Fun Film History Facts

Movies have given us so much entertainment and education, but did you know the long and convoluted road they had to travel to get where they are today? Here are some interesting facts about the torrid history of motion pictures.

The earliest ancestor to what we consider modern film is the photography of Edweard Muybridge, who rigged a special array of cameras to take multiple still pictures of a galloping horse. The images were then developed and put into a rotating drum that, when spun, caused the illusion of motion.

The motion picture camera was invented in the 1880s. Early silent films shocked and amazed audiences, who had never experienced anything like it before. Producers like Georges Melies created incredible narratives with early special effects that still dazzle to this day.

A number of people experimented with adding sound to movies, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that a soundtrack was directly attached to the film itself, opening a whole new world to artists.

The introduction of digital technology in the 1990s has radically changed the way people produce and view film, with new 3D projection methods being the latest example. Who knows what the future will bring?

Five Most Dazzling Musicians In History

To truly be a legendary musician, you need to possess a unique combination of talents. Not only do you need a mind that can reconcile both the complex task of performing music, but one that can also infuse it with emotion. The five musicians in this article combine physical mastery with deep reserves of soul to stand above all others.

Glenn Gould
Widely regarded as one of the most versatile and compelling pianists in history, Gould had a unique ability to infuse his personality into everything he played. There were certainly performers who had more technical skills, but none with as much soul.

Jimi Hendrix
You can’t find an electric guitar player on Earth who wasn’t inspired in some way by Hendrix. The Seattle-born axeman was one of the greatest innovators the instrument has ever seen, and few have even come close since.

Buddy Rich
Despite his legendary sour temper, nobody worked the drums like Buddy Rich. The sticksman elevated every ensemble he played with by furious, perfectly-phrased beats. Rich was able to skirt the line of chaos but always come back to perfect timing.

Lester Young
Jazz clarinetist Lester Young came to prominence playing with Count Basie’s orchestra, and he gave the woodwind a tremendous amount of dynamic range and feeling. “Prez,” as he was called, influenced a generation of musicians after him.

John Fahey
The Maryland-born guitarist John Fahey reinvented the acoustic guitar with his seminal recordings, taking an instrument that was commonly used as backup for singers and giving it a unique and powerful voice of its own.