The Magic of Movies On December 28,

The Magic of Movies

On December 28, 1895, the Lumière brothers first showed short films in a café in Paris. Audiences have been interested in the magic of movies ever since. On that day, the audience screamed. A train came straight toward them! Since then, filmmakers have used different techniques to amaze people. These techniques form the art of special effects. They create the magic of movies.

One of the first special effects was The Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895). Inventor and moviemaker Thomas Edison substituted a dummy for the actress. In the movie, Mary knelt down and put her head on the block. An executioner raised a large axe. When the axe came down, Mary’s head rolled off the chopping block. But it was the dummy’s head! When the audiences saw the scene, they were horrified. Since then, filmmakers have used tricks like this. They make people see things that didn’t happen in real life.

Moviemakers still sometimes use old techniques. For example, they use small models for large objects. One of the most famous special effects in movie history was in King Kong, made in 1933. The large gorilla on top of the Empire State Building was really only 18 inches (45 centimeters) high. The movie contained many new technical innovations.

Another classic was The Ten Commandments (1923). It was an early Cecil B. DeMille film. It used simple special effects techniques. The parting of the Red Sea was created by filming water that poured down the sides of a U-shaped tank. Then they ran the film backwards. This made the water appear to divide. The movie was remade in 1956. This remake had the same scene. It was one of the most exciting visual effects in film history. It was also the most expensive to date.

Computers today have totally changed special effects The Star Wars and Lord of the Rings series are major examples. They have become references in the art of visual effects. Imaginary characters, such as Spiderman, have also been made to look realistic in the movies. It is possible because of computer-generated images.

The art of filmmaking never stops. What magical effects will moviemakers use in the future? You’ll see them at the movies!