Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition

How can we understand the history of film?Historical facts don't answer the basic questions of film history. History, as this fascinating book shows, is more than the simple accumulation of film titles, facts and figures. This is a survey of over 100 years of cinema history, from its beginnings in 1895, to its current state in the 21 st century.An accessible, introductory text, Movie History: A Survey looks at not only the major films, filmmakers, and cinema institutions throughout the years, but also extends to the production, distribution, exhibition, technology and reception of films. The textbook is divided chronologically into four sections, using the timeline of technological changes:Section One looks at the era of silent movies from 1895 to 1927; Section Two starts with the coming of sound and covers 1928 until 1950; Section Three runs from 1951 to 1975 and deals with the coming and development of television and home video in the 1970s; and Section Four focuses on the coming of home video and the transition to digital, from 1975 to 2010.Key pedagogical features include:Timelines in each section help students to situate the films within a broader historical contextCase Study Boxes with close-up analysis of specific film histories and a particular emphasis on film receptionLavishly illustrated with over 450 color images to put faces to names, and to connect pictures to film titlesMargin Notes add background information and clarityGlossary for clear understanding of the key terms and theories describedReferences and Further Reading at the end of each chapter to enhance further studyWritten by two highly respected film scholars and experienced teachers, Movie History is the ideal textbook for students studying film history.Douglas Gomery is the author of 'Movie History: A Survey: Second Edition', published 2011 under ISBN 9780415775458 and ISBN 0415775450.