Task 1:

What is happening in this Film?

A group of men build and fly a rocket to the moon, then are encountered by different obstacles such
as snow and moon men. They then attempt to fly home.
What happened in 1902 with regard to flight exploration that might have influenced this
film?
In 1902 the Wright brothers invented a glider that could fly for a considerable distance. This was a
huge achievement at the time so this film could be influenced by the Wright brothers and their visions
for the future for flight.
Which moves more, the camera or the actors?
The actors move more, in 1902 they didnt have the technology to move cameras around like more
current day technology. So that actors have to set the scene with more movement than the camera.
What is the purpose of this film?
The purpose of the film is too show the public their vision for the future with the new found way of
flying. Also since there was not much knowledge about the moon it was common thinking that it was
like Earth and getting there would be easy with the new found flight.
Which sections show the development of special effects?
The scenes that show the most effects are in-between scenes when they have fades and dissolves,
this shows the development of editing as normally it would just cut to the next scene. There is also
scenes of editing to clips together, for example on the moon when the people became the stars.
How is it telling a story?
It is telling the story mostly through movement and editing, as there was no sound the film relied on
the actors movement and how much you could edit it. For example it shows them building the rocket
in one scene then shows them being sent off in another with someone lighting a cannon. This is
evident throughout the film with over the top acting to get the scene across to the viewer.
What is important about its length?
At the time films were only about 2 minutes or shorter in length (not a lot but some were longer). This
film being about 12 minutes of length was un-heard of, and it was the first feature length film as it was
over 2 minutes long. It is an important part of media history as it was the first of its kind.
How do you think Melies has moved film production on from Muybride and Lumiere
Brothers?
Melies introduced multiple ways of editing, the Lumiere brothers just had one long un-edited clip
without any editing. George introduced new ways for showing the footage with cuts, transitions and
storytelling through movement and editing. Compared to the brothers way of just filming one long unedited clip.
Sam Salameh