History of Film

The 16 Key Milestones in Film History

• 1895: The first moving images are projected to an audience by the Lumière brothers (The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station).
• 1895–1927: The silent cinema era, establishing core techniques in cinematography, editing, lighting, and mise-en-scène (with pioneers like Buster Keaton).
• 1920s–1930: The emergence and consolidation of the Hollywood studio system.
• 1926–1927: Release of The Jazz Singer (directed by Alan Crosland), the first feature film with a synchronized soundtrack.
• 1935: Release of Becky Sharp (directed by Rouben Mamoulian), the first feature-length three-strip Technicolor film.
• 1948: The Paramount Decree (court case) ends studio vertical integration (where studios owned production, distribution, and exhibition).
• 1950s: The rise of widescreen formats (Cinemascope/Cinerama) and 3D cinema to combat declining attendance caused by television.
• Late 1950s: The invention of lightweight, portable handheld cameras, heavily impacting documentary filmmaking and the French New Wave (Breathless).
• 1975: Garrett Brown invents the Steadicam, allowing smooth, fluid camera movement.
• 1990s: Widespread adoption of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), shifting practical special effects to digital visual effects (pioneered by Industrial Light & Magic).
• 1995: Release of Toy Story (directed by John Lasseter / Pixar), the first feature-length computer-animated film.
• 2000s: Rise of citizen filmmaking using affordable lightweight cameras and mobile phones.
• 2007: Netflix launches as a legal streaming service for film and TV.
• 2010s: Emergence of feature-length films shot entirely on iPhones (such as Tangerine in 2015 and Unsane in 2018).
• 2017: Digital and physical streaming/download sales overtake DVD sales for the first time.
• 2018: Avengers: Infinity War becomes the first mainstream Hollywood film shot entirely using IMAX cameras