The First Ever Video
Posted by Ian Stewart on
With all things taken into account, film really has not been around for that long. It has not even been around for 150 years. Its remarkable rise to prominence has meant that all of its relatable breakthroughs have been thoroughly documented. The key around those breakthroughs is the very first video recording and the questions that neighbour it.
Let's delve into the fantasy and gain some knowledge about the oldest film to exist today.
How was it made?
To be able to understand fully, you must first have some understanding of how it was made. First created in the late 1800s, the camera was inception by a french inventor, Louis Le Prince. He made his claim to fame with the earliest technology, the single-lens camera. Furthermore, the video breakthrough was recorded via Le Princes single-lens camera and Eastman Kodak's paper-based photographic film.
What was it?
The oldest surviving film in existence is known to be the Roundhay garden scene. The silent, short film is only around 2 seconds in length and was filmed in a suburb of Leeds in 1888. The scene shows Le Prince, his mother and father in law, and a family friend walking/dancing in a circle.
The history
The Roundhay scene shows Louis and his family's excitement and cheerfulness from recognising what the new camera technology was capable of—not only being a capture of a still image but a moving picture! Unfortunately, the film's aftermath was not so pleasant as only ten days after Louis's mother-in-law died. His son was shot dead two years later after testifying against a competitor, and Louis Le Prince himself mysteriously disappeared.
A century of developments
Since 1888 film and camera technology has grown remarkably, from black and white silent short clips to 3+ hours of ultra high definition blockbusters! The incredible new technology has advanced the film industry, exceptionally!
A perfect way to preserve your old film moments is to convert them from analogue to digital! This way, you will hold on to your perfect memories knowing that they are safe indefinitely.
If you have any videos you'd like converting, get in touch with us today.