Movie terminology uncovered: Breaking down common film phrases, from big hits to box office flops
In the late 19th century, the Silvograph was a significant photographic process, primarily used for creating high-contrast images on metal surfaces. Unlike its contemporaries, such as the daguerreotype and calotype, the Silvograph was more commonly employed in illustration and printmaking, rather than direct film capture. Although it played a crucial role in bridging the gap between photographic art and reproducible printing, its impact on early cinema, particularly Arthur Cheetham's work, remains somewhat elusive.
Arthur Cheetham (1866–1939) was a pioneering Welsh filmmaker, known for his early cinematic recordings in Wales. His short films documented local events around the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, direct evidence linking the Silvograph to Cheetham's films or early cinema techniques is scarce.
Early cinema relied heavily on photographic innovations for still images, which eventually evolved into film-based technologies. The Silvograph, while not a film technology itself, likely contributed to the era's graphic arts and influenced the visual culture of the period, including the illustration and poster arts that accompanied films.
One intriguing connection between Cheetham and the Silvograph can be found in the opening night of Rhyl's first cinema, the Central Hall, in 1906. The event promised 'the Silvograph animated pictures,' suggesting that the Silvograph process may have been used in some capacity for animated images.
Despite the limited direct evidence, it's clear that Cheetham's work was more directly dependent on emerging motion picture technology rather than on silvographic or printmaking processes. His films, such as the record of Buffalo Bill Cody's visit to Rhyl in 1903, the Royal visit to Conwy in 1899, and excerpts from the football match between Blackburn Rovers and West Bromwich Albion played in 1899, showcase the early days of cinema.
As for the term 'blockbuster,' it originally referred to High Capacity bombs used during World War II. Over time, it was further popularized by a chain of video rental stores and eventually came to denote films with big budgets, epic scale, and anticipated to do well at the box office. The term now generally refers to motion pictures and the film industry in general.
In conclusion, while the Silvograph's history lies more in photographic reproduction and printmaking, it may have had an indirect influence on early cinema by contributing to the visual culture of the period. For a more precise understanding of the Silvograph's influence on early cinema and Arthur Cheetham's work, further specialized historical research would be required.
Movies-and-TV, as a part of the broader entertainment industry, were influenced by the visual culture of the period, which might have been shaped by graphic arts like the Silvograph. Pop-culture, including the illustrations and posters associated with early films, was likely impacted by the Silvograph's innovative techniques.
