
Monkeyshines'', by
William Kennedy Dickson
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British people, British inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison.
Early life
William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 ...
and
William Heise
William Heise (1847–1910) was a German-born American film cinematographer and director, active in the 1890s and credited for more than 175 short silent films. Heise filmed a "We All Smoke" skit promoting Admiral Cigarettes in 1897.
Heise is be ...
. Believed to be the first film shot in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. An experimental film made to test the original cylinder
Kinetograph
The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that would ...
format.
1891
*''
Dickson Greeting
''Dickson Greeting'' is an 1891 American short silent film. Directed, produced by, and starring motion-picture pioneer William K. L. Dickson, it displays a 3-second clip of him passing a hat in front of himself, and reaching for it with his other ...
'' aka ''
Monkeyshines 2'', by William Kennedy Dickson was the first public demonstration of motion pictures in the United States. The National Federation of Women's Clubs were shown a 3 second clip of Dickson passing a hat in front of himself, and reaching for it with his other hand on May 20, 1891 at Edison's laboratory.
1892
*On 28 October 1892
Charles-Émile Reynaud gave the first public performance of a moving picture show at the
Musée Grévin
The ''Musée Grévin'' (; ) ( en, Grévin Museum) is a wax museum in Paris located on the Grands Boulevards in the 9th arrondissement on the right bank of the Seine, at 10, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris, France. It is open daily; an admission fee ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, the
Théâtre Optique
The Théâtre Optique (Optical Theatre) is an animated moving picture system invented by Charles-Émile Reynaud, Émile Reynaud and patented in 1888. From 28 October 1892 to March 1900 Reynaud gave over 12,800 shows to a total of over 500,000 visit ...
. The show, billed as ''Pantomimes Lumineuses'', included three cartoons, ''
Pauvre Pierrot
''Pauvre Pierrot'' (or ''Poor Pete'') is a French short animated film directed by Charles-Émile Reynaud in 1891 and released in 1892. It consists of 500 individually painted images and lasts about 15 minutes originally.
It is one of the first ...
'', ''
Un bon bock
''Un bon bock'' (aka ''A Good Beer'') is an 1892 French short animated film directed by Émile Reynaud. Painted in 1888, it was first screened on 28 October 1892 using the Théâtre Optique process, which allowed him to project a hand-painted colo ...
'', and ''
Le Clown et ses chiens
''Le Clown et ses chiens'' (aka ''The Clown and His Dogs'') is an 1892 French short animated film hand-painted in colour by Émile Reynaud. It consists of 300 individually painted images and lasts about 10 minutes. It was the second film that Reyn ...
'', each consisting of 500 to 600 individually painted images and lasting about 15 minutes. The film was the first to use
perforations
A perforation is a small hole in a thin material or web. There is usually more than one perforation in an organized fashion, where all of the holes collectively are called a ''perforation''. The process of creating perforations is called perfor ...
.
1893
*''
Blacksmith Scene
''Blacksmith Scene'' (also known as ''Blacksmith Scene #1'' and ''Blacksmithing Scene'') is an 1893 American short black-and-white silent film directed by William K.L. Dickson, the Scottish- French inventor who, while under the employ of Tho ...
'', by
William Kennedy Dickson
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British people, British inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison.
Early life
William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 ...
. The first Kinetoscope film shown in public exhibition on May 9, 1893 and is the earliest known example of actors performing a role in a film.
*The world's first film production studio,
the Black Maria
The Black Maria was a Canadian rock band from Toronto, named after the notorious vans used by police to transport prisoners in the early 20th century (most often referred to as a paddywagon).
History
The Black Maria was formed in November 2002 a ...
, or the Kinetographic Theater, was completed on the grounds of Edison's laboratories at West Orange, New Jersey, for the purpose of making film strips for the
Kinetoscope
The Kinetoscope is an precursors of film, early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic ...
. Construction began in December 1892.
1894
* On April 14, 1894, a public Kinetoscope parlor was opened by the Holland Bros. in New York City at 1155 Broadway, on the corner of 27th Street—the first commercial motion picture house. The venue had ten machines, set up in parallel rows of five, each showing a different movie. For 25 cents a viewer could see all the films in either row; half a dollar gave access to the entire bill.
*''Dorlita in the Passion Dance'' was banned in New Jersey after its use in peepshows. Russell Kick quotes the work ''Censorship'' as saying it "was probably the first
ilm Ilm or ILM may refer to:
Acronyms
* Identity Lifecycle Manager, a Microsoft Server Product
* ''I Love Money,'' a TV show on VH1
* Independent Loading Mechanism, a mounting system for CPU sockets
* Industrial Light & Magic, an American motion pic ...
to be banned in the United States."
*''
La Sortie des Usines'', the first film to be made in France.
*
The Dickson Experimental Sound Film
''The Dickson Experimental Sound Film'' is a film made by William Dickson in late 1894 or early 1895. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the Kinetophone, the proto- sound-film sy ...
by William Kennedy Dickson. It is the first known film with live-recorded sound and appears to be the first motion picture made for the
Kinetophone
The Kinetoscope is an precursors of film, early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic ...
, the proto-
sound-film system developed by Dickson and
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventio ...
.
1895
*First hand-colored film, ''
Annabelle Serpentine Dance
''Annabelle Serpentine Dance'' is a short silent American film produced and distributed by Edison Manufacturing Company in 1895. It is one of several released by the studio the late 19th century. Each short film depicts the popular serpentine ...
'' by
William Kennedy Dickson
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British people, British inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison.
Early life
William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 ...
.
*
Charles Francis Jenkins
Charles Francis Jenkins (August 22, 1867 – June 6, 1934) was an American engineer who was a pioneer of early cinema and one of the inventors of television, though he used mechanical rather than electronic technologies. His businesses incl ...
displays the
Phantascope, the first patented
Film projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying motion picture film by projecting it onto a screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras. Moder ...
.
*''
Incident at Clovelly Cottage'' by
Robert W. Paul
Robert William Paul (3 October 1869 – 28 March 1943) was an English pioneer of film and scientific instrument maker.
He made narrative films as early as April 1895. Those films were shown first in Edison Kinetoscope knockoffs. In 1896 he s ...
and
Birt Acres
Birt Acres (23 July 1854 – 27 December 1918) was an American and British photographer and film pioneer. Among his contributions to the early film industry are the first working 35 mm camera in Britain (Wales), and ''Birtac'', the first ...
is the first film to be made in the United Kingdom.
*''
L'Arroseur Arrosé
''L'Arroseur Arrosé'' (; also known as ''The Waterer Watered '' and ''The Sprinkler Sprinkled'') is an 1895 in film, 1895 France, French Short subject, short black-and-white silent film, silent comedy film directed and produced by Auguste and L ...
'', the first comedy film.
*''
The Execution of Mary Stuart
''The Execution of Mary Stuart'' is a short film produced in 1895. The film depicts the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. It is the first known film to use special effects, specifically the stop trick.
The 18-second-long film was produced by Th ...
'', the first use of a special effect in a movie.
*''
History of the Kinetograph, Kinetoscope, and Kinetophonograph
''History of the Kinetograph, Kinetoscope, and Kinetophonograph'' is a book written by siblings William Kennedy Dickson and Antonia Dickson about the history of film. The brother Dickson wrote from his experiences working for Thomas Edison at his ...
'' by Antonia and
William Kennedy Dickson
William Kennedy Laurie Dickson (3 August 1860 – 28 September 1935) was a British people, British inventor who devised an early motion picture camera under the employment of Thomas Edison.
Early life
William Kennedy Dickson was born on 3 ...
, considered the first book of history on film, is published.
1896
*The first building dedicated exclusively to showing motion pictures was the Vitascope Hall, established on Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana June 26 — it was converted from a vacant store.
*Later that year on October 19, the
Edisonia Hall
Edisonia Hall was a generic name for exhibition halls that displayed the various inventions of Thomas Alva Edison's company. These included the phonograph, the Vitascope, the Kinetoscope and other such devices.
The Edisonia Hall opened by Mitchel ...
opened in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...
in the
Ellicott Square Building
The Ellicott Square Building is a historic office complex, completed in 1896, located in Buffalo, New York. It is found within the Joseph Ellicott Historic District.
History
The Ellicott Square Building was designed by Charles Atwood of D. H. ...
. The Edisonia was the first known dedicated, purpose-built motion picture theater in the world.
*
Alice Guy-Blaché
Alice Ida Antoinette Guy-Blaché (née Guy; ; 1 July 1873 – 24 March 1968) was a French pioneer filmmaker. She was one of the first filmmakers to make a narrative fiction film, as well as the first woman to direct a film. From 1896 to 1906, s ...
, the first female
film director
A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...
makes ''
La Fée aux Choux
The 1896 version of ''La Fée aux Choux'' (''The Fairy of the Cabbages'') is a lost film directed by Alice Guy-Blaché (then known as Alice Guy) that, according to her, featured a honeymoon couple, a farmer, pictures of babies glued to cardboard, ...
'' ''(The Cabbage Fairy)'' acknowledged as the first
narrative
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travel literature, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller (ge ...
fiction film. This movie also introduces screenplays for the first time.
*In ''
The Kiss'', May Irwin and John Rice re-enact the kiss from the New York stage hit ''
The Widow Jones
''The Widow Jones'' was an 1895 New York City stage musical comedy. Thomas Edison hired the play's stars, May Irwin and John Rice, to recreate the kiss seen in act 1 of the play for the 1896 short film, '' The Kiss'', made in Edison's Kinetoscop ...
'', the first film of a couple kissing.
*
The House of the Devil
''The House of the Devil'' is a 2009 American horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, Mary Woronov, Greta Gerwig, A. J. Bowen, and Dee Wallace.
The plot concerns a young college student who is ...
, the first horror film.
*
Le Coucher de la Mariée
''Le coucher de la mariée'' or ''Bedtime for the Bride'' or ''The Bridegroom's Dilemma'' is a French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films made. The film was first screened in Paris in November 1896, within a year of t ...
, a French erotic short film considered to be one of the first erotic films made. The film was first screened in Paris in November 1896, within a year of the first public screening of a projected motion picture.
1898
*
Walking Troubles of Organic Hemiplegy
''Walking Troubles of Organic Hemiplegy'' (1898) is the first documentary film in the world, created by Romanian neurologist Gheorghe Marinescu. The film depicts several patients walking in four directions against a black background before and af ...
was the first
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...
in the world, created by Romanian
neurologist
Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...
Gheorghe Marinescu
Gheorghe Marinescu (; 28 February 1863 – 15 May 1938) was a Romanian neurologist, founder of the Romanian School of Neurology.
History
After attending the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bucharest, Marinescu received most of his med ...
. The film depicts several patients affected by debilitating neurological diseases walking before and after treatment.
1899
*The first example of object manipulation and
stop-motion animation
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames i ...
was the short film by Albert E. Smith and
J. Stuart Blackton
James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...
called ''The Humpty Dumpty Circus''.
*''
King John'' is the first film adaptation of the work of
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. The film features
Herbert Beerbohm Tree
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and theatre manager.
Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End, winning praise for adventurous progra ...
in the title role and features the death scene from ''
King John''.
20th century
1900s
1901
*''
Histoire d'un crime'', directed by
Ferdinand Zecca
Ferdinand Zecca (19 February 1864 – 23 March 1947) was a Innovator, pioneer French film director, film producer, actor and screenwriter. He worked primarily for the Pathé company, first in artistic endeavors then in administration of the inter ...
was the first film to use
flashbacks to create a non-linear narrative.
*The earliest known use of
intertitles
In films, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (i.e., ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred to as "dialo ...
was in the British film ''
Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost
''Scrooge, or, Marley's Ghost'' is a 1901 British short silent drama film, directed by Walter R. Booth, featuring the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Daniel Smith) confronted by Jacob Marley's ghost and given visions of Christmas past, p ...
''.
*''
A Nymph of the Waves'', the first experimental film.
1902
*''
Edward Raymond Turner
Edward Raymond Turner (1873 – 9 March 1903) was a pioneering British inventor and cinematographer. He produced the earliest known colour motion picture film footage.
Biography
Turner was born in 1873 in Clevedon, North Somerset, UK. In late ...
's children'' and several other very short test films, the earliest known moving pictures photographed in color.
*''
A Trip to the Moon
''A Trip to the Moon'' (french: Le Voyage dans la Lune) is a 1902 French adventure short film directed by Georges Méliès. Inspired by a wide variety of sources, including Jules Verne's 1865 novel ''From the Earth to the Moon'' and its 1870 s ...
'' is the first
sci-fi movie, as well as the first film to feature an extraterrestrial.
1903
*''
The Great Train Robbery'', directed by
Edwin S. Porter
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. Of over ...
was the first
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
film.
1904
*''The Great Train Robbery'', directed by
Siegmund Lubin
Siegmund Lubin (born Zygmunt Lubszyński, April 20, 1851 – September 11, 1923) was an American motion picture pioneer who founded the Lubin Manufacturing Company (1902–1917) of Philadelphia.
Biography
Siegmund Lubin was born as Zygmunt L ...
was the first film
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
.
1906
*''
Humorous Phases of Funny Faces
''Humorous Phases of Funny Faces'' is a 1906 short silent animated cartoon directed by James Stuart Blackton and generally regarded by film historians as the first animated film recorded on standard picture film.Magill's Survey of Silent Films, ...
'' directed by
J. Stuart Blackton
James Stuart Blackton (January 5, 1875 – August 13, 1941) was a British-American film producer and director of the silent era. One of the pioneers of motion pictures, he founded Vitagraph Studios in 1897. He was one of the first filmmakers to ...
is the first animated film recorded on
standard picture film.
*''
The Story of the Kelly Gang
''The Story of the Kelly Gang'' is a 1906 Australian bushranger film that traces the exploits of 19th-century bushranger and outlaw Ned Kelly and his gang. It was directed by Charles Tait and shot in and around the city of Melbourne. The origin ...
'' by
Charles Tait is the first feature film to be released.
1907
*January 19,
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
publishes reviews of two films, ''An Exciting Honeymoon'' and ''The Life of a Cowboy'' by
Edwin S. Porter
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. Of over ...
. These are believed to be the first film reviews published.
*''
L'Enfant prodigue'' is the first feature film produced in Europe.
1908
*''
A Visit to the Seaside
''A Visit to the Seaside'' (1908) was the first successful motion picture filmed in Kinemacolor. It is an 8-minute short film directed by George Albert Smith of Brighton, showing people doing everyday activities. It is ranked of high historica ...
'' is the first film to use
Kinemacolor
Kinemacolor was the first successful colour motion picture process, used commercially from 1908 to 1914. It was invented by George Albert Smith in 1906. He was influenced by the work of William Norman Lascelles Davidson and, more directly, Ed ...
.
*''
The Assassination of the Duke of Guise
''The Assassination of the Duke of Guise'' ( 1908) (original French title: ''La Mort du duc de Guise''; often referred to as ''L'Assassinat du duc de Guise'') is a French historical film directed by Charles le Bargy and André Calmettes, adapte ...
'' is the first film to have a
score specifically written for it, by French composer
Camille Saint-Saëns
Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (; 9 October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano C ...
.
[ Davis, Richard (1999). ''Complete Guide to Film Scoring'', Berklee Press, Boston. , p. 17]
*''Fantasmagorie'' is considered the first animated cartoon
1909
*The first full length feature film produced in the United States was an adaptation of
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...
's novel ''
Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
''.
*''
Wilbur Wright und seine Flugmaschine'' was the first film shot from an aeroplane took place in April 1909.
Wilbur Wright was training military personnel and took a newsreel cameraman on a flight in Rome to record this.
*
Albert Samama Chikly
Albert Samama Chikly (24 January 1872 – December 28, 1934), was a Tunisian filmmaker and photographer. Considered one of the earliest pillars in World Cinema, Albert was a photographer, filmmaker, technophile, adventurer, cyclist and the pione ...
took the first underwater shot.
1910s
1910
* The German film serial, ''
Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes
''Arsène Lupin contra Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1910 German drama film, drama film serial directed by Viggo Larsen. The survival status of any of the episodes is unknown.
Cast
* Viggo Larsen as Sherlock Holmes
* Paul Otto as Arsène Lupin
List o ...
'' directed by
Viggo Larsen
Viggo Larsen (14 August 1880 – 6 January 1957) was a Danish film actor, director and producer from the early silent era to the 'talkies'. He appeared in 140 films between 1906 and 1942. He also directed 235 films between 1906 and 1921. He ...
was the first film
crossover
Crossover may refer to:
Entertainment
Albums and songs
* ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album)
* ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987
* ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album)
* ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album)
* ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...
.
* For the first time, the rights to adapt a novel are bought from a publisher, (Little, Brown & Company who published
Helen Hunt Jackson
Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Native Americans by t ...
's novel ''
Ramona
''Ramona'' is a 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War, it portrays the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native American orphan girl, who suffers racial discrimination and ...
''.) The
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
is made by
D. W. Griffith.
* D. W. Griffith makes ''
In Old California'', the first film to be made in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
.
1912
*''
With Our King and Queen Through India
''With Our King and Queen Through India'' (1912) is a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British Documentary film, documentary. The film is silent film, silent and made in the Kinemacolor additive color process.
The film records the ...
'', a documentary recording Indian celebrations around the coronation of
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
, is the first feature film to be released in colour, using the Kinemacolour system.
1914
* Lois Weber directs ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
'' making her the first American female director of a feature length film.
1915
*''
The Birth of a Nation
''The Birth of a Nation'', originally called ''The Clansman'', is a 1915 American silent epic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. The screenplay is adapted from Thomas Dixon Jr.'s 1905 novel and play ''The Cla ...
'', directed by D. W. Griffith was the first big budget Hollywood epic.
1916
*''
The Fall of a Nation
''The Fall of a Nation'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Thomas Dixon Jr., and a sequel to the 1915 film ''The Birth of a Nation'', directed by D. W. Griffith. Dixon, Jr. attempted to cash in on the success of the controversi ...
'', directed by
Thomas Dixon Jr. was the first film
sequel
A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...
.
*''
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' (french: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) is a classic science fiction adventure novel by French writer Jules Verne.
The novel was originally serialized from March 1869 through June 1870 in Pierre-J ...
'' is the first
feature-length
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
film adaptation of a
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
work
Work may refer to:
* Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community
** Manual labour, physical work done by humans
** House work, housework, or homemaking
** Working animal, an animal tr ...
. Since its release, at least 56 subsequent feature-length adaptations have been made as of 2022.
*''
A Daughter of the Gods
''A Daughter of the Gods'' was a 1916 American silent fantasy drama film written and directed by Herbert Brenon. The film was controversial because of the sequences of what was regarded as superfluous nudity by the character Anitia, played by A ...
'' is the first film with a budget greater than $1,000,000.
1917
*The first
animated feature film
These lists of animated feature films compiles animated feature films from around the world and is organized alphabetically under the year of release (the year the completed film was first released to the public). Theatrical releases as well as ...
was ''
El Apóstol
''El Apóstol'' (English: ''The Apostle'') is a 1917 lost Argentine animated film using cutout animation. Italian-Argentine immigrants Quirino Cristiani and Federico Valle directed and produced, respectively. Historians consider it the world's fi ...
'' by
Quirino Cristiani
Quirino Cristiani (July 2, 1896 – August 2, 1984) was an Italian-born Argentine animation director and cartoonist, responsible for the world's first two animated feature films as well as the first animated feature film with sound, even though th ...
from
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
.
*''
The Gulf Between
''The Gulf Between'' is a 1917 American comedy-drama film that was the first motion picture made in Technicolor, the fourth feature-length color film, and the first feature-length color film produced in the United States. The film was destroyed in ...
'' directed by
Wray Physioc
Wray Bartlett Physioc (November 23, 1890 – May 8, 1933) was an American film director, producer and artist. His film ''The Gulf Between'' (1917) was the first Technicolor film ever produced.
Early years
Wray Physioc was born on November 23 ...
is the first feature film to use
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
.
1918
*''
Men Who Have Made Love to Me
''Men Who Have Made Love to Me'' is a 1918 American silent biographical film starring Mary MacLane, based on her book ''I, Mary MacLane'' (1917), and directed by Arthur Berthelet. The film was produced by early American filmmaker, George K. Spoo ...
'', directed by
Arthur Berthelet
Arthur Rolette Berthelet (October 12,1879September 16, 1949; credited as Rolette Bertheletto, Arthur Berthelet, and Arthur R. Berthelet) was an American actor, stage and film director, dialogue director, and scriptwriter."California Death Index, ...
was the first film to break the
fourth wall
The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this ''wall'', the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th cen ...
.
1920s
1920
*''
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'', the first movie to have a
twist ending
Twist may refer to:
In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage
* ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist''
* ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...
.
1921
*''
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled ''A Yankee in King Arthur's Court''. Some early editions are titled ''A Yankee at the Court of King Arth ...
'' (1921), directed by
Emmett J. Flynn
Emmett J. Flynn (November 9, 1891 in Denver, Colorado – June 4, 1937 in Hollywood, California) was an American director, screenwriter, actor, and producer.
Filmography
As director
* 1917 : ''Alimony''
* 1918 : '' The Racing Strain'' ...
was the first film to feature
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
to the past.
1922
*On October 18, the first-ever Hollywood
premiere
A première, also spelled premiere, is the debut (first public presentation) of a play, film, dance, or musical composition.
A work will often have many premières: a world première (the first time it is shown anywhere in the world), its first ...
was held at
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre
Grauman's Egyptian Theatre is a historic movie theater
A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall ( Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater ...
, for the release of ''
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
''.
*The first colour feature film made in Hollywood, ''
The Toll of the Sea
''The Toll of the Sea'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Chester M. Franklin, produced by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, released by Metro Pictures, and featuring Anna May Wong in her first leading role. The film w ...
'', starring
Anna May Wong
Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese-American movie star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese-American actress to gain intern ...
.
*First feature film in 3D. ''
The Power of Love'' by Nat Deverich,
which premiered at the
Ambassador Hotel Theater in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
on September 27.
*''
Foolish Wives
''Foolish Wives'' is a 1922 American erotic silent drama film produced and distributed by Universal Pictures under their Super-Jewel banner and written and directed by Erich von Stroheim. The drama features von Stroheim, Rudolph Christians, ...
'' becomes the first film to cost $1 million to produce. The studio took advantage of its exorbitant price and advertised it as "The First Real Million Dollar Picture".
1923
*
16 mm film
16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, educ ...
is introduced by
Eastman Kodak
The Eastman Kodak Company (referred to simply as Kodak ) is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in analogue photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorpor ...
in the United States.
1925
*''
The Big Parade
''The Big Parade'' is a 1925 American silent war drama film directed by King Vidor, starring John Gilbert, Renée Adorée, Hobart Bosworth, Tom O'Brien, and Karl Dane. Written by World War I veteran, Laurence Stallings, the film is about an ...
'', the first movie to swear.
1926
*''
Don Juan
Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni (Italian), is a legendary, fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. Famous versions of the story include a 17th-century play, '' El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra'' ...
'' becomes the first sound film, using the
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...
sound-on-disc Sound-on-disc is a class of sound film processes using a phonograph or other disc to record or play back sound in sync with a motion picture. Early sound-on-disc systems used a mechanical interlock with the movie projector, while more recent system ...
system, though it contains no spoken dialogue.
1927
*''
The Jazz Singer
''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolated ...
'' starring
Al Jolson
Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...
is the first feature film with recorded dialogue, using the
Vitaphone
Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one th ...
system.
*''
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
'' by
Abel Gance
Abel Gance (; born Abel Eugène Alexandre Péréthon; 25 October 188910 November 1981) was a French film director and producer, writer and actor. A pioneer in the theory and practice of montage, he is best known for three major silent films: ''J ...
is the first film to be filmed in the
widescreen format.
1928
*''
Lights of New York'', directed by
Bryan Foy
Bryan Foy (December 8, 1896 – April 20, 1977) was an American film producer and director. He produced more than 200 films between 1924 and 1963. He also directed 41 films between 1923 and 1934. He headed the B picture unit at Warner Bros. ...
is the first all talking feature film.
*''
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'', directed by
William A. Wellman
William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in crime, adventure, and action genre films, often focusing on avi ...
is the first film to win the
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
.
*''
The Viking'' is the first feature-length film in color with sound (music and sound effects only).
*''
Steamboat Willie
''Steamboat Willie'' is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celeb ...
'', the first cartoon with synchronized sound and the first cartoon to feature a fully post-produced soundtrack.
*''
In Old Arizona
''In Old Arizona'' is a 1928 American pre-Code Western film directed by Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings, nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film, which was based on the character of the Cisco Kid in the 1907 story " ...
'', the first major Western to use the new technology of sound and the first
talkie
A sound film is a motion picture
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, percep ...
to be filmed outdoors.
*''
The Air Circus
''The Air Circus'' is a 1928 American drama film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Arthur Lake, Sue Carol, David Rollins, and Louise Dresser. It is the first of Hawks's aviation films. The film is notable as the first aviation oriented f ...
'' becomes the first aviation oriented film with dialogue as well as the first film to depict the
barnstormer era.
1929
*The First
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
ceremony takes place at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles on May 1. ''
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans'' wins the award for "Unique and Artistic Production" (denoting artistic strength) and ''
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'' wins the award for "Outstanding Picture, Production" (denoting technical production quality). Both awards were eliminated and merged the next year into the single
Best Picture
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
category.
Emil Jannings
Emil Jannings (born Theodor Friedrich Emil Janenz, 23 July 1884 – 2 January 1950) was a Swiss born German actor, popular in the 1920s in Hollywood. He was the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in '' The L ...
and
Janet Gaynor
Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress.
Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later ...
won the awards for best actor and actress, which were awarded for work in a number of different films throughout the year. Acting categories were later narrowed to honor work on a single film.
*''
Blackmail
Blackmail is an act of coercion using the threat of revealing or publicizing either substantially true or false information about a person or people unless certain demands are met. It is often damaging information, and it may be revealed to fa ...
'', directed by
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
was the first British sound film.
*''
The Broadway Melody
''The Broadway Melody'', also known as ''The Broadway Melody of 1929'', is a 1929 American pre-Code musical film and the first sound film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was one of the first musicals to feature a Technicolor sequen ...
'', first ever
musical film
Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks ...
. Also the first sound film and first musical to win the
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
.
*''
Happy Days
''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marshall, it was one of the most succ ...
'' is the first
feature film
A feature film or feature-length film is a narrative film (motion picture or "movie") with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole presentation in a commercial entertainment program. The term ''feature film'' originall ...
to be shown entirely in
widescreen
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...
anywhere in the world. It was filmed using the
Fox Grandeur
70mm Grandeur film, also called Fox Grandeur or Grandeur 70, is a 70mm widescreen film format developed by William Fox through his Fox Film and Fox-Case corporations and used commercially on a small but successful scale in 1929–30.
Filmography
...
70 mm process.
*''
Glorifying the American Girl
''Glorifying the American Girl'' is a 1929 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced by Florenz Ziegfeld that highlights Ziegfeld Follies performers. The last third of the film, which was filmed in early Technicolor, is basically a Follies ...
'', the first film with sound to swear.
1930s
1930
*''
Fiddlesticks'', directed by
Ub Iwerks
Ubbe Ert Iwwerks (March 24, 1901 – July 7, 1971), known as Ub Iwerks ( ), was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Iwerks grew up with a contentious ...
was the first complete sound cartoon to be shot in two-strip
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
.
* ''
Elstree Calling
''Elstree Calling'' is a 1930 British comedy musical film directed by Adrian Brunel and Alfred Hitchcock at Elstree Studios.
Synopsis
The film, referred to as "A Cine-Radio Revue" in its original publicity, is a lavish musical film revue and ...
'' directed by Alfred Hitchcock was the first film to show a
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
set.
*''
Shadows of Glory
''Shadows of Glory'' (Spanish:''Sombras de gloria'') is a pre-Code Spanish-language American film released in 1930. It was produced by Sono Art-World Wide Pictures to serve as an alternate-language version of their English-language release ''Blaz ...
'' becomes the first film foreign-language sound film to be produced in the United States.
*''
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...
'' becomes the first film to feature two women sharing a kiss on screen.
The women were
Marlene Dietrich
Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...
and an uncredited actress.
1931
*''
Peludópolis
''Peludópolis'' is a 1931 Argentine animated film directed by Quirino Cristiani. It was released on 18 September 1931 in Buenos Aires. The film was released with a Vitaphone sound-on-disc synchronization system soundtrack, making the film genera ...
'', directed by Qirino Christiani is the first animated feature with sound.
1932
*The first animated film to use the full, three-color
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
method was ''
Flowers and Trees
''Flowers and Trees'' is a 1932 ''Silly Symphonies'' cartoon produced by Walt Disney, directed by Burt Gillett, and released to theatres by United Artists on July 30, 1932. It was the first commercially released film to be produced in the full-c ...
'' made by Disney Studios. The film was also the first to win the
Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
The Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is an award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) as part of the annual Academy Awards, or Oscars, since the 5th Academy Awards (with different names), covering the year ...
.
*''
Love Me Tonight
''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princess ...
'' by
Rouben Mamoulian
Rouben Zachary Mamoulian ( ; hy, Ռուբէն Մամուլեան; October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was an American film and theatre director.
Early life
Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent. H ...
is credited as the first film to use a
zoom lens
A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (see prime lens).
A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one ...
.
*The
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...
runs from 6–21 August, the first
film festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...
.
*''
White Zombie'' directed by
Victor Halperin
Victor Hugo Halperin (August 24, 1895 in Chicago, Illinois – May 17, 1983 in Bentonville, Arkansas) was an American stage actor, stage director, film director, film producer, producer, and writer. The majority of his works involved romance film ...
was the first
zombie film
A zombie film is a film genre. Zombies are fictional creatures usually portrayed as reanimated corpses or virally infected human beings. They are commonly portrayed as cannibalistic in nature. While zombie films generally fall into the horror g ...
.
1933
* ''
The Crooked Circle'' was the first film to be broadcast on television, on March 10 in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
*''
Morgenrot'' was the first film to have its screening in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, and thus the first film of
Nazi Cinema. Released three days after
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
became
Reichskanzler
The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany,; often shortened to ''Bundeskanzler''/''Bundeskanzlerin'', / is the head of the federal government of Germany and the commander in chief of the Ge ...
, the film became a symbol of the new times touted by the Nazi regime.
1935
*''
Becky Sharp
Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate a ...
'', starring
Miriam Hopkins
Ellen Miriam Hopkins (October 18, 1902 – October 9, 1972) was an American actress known for her versatility. She first signed with Paramount Pictures in 1930.
Her best-known roles included a pickpocket in Ernst Lubitsch's romantic comedy '' T ...
, was the first feature-length film in three-strip
Technicolor
Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades.
Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...
.
1937
*
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
's ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
'' was the first full-length
cel-animated and Technicolor feature film.
[Smith, Dave. '']Disney A to Z
''Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia'' is the official encyclopedia of The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment ...
'', Third Edition, (2006), page 33.
1940s
1940
*First African American to be nominated and to win the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress:
Hattie McDaniel
Hattie McDaniel (June 10, 1893October 26, 1952) was an American actress, singer-songwriter, and comedian. For her role as Mammy in ''Gone with the Wind'' (1939), she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, becoming the first African ...
(''
Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind most often refers to:
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell
* ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel
Gone with the Wind may also refer to:
Music
* ''Gone with the Wind'' ...
'', 1939).
*
Walt Disney
Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...
's ''
Fantasia
Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...
'' is the first film with
surround sound
Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...
, using Disney's
Fantasound
Fantasound was a reproduction system developed by engineers of Walt Disney studios and RCA for Walt Disney's animated film ''Fantasia'', the first commercial film released in stereo.
Origins
Walt Disney's cartoon character Mickey Mouse entered a ...
system.
1943
*First twins to win the
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include stage plays, musica ...
:
Julius
The gens Julia (''gēns Iūlia'', ) was one of the most prominent patrician families in ancient Rome. Members of the gens attained the highest dignities of the state in the earliest times of the Republic. The first of the family to obtain the ...
and Philip Epstein, (''
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
'', 1942).
1944
*First film to feature a live action and animated character on screen at the same time: ''
The Three Caballeros
''The Three Caballeros'' is a 1944 American live-action/animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film premiered in Mexico City on December 21, 1944. It was released in the United States on ...
''.
1946
*The first
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...
takes place from September 20 to October 5.
1947
*First feature film in 3D and partly in color: ''
Robinson Crusoe
''Robinson Crusoe'' () is a novel by Daniel Defoe, first published on 25 April 1719. The first edition credited the work's protagonist Robinson Crusoe as its author, leading many readers to believe he was a real person and the book a tra ...
'' by Alexander Andreyevsky.
*First feature film shot (almost) entirely from the POV of the main character: ''
Lady in the Lake
''Lady in the Lake'' is a 1947 American film noir starring Robert Montgomery, Audrey Totter, Lloyd Nolan, Tom Tully, Leon Ames and Jayne Meadows. An adaptation of the 1943 Raymond Chandler murder mystery ''The Lady in the Lake'', the picture ...
''
1948
*First African-American man to receive an Academy Award:
James Baskett
James Franklin Baskett (February 16, 1904 – July 9, 1948) was an American actor who portrayed Uncle Remus, singing the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film '' Song of the South''.
In recognition of his portrayal of Remus, h ...
(
Academy Honorary Award
The Academy Honorary Award – instituted in 1950 for the 23rd Academy Awards (previously called the Special Award, which was first presented at the 1st Academy Awards in 1929) – is given annually by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Moti ...
for his portrayal of "
Uncle Remus
Uncle Remus is the fictional title character and narrator of a collection of African American folktales compiled and adapted by Joel Chandler Harris and published in book form in 1881. Harris was a journalist in post-Reconstruction era Atlanta, a ...
" in ''
Song of the South
''Song of the South'' is a 1946 American Live-action animated film, live-action/animated musical film, musical drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson; produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. ...
'', 1946) (See also:
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...
,
1964)
*The first
British Academy Film Awards
The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...
ceremony takes place with ''
The Best Years of Our Lives
''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (also known as ''Glory for Me'' and ''Home Again'') is a 1946 American epic drama film directed by William Wyler, and starring Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Harold Russ ...
'', winning the
award for best film.
1950s
1951
*''
Distant Drums
''Distant Drums'' is a 1951 American Florida Western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Gary Cooper. It is set during the Second Seminole War in the 1840s, with Cooper playing an Army captain who successfully destroys a fort held by Span ...
'' is the first film to use the
Wilhelm scream
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect that has been used in a number of films and TV series, beginning in 1951 with the film ''Distant Drums''. The scream is usually used when someone is shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from a ...
.
*At the
23rd Academy Awards
The 23rd Academy Awards were held on March 29, 1951, honoring the films of 1950. ''All About Eve'' received a record 14 nominations, besting the previous record of 13 set by ''Gone with the Wind'' in 1939. It won six Oscars, including Best Pi ...
,
George Sanders
George Henry Sanders (3 July 1906 – 25 April 1972) was a British actor and singer whose career spanned over 40 years. His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, bass voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous chara ...
becomes the first actor to win an
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology), ...
for portraying an LGBT character, when he wins for his performance as Addison DeWitt in ''
All About Eve
''All About Eve'' is a 1950 American Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on the 1946 short story "The Wisdom of Eve" by Mary Orr, although Orr does ...
''.
1953
*''
The Robe
''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks later ...
'' is the first film to be released in
CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
.
1954
*''Sesto Continente'', directed by
Folco Quilici
Folco Quilici (9 April 1930 – 24 February 2018) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed a total of 22 films between 1952 and his retirement in 2005, including ''Tiko and the Shark'' ( it). His 1955 film ''L'ultimo para ...
, was the first full-length, full-color underwater documentary. The much more famous ''
The Silent World
''The Silent World'' (french: Le Monde du silence) is a 1956 French documentary film co-directed by Jacques Cousteau and Louis Malle. One of the first films to use underwater cinematography to show the ocean depths in color, its title derives f ...
'', released in 1956, is frequently erroneously claimed as such.
1955
*Disney's ''
Lady and the Tramp
''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 15th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hami ...
'' is the first feature-length animated film to be released in a
widescreen
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...
format, after it is released in
CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
. This was after Disney released the Academy Award-winning short film, ''
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom
''Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom'' is a 1953 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and directed by Ward Kimball and Charles A. Nichols. A sequel to the first ''Adventures in Music'' cartoon, the 3-D short '' Melody'' ( ...
'', in the same format two years prior.
*
A Generation
''A Generation'' ( pl, Pokolenie) is a 1955 Polish film directed by Andrzej Wajda. It is based on the novel ''Pokolenie'' by Bohdan Czeszko, who also wrote the script. It was Wajda's first film and the opening installment of what became his Thr ...
is the first film to use a
squib.
1956
*''
Forbidden Planet
''Forbidden Planet'' is a 1956 American science fiction film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Nicholas Nayfack, and directed by Fred M. Wilcox (director), Fred M. Wilcox from a script by Cyril Hume that was based on an original film story ...
'' is the first science fiction film to depict humans traveling in a faster-than-light
starship
A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems.
The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 188 ...
of their own creation, the first to be set entirely on another planet in interstellar space, far away from
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, as well as the first film to use an entirely
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
musical score, which was courtesy of
Bebe and Louis Barron.
["Forbidden Planet: Ultimate Collector's Edition from Warner Home Video on DVD, Special Edition"](_blank)
''Whv.warnerbros.com''. Retrieved: January 16, 2015.
1958
*''The White Snake Enchantress (film), The White Snake Enchantress'' is the first feature film, feature-length anime film to be made in color.
1960s
1960
*''Psycho (1960 film), Psycho'' is the first film to show a flushing toilet.
1962
*''The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film), The Manchurian Candidate'' was the first Hollywood film to cast a black actor in a role not specifically written as black.
*''Mutiny on the Bounty (1962 film), Mutiny on the Bounty'' was the first motion picture filmed in the Ultra Panavision 70
widescreen
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...
process.
1963
*''The Cardinal'' was the first film to be 70 mm film#Blow-ups, shown in 70mm despite being filmed on 35mm filmstock. However, there is some disagreement over whether ''Taras Bulba (1962 film), Taras Bulba'', which was released a year prior, was shown using this process before the premiere of ''The Cardinal''.
1964
*First movie with African-American interracial marriage: ''One Potato, Two Potato (film), One Potato, Two Potato'', actors Bernie Hamilton and Barbara Barrie, written by Orville H. Hampton, Raphael Hayes, directed by Larry Peerce
*First African-American man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor:
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...
(''Lilies of the Field (1963 film), Lilies of the Field'', 1963) (See also:
James Baskett
James Franklin Baskett (February 16, 1904 – July 9, 1948) was an American actor who portrayed Uncle Remus, singing the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film '' Song of the South''.
In recognition of his portrayal of Remus, h ...
, #1940s, 1948)
1965
*''Harlow (Magna film)'' : first feature film shot on video at the lower range of modern high definition. It used Electronovision, an american film production process based on french 819 lines TV system, which could display 737 active lines on screen, so slightly above 720p (albeit as a B&W, interlaced, 4/3 format). Videotape was transferred to 35 mm film for distribution.
1969
*''The Learning Tree'' was the first film directed by an African-American person for a Major film studio, major American film studio, in this case Warner Bros.-Seven Arts.
1970s
1970
*''Tiger Child'', the first film in the IMAX format is made. Directed by Donald Brittain and produced by Roman Kroitor and Kichi Ichikawa, it premiered at Expo '70 in Osaka, Japan at the Fuyo Group, Fuji Group Pavilion.
*''Midnight Cowboy'' wins the Oscar for Best Picture, making it the only X Rated movie to win the award.
1971
*The first permanent shush theatre, Cinesphere is built on the grounds of Ontario Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
1972
*''A Computer Animated Hand'', the first movie that used some advanced CGI techniques.
*''Cheongchun gyosa'', the first movie commercially released on VHS.
*''Fritz the Cat (film), Fritz the Cat'', the first animated feature to be given an X rating.
1973
*First use of 2D computer animation in a significant entertainment feature film, ''Westworld (film), Westworld''. The point of view of Yul Brynner's gunslinger was achieved with raster graphics.
1974
*''The Man with the Golden Gun (film), The Man with the Golden Gun'' becomes the first film to feature an "astro-spiral" jump, in which a car drives up a corkscrewed ramp and turns 360 degrees along its long axis. The stunt was performed with a AMC Hornet X hatchback by Loren "Bumps" Willert, and was done across a river near Bangkok, Thailand.
1975
*''Jaws (film), Jaws'' becomes the first film to gross more than $400 million at the box office.
*''Lisztomania (film), Lisztomania'' becomes the first movie to use the new Dolby Stereo sound system.
*''Barry Lyndon (film), Barry Lyndon'' was the first film with scenes shot entirely by natural candlelight.
1976
*Steadicam is used for the first time in a production: Hal Ashby's ''Bound for Glory (1976 film), Bound for Glory'', however, John Schlesinger's ''Marathon Man (film), Marathon Man'', released the same year is the first to be commercially released.
1978
*''Superman (1978 film), Superman: The Movie'' is the first film with a computer-generated title sequence.
*''Watership Down (film), Watership Down'' is the first animated film to be presented in Dolby Stereo.
1980
1980
*''The Shining (film), The Shining'' by Stanley Kubrick is the first film to use a steadicam in "low mode".
1981
*''Looker'' is the first film to feature a Computer-generated imagery, CGI human character, Cindy. Also, first use of 3D shaded CGI.
1982
*For ''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'', Industrial Light & Magic, ILM computer graphics division develops "Genesis Effect", the first use of fractal-generated landscape in a film.
Bill Reeves leads the Genesis Effect programming team, and creates a new graphics technique called Particle Systems.
1983
*''Rock & Rule'' is the first animated film to use computer graphics.
*''The Terry Fox Story'' was the first television film ever made for a Cable television, cable network.
1984
*''The Last Starfighter'' uses CGI for all spaceship shots, replacing traditional models. First use of 'integrated CGI' where the effects are supposed to represent real world objects.
*''The Sensorium'' is regarded the world's first 4D film.
*''Invasion of the Body Snatchers'' becomes the first film to receive a home video release in its original aspect ratio, when The Criterion Collection releases it as Laserdisc Spine #008. Letterboxing (filming), The practice would go onto to become the industry-wide standard for future home video releases.
1985
*In ''Young Sherlock Holmes'', Lucasfilm creates the first Rendering (computer graphics), photorealistic CGI character, 'stained glass knight' with 10 seconds of screentime.
[
]
1986
*At the Canada Pavilion in Expo 86, Vancouver, Canada the first showing of 3D Imax takes place (''Transitions (film), Transition'').
1987
* ''Julia and Julia (Giulia e Giulia)'' : first feature film shot in analog HDTV with a resolution in the 1000+ lines range (japanese 1125 lines Hi-Vision system, with 1035 active lines). Transferred to 35 mm for distribution.
1988
*''Tin Toy'' by John Lasseter becomes the first computer-animated short film to win an Academy Award.
1990s
1990
*''The Rescuers Down Under'' is both The Walt Disney Company, Disney's first theatrical sequel and Hollywood's first feature film digitally colored and assembled entirely on computers, using the studio's proprietary "Computer Animation Production System" (CAPS).
1991
*''Beauty and the Beast (1991 film), Beauty and the Beast'' is the first animated film to have an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.
1992
*''Batman Returns'' is the first film to be released with Dolby SR-D technology (later known as Dolby Digital). This came after a limited experimental release of ''Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' played in three US theatres in 1991.
1993
*''Wax or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees'', originally released in 1991, is the first film to be Streaming media, streamed on the Internet.
*
Du fond du coeur
' first feature film to be shot on european 1250 lines (1152 active) HDTV format, at least partially, due to technical problems during shooting.
Du fond du coeur (1994)
' was more successful in this regard, but, though finalized on 35 mm film, was intended as a TV serie rather than for theatrical release.
1994
*''True Lies'' by James Cameron is the first film to cost $100 million. Later, such budgets would become much more commonplace. As of January 2022, at least 448 films have been made with a budget of $100 million or more.
1995
*''Toy Story'' by John Lasseter is the first feature film to be made entirely using CGI.
*''Casper (film), Casper'', the first CGI lead character in feature-length film (preceded ''Toy Story'' by six months).
*''Party Girl (1995 film), Party Girl'' is the first film to premiere on the internet on June 3, 1995.
*The LaserDisc version of ''Clear and Present Danger (film), Clear and Present Danger'' featured the first home cinema, home theater Dolby Digital mix. It was quickly followed by ''True Lies'', ''Stargate (film), Stargate'', ''Forrest Gump'', and ''Interview with the Vampire (film), Interview with the Vampire'' among others.
1996
*''The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996 film), The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' is the first animated film to cost at least $100 million.
*''The English Patient'' is the first digitally edited film to win the Academy Award for Best Editing.
1997
*''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic'' by James Cameron becomes the first film to cost $200 million and to earn more than $2 billion worldwide.
*''Twister (1996 film), Twister'' by Jan de Bont, the first film to be commercially available on the DVD format.
21st century
2000s
2000
* First digital cinema projection in Europe by Philippe Binant with DLP CINEMA technology for the release of ''Toy Story 2''.
*''O Brother, Where Art Thou?'' by the Coen brothers is the first feature film to be entirely Color grading, color corrected by digital means.[
]
*''Fantasia 2000'' is the first animated feature-length film shown in IMAX. The success of the release, as well as IMAX corporation's struggle with layoffs and closures, led to the creation of IMAX#DMR (Digital Media Remastering), IMAX's DMR process, which Video scaler, up-converts conventional films to IMAX format.
*''Our Lady of the Assassins (film)'' was shot on progressive digital HDTV, though at a 30 fps framerate. Transferred to 35 mm for release.
2001
*''Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within'' is the first feature film to use motion capture to create characters.
*''Shrek'' was the first feature film to win an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.
*''Spirited Away'' was the first anime to win an Academy Award (Academy Award for Best Animated Feature). It is also the first hand drawn and foreign film to win in the category.
*''Vidocq (2001 film)'': first film shot in digital progressive HDTV at standard 24 fps cinematic framerate
2002
*''Russian Ark'' by Alexander Sokurov is the first feature film to be shot entirely in uncompressed high definition video. It is also the first feature film to consist of a single unedited take.
*''The Collingswood Story'' is the first screenlife film
*''Apollo 13 (film), Apollo 13'' is the first film to undergo IMAX#DMR (Digital Media Remastering), IMAX's DMR process, which Video scaler, up-converts conventional films to IMAX format.
* ''Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' is the first Hollywood blockbuster shot primarily on digital video
2003
*''The Matrix Revolutions'' is the first film to be released in IMAX on the same day as its conventional film release, after undergoing their proprietary IMAX#DMR (Digital Media Remastering), DMR process.
2004
*''Able Edwards'', the first movie with all-CGI backgrounds and live actors.
*''The Polar Express (film), The Polar Express'' by Robert Zemeckis, the first film to entirely use the Motion capture, performance capture technique, whereby the physical movements of the actors are digitally recorded and then translated into a computer animation.
2007
*The original 65 mm negative of ''Baraka (film), Baraka'' is scanned in 8K resolution, becoming the first film to do so.
2008
*''U2 3D'' was the first live-action film to be shot, posted, and exhibited entirely in 3D, the first live-action digital 3D film, and the first 3D concert film. Regarding its production, it was the first 3D film shot using a zoom lens
A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length (and thus angle of view) can be varied, as opposed to a fixed-focal-length (FFL) lens (see prime lens).
A true zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one ...
, an aerial camera, and a multiple-camera setup. Additionally, it was the first 3D film to feature compositing, composite images with more than two layers, and the first to be edited specifically to prevent the viewer from experiencing motion sickness or eye strain.
*''The Dark Knight (film), The Dark Knight'' is the first mainstream feature to be partially shot with IMAX 70mm cameras, with 28 minutes of footage.
2009
*''Monsters vs. Aliens'' by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman, the first animated film to be directly produced in the Stereoscopy, stereoscopic 3D format instead of being converted into 3D after completion.
*Priyanka Chopra becomes the first actor to portray at least twelve characters in a film, when she stars in ''What's Your Raashee?''.
* ''Slumdog Millionaire'' is the first Academy Award for Best Cinematography winner shot mainly on digital video.
2010s
2010
*''Avatar (2009 film), Avatar'' by James Cameron is the first 3-D film to be the highest grossing film of all time, surpassing the 2D ones.. It is also the first winner of the Academy Award for Best Cinematography shot entirely on digital video.
*''Toy Story 3'' is the first animated film to cost at least $200 million. It's also the first animated film to gross over a $1 billion.
2011
*''The Artist (film), The Artist'' is the first film financed entirely outside the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and United Kingdom to win the Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
.
*''Searching For Sonny'' is the first feature film shot entirely on a DSLR.
*''Olive (2011 film), Olive'' is the first feature film shot entirely on a cellphone.
2012
*''The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'' is the first wide-release film to be shot using a high frame rate. Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie shot the film using 48 frames per second, twice the usual 24 frames per second. However, few cinemas were capable of showing the high frame rate version of the film - at most 1,000 screens out of the 39,056 showing it in the United States - and most showed it in the ordinary frame rate. The reason for this increased frame rate was to make the 3D easier to watch, as well as remove camera blur, and increase clarity.
*''Brave (2012 film), Brave'' is the first film to make use of the Dolby Atmos sound format.
*''Frankenweenie (2012 film), Frankenweenie'' becomes the first black-and-white film and the first Stop motion, stop-motion animated film to be released in IMAX.
2013
*''Skyfall'' is the first film to gross over £100 million in the United Kingdom.
*''The Wolf of Wall Street (2013 film), The Wolf of Wall Street'' by Martin Scorsese, becomes the first major American movie to be delivered to theaters in digital formats only.
*''Stalingrad (2013 film), Stalingrad'' is the first Russian film to be released in IMAX.
2014
*''The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies'' is the first mainstream feature to be released in IMAX with Laser.
2016
*On 14 February, the first films are released on the Ultra HD Blu-ray format, with ''The Amazing Spider-Man 2'', ''Salt (2010 film), Salt'', ''Hancock (film), Hancock'', ''Chappie (film), Chappie'', ''Pineapple Express (film), Pineapple Express'', and ''The Smurfs 2'' being the first to be released, among others.
2017
*''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2'' is the first film to be shot in 8k resolution. It was shot with the Red Weapon 8k camera.
2018
*''Avengers: Infinity War'' is the first Hollywood feature film to be entirely shot with IMAX#ARRI Alexa IMAX digital camera, Arri Alexa IMAX cameras equipped with Panavision Sphero 65 & Ultra Panavision 70 lenses.
2019
*''The Lion King (2019 film), The Lion King'' by Jon Favreau, the first photorealistic animated film.
*''Parasite (2019 film), Parasite'' by Bong Joon-ho, the first film not in the English language to win Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
.
2020s
2020
*''Nomadland (film), Nomadland'' by Chloé Zhao, the first Oscar Best Picture winning film to be released theatrically, direct-to-streaming and VOD at the same time.
2021
*''The Suicide Squad (film), The Suicide Squad'' is the first non-Marvel Studios film ever released to be shot entirely with IMAX-certified digital cameras. Although ''Top Gun: Maverick'' and ''Dune (2021 film), Dune'' had both accomplished the same feat and had finished filming earlier, ''The Suicide Squad (film), The Suicide Squad'' was released first, on August 5, after the releases of the other two were delayed due to the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema, COVID-19 pandemic. The film was shot with the Red Ranger Monstro 8K & Komodo 6K cameras. The film was also the first feature film to use the Red Komodo camera.
*''The Tomorrow War'' is the first streaming original film to cost at least $200 million to produce. The film was originally set for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, but the film's distribution rights were ultimately acquired by Amazon Studios, Amazon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Four months later, ''Red Notice (film), Red Notice'' was also released under similar circumstances and cost, on Netflix. As of early 2022, ''The Gray Man (2022 film), The Gray Man'' is set become the first streaming original to cost at least $200 million that was originally intended as a streaming original, once it releases in July 2022.
2023
*''Oppenheimer (film), Oppenheimer'', the upcoming film from Christopher Nolan, is set to become the first film to shoot sections in IMAX black and white analog photography upon its release.
See also
*History of film technology
*List of directorial debuts
*Timeline of computer animation in film and television
References
{{Reflist
* Netzley, Patricia D. ''Encyclopedia of Movie Special Effects''. Checkmark Books, 2001.
History of film
Lists of firsts, Cinema