BEGINNING OF CINEMA
The beginning of cinema was a quest to find the right technology to shoot continuous
images, and the Lumière brothers hit on a solution in the early part of the 20th century,
and then there was no going back. After this, cinema going became a very popular
pastime, with 65% of people going to the cinema at least once a week in the 30s, and
many movies from the so called ‘golden age’ of Hollywood still hold a special place in
many of our hearts (Think the final scene from Casablanca, or Gone with the Wind).
RISE OF TELEVISION
The next revolution in video technology came with the rise of the television as a
commodity for mass consumption. The subsequent rise in colour television meant that it
was becoming increasingly popular to sit around the box and watch important events and
the latest TV shows, such as the moon landing in 1969, which was watched by 600
million people.
FLAT SCREENS ENTER OUR HOMES
Home entertainment video technology continued to improve in the second part of the 20th
century, and in the 90s, the era of bulky and cumbersome TVs and slapping your box on
the side to fix the aerial was over. Flat screen TVs were born. Increasingly, it was less
common for all of the family to sit around the box and watch TV, as most households
now had multiple sets.
LAPTOPS AND THE IPADS
Another revolution came in the early 00s, with the rise of the laptop and the invention of
the iPad and the iPhone (which was first released in 2007). This changed the way we can
watch, as it enabled us to watch TV and movies on the go, and perhaps also changed the
things we watched.
STREAMING TAKES OVER
Now it is the era of Netflix and streaming. We ‘binge watch’ shows, unlike back in the
day when we waited religiously for episodes of our favourite show, and we ‘Netflix and
Chill’ with our dates rather than going to the cinema. Netflix and other streaming services
are also encroaching on the areas formerly controlled by the traditional media, for
example Netflix has begun to pick up awards at awards ceremonies formerly dominated
by traditional film studies, which has upset the balance in the film and TV industry, and it
will be interesting to see how this develops in the next few years.
When we watch modern day movies and games, it is easy to be impressed by
the feats of current technology. The evolution of it all allows us to be amazed
when we watch movies produced professionally for our entertainment and
education, and it allows us to forever keep some of the memories and
moments we love best on a personal level.
However, the modern feats of video technology began evolving long before
today’s film buffs and home movie mavens picked up a camera. The video we
know today is the result of a lot of trial and error, and specifically multiple
forms of technology.
Much of the cutting edge tech of today is a result of what was first just video.
For instance, video chatting or FaceTiming is the cousin of video. The virtual
reality technology that has changed everything from market research to
gaming is the grandchild of video. And in the future we’ll be able to combine
FaceTiming and augmented reality.
The one thing that was instantaneous with film — and has remained
consistent since its earliest days — is that we love it. In a sense, the novelty
of film has never truly worn off. If you consider the clear, continued success
of blockbuster movies, the likes of YouTube, and the videos we all store on
our smartphones, it’s clear the only thing that’s really changed is how we
record and store video.
The Birth of Film
Because there were so many working towards creating film in the earliest
days, there is no way to pinpoint an exact starting place. Instead, there were
many beginnings in many places. With that being said, though, there were
two brothers whose work and subsequent invention launched the film
industry as we know it.
1890s
Certainly, the earliest known inventions that became the springboard for film
and video were the kinetoscope — forms of which were developed both by
Frenchman Louis Le Prince and Edison — and then Thomas Edison’s
kinetograph. Both relied upon the method of stringing together photographs
so quickly that they created the illusion of movement.
And then came what was decidedly the first in public, collective film
viewing: French brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière found that the moving
images produced by their patented cinematograph were far more appealing
to audiences. In 1895, 200 people in france attended the first successful
projected motion picture screening.
1890s-1920s
The Lumière brothers’ gave birth to the industry we know today. In 1916,
three Americans invent the process that became known as Technicolor.
Technicolor quickly becomes the most popular format for shooting movies.
In 1926, Warner Brothers and Vitagraph Studios worked together to create
the Vitaphone analog sound system. The following year that technology was
used to make the movie the “The Jazz Singer”, which became the first film to
include synchronized dialogue.
1930s-1950s
The work of 21-year-old inventor Philo Farnsworth — who grew up without
electricity no less — pays off, and TVs hit the market for the first time in 1934.
In 1951, color is introduced to TV programming by CBS, and then in 1954
color TVs become available to the public. However, given its novelty and
price, consumers are not instant fans. As the technology gradually became
more efficient to make, it became less costly. But, it’s replacement of black
and white sets took a couple of decades.
Film Becomes Mainstream
In the second half of the 20th century, video took a drastic and awesome
new direction. Where before it was contained within the professional
landscape of movies and television, the technology on the way would make
amatuer movie making concievable for the vast majority of the population.
1960s
In 1965, Sony released its 8mm film and introduced The Super 8 format,
which offered a far more streamlined process than past home movie makers
had. This developement was the first that really allowed amatuer filmmakers
to get their hands dirty. For example, Steven Spielberg shot his earliest work
with The Super 8.
A couple years later, Sony put the DV-2400 Video Rover portapak on the
market. It was the first portable VCR unit. Thus, not only were the major
companies within the industries pushing to get the technology into the hands
of consumers, they also understood that that largely meant the technology
needed to become smaller and lighter.
1970s
The Betamax was released in 1975 in Japan and the U.S., and in 1977 RCA
released the VHS in the U.S. So began the videotape format wars as the
two forms of analog home recording battled it out. Ultimately, though, while
Betamax had better visual and audio quality, consumers consistently favored
VHS. VHS was significantly less expensive, and had longer recording
capabilities, and Betamax was forced to bid adieu.
Since then, the advances made in video overall have largely been accessible
to the layperson. The 1970s marked the point in the history of video wherein
companies saw that they couldn’t just offer the product and expect
consumer interest because of the novelty of it. The product actually had to
be competitive within the market.
Digital Replaces Film
Digital video was born in 1984 via Sony, and in many ways the video industry
has never looked back. Unlike its predecessors, digital video loses none of its
quality when copied, and modern versions make copying and sharing it
almost effortless. Digital was and is all the rage.
1980s
In 1981, JVC and Sony release their first camcorders. And then, in 1983,
Sony strikes again with the BMC100, which was the first hybrid recorder and
camera.
Then in 1984, digital video was invented, although it was not until another
four years later that its inventor, the International Telecommunication Union,
was also able to produce the first widely used digital compression standard:
H.261.
In a mere 10 years, Sony had to recognize that they could not rely upon the
Betamax. In 1985, they released their first 8mm camcorder.
1990s
By 1991, MPEGS had hit the market. MPEGs allowed VHSs and DVDs to be
compressed, and thus it become standard for storing both DVD and digital
files. MPEGs remain one of the best formats for storing video, in the
interest of saving hard drive space.
1995, saw the advent of the mini DV by Sony. This digital recording
platform for the DCR-VX1000 camcorder allowed users to transfer the digital
files to their computers.
DVDs recently passed their 20th birthday, as they were introduced to the
masses in 1997.
2000s
The advances of video in the 2000s have largely been marked by a continual
push towards digital video formats, and the inevitable decline of all others.
Blockbuster Video has closed, and VCRs are no longer made.
Instead, the likes of Blu-ray, streaming services, and mobile video are
continually gaining traction. In fact, money spent on streaming services
outweighs that which is spent on DVDs and even Blu-ray.
There is no doubt that the next century will produce video technology as
revolutionary as the last. Just in the lifespan of our grandparents generation,
video has evolved from a novel technology that only professionals in relevant
fields could harness, to something we all can utilize. Most of us walk around
with cameras and video recorders in our pockets.
The interesting thing about video is that it has proven to have a major
cultural impact. Political candidates can win or lose votes based off of how
they look. Injustice can be recorded for the masses to view and judge. The
horrors of war and natural disasters are shared across borders.
But also, we’re able to enjoy a quality of entertainment that at times seems
close to magic. And even more so, we can easily record and share the
moments in our lives most important to us, which is certain magic.
The Film First Camera
To start off, the Lumiere brothers patented the first film camera in 1895 – the cinematograph. This
camera served multiple purposes as not only a motion picture film camera but also a film projector
and printer.
The First Video Camera
In 1912, the first video camera was created and was a staple in the film industry through 1957. Soon
after, the technicolor film was invented as a series of colored motion picture processes in 1916. As
you can imagine, it caught everyone’s attention and quickly became popular in Hollywood.
The Rise of Television
Next, TVs began to enter the home in the 1950s, which started the broadcast video production in the
household. They started out as small broadcast TVs with little screens, but by the 1960s, many homes
had different varieties of color TVs. This eventually evolved to the flat-screen TVs that are found in
homes today.
Birth of the Camcorder
In 1982, Sony and JVC announced the creation of the camera/recorder or the camcorder. This
camcorder used a VHS to store and playback the video it took. In 1985, Sony introduced the first
chip-based camcorder, and the VHS-C camcorder was introduced by JVC not long after. In 1992, the
first color LCD screen came out, which replaced the traditional viewfinder and eliminated the
squinting factor that was found in early camcorders.
It was not long before easy-to-use, colored, high-resolution video became the new normal.
Digital Transition
The transition from analog to digital began in 1981 when Sony developed the first single-lens
camera. Kodak is where we find the first “true” digital camera that we know today.
The first digital camera that also featured video was released in 1993. After this innovation, the
market was quickly flooded with digital video cameras from various brands such as Sony, JVC, and
Panasonic.
Video Marketing
And finally – the first instance of video marketing was in 1941. Bulova, a New York watch
company, ran the first commercial before a Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies baseball
game. It aired for 10-seconds and only cost $9!
Years later, video marketing began to disrupt everyday TV. In 1981, MTV launched the first music
video. Ironically, it was “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles. In 1984, Apple shattered
advertising records with its commercial for the Macintosh during the Superbowl.
Video marketing has continued to grow over the years. In 2005, YouTube was created, which caused
a massive increase in marketing within two years and an impact that can still be seen today.
Video Today
Through these many changes, video technology has become a vital part of everyday life. The movie
industry is thriving, there are TVs in almost every home, and you will often see people watching
videos on their laptops, tablets, and phones.
Today’s video systems are small, fast, and easy to use so that anyone can pick up a camera or their
phone and film a video. Through the evolution of video, it has become an essential part of many
people’s daily lives.
Video is vital to entertainment and marketing. Here at Transformation Marketing, we pride ourselves
on providing our clients with high-quality videos that fit their needs. Are you interested in hearing
more about video marketing? Give us a call at 402-788-2896!