MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION Early Pictures.—The first story pictures, running only a few hundred feet, presented little more than simple incidents or rec ords of events. Little or no attempt was made to capture true dramatic values. In 1907 David Wark Griffith, a young American director, evolved a screen technique of far-reaching significance. He brought into first practical use such methods of pictorial and dramatic emphasis as the "close-up," the "cut-back" (the inter weaving of story incidents), the "fade-out," and the "dissolve," making possible the telling of more complex stories. Story pic tures of this period were not more than one thousand feet in length, the capacity of a single reel. Ben Hur was made in 1907 in 16 scenes. Multireel pictures began to appear in 1909 but the sentiment of exhibitors was against them and they were released one reel at a time. Their release in full length a year later made screen history.
During early years, players appeared anonymously, but as cer tain of them acquired popularity, their names were publicized to attract patronage to their pictures, and they became the first mo tion picture "stars." Stage artists, in the majority, regarded pictures disdainfully but a few had been persuaded to act before the camera. It was the idea of Adolph Zukor, a pioneer producer, to bring famous actors to the screen in famous plays. The success attendant upon his exhibition of Sarah Bernhardt in Queen Eliza beth in 1912 indicated the merit of his plan. In its further execu tion Zukor's influence was felt throughout the entire industry.
Producers who had continued to make short-length pictures now engaged in multireel enterprises. The period from 1912 to 1915 was one of transition in which Zukor led the way to the elaborate, multireel feature picture as the standard of production. In 1913, the unusual success of Quo Vadis in eight reels increased the im petus of the Zukor idea. This picture also initiated the "road show" style of presentation, legitimate theatres being leased for its exhibition instead of the small picture houses or "nickelodeons" which then prevailed.
Griffith brought to the screen in 1913 a new conception of artistic screen entertainment with Judith of Bethulia. He was among the first to see the value of pictorial beauty in motion pic tures. In the same year, Jesse L. Lasky, in conjunction with Cecil B. de Mille, established a studio in California and produced the extensive feature, The Squaw Man. The most stupendous under taking in films during this period occurred the following year when Griffith produced The Birth of a Nation in 12 reels. Dealing with a racial subject, its effect upon public sentiment throughout the United States showed almost for the first time the far reach ing influence of motion pictures. At this stage of cinema history, Mack Sennett, producing comedies in California, upset screen tradition with a feature length comedy, Tillie's Punctured Ro mance. Intolerance, produced by Griffith in 1916, was another milestone in production progress.
From 1916 production steadily increased in volume and quality. Many new companies entered the field and large studios were con structed to accommodate the growing industry. Up to 1927, when sound recording and reproducing apparatus brought dialogue to the screen, motion pictures were silent. Captions explained the story; speech was represented by printed words. Outstanding pic tures of the later silent period were The Covered Wagon, The Miracle Man, The Big Parade, and Seventh Heaven. All had their effect in increasing the quality of stories and production.