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Episode 8: George Albert Smith and the Brighton School

Its a big episode this time, and it took me a long time to write. But here it is! As I said at the end of the episode, a huge thanks to Stephen Herbert and Luke McKernan, who's work has proved to be the single most referenced resource I have used in making the show so far. You can their website here: https://www.victorian-cinema.net

The phantom ride and the origin of the tracking shot

Below you can see all three of the earliest tracking shots we talked about this episode

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George Albert Smith

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Robert Paul

James Williamson: Fire! (1901)
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James Williamson: Fire! (1901)

Fire! is a 1901 British short silent drama film, directed by James Williamson, showing the occupants of a house in Hove being rescued by the local fire service. This five tableaux film, according to Michael Brooke of Screeonline, "was one of the very first films to make use of multiple shots edited together to create a chronological sequence propelling a coherent narrative along. Williamson also creates suspense by showing the audience the extent of the fire in the first shot, which heightens the sense of urgency as the fire crew (who lack this privileged information) leave the station and rush to put it out." It was released along with Stop Thief! (1901), "indicating the direction Williamson would take over the next few years, as he refined this new film grammar to tell stories of unprecedented narrative and emotional sophistication." "Brooke also states that it was, "a major influence on a pioneering American film, Edwin S. Porter's Life of an American Fireman (1903), which borrowed Williamson's narrative model and developed it further by introducing close-ups." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire!_%281901_film%29
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