Question 1

Why was the Edison Company's Vitascope system seen as a different kind of screen experience than their older Kinetoscope?
A) The Vitascope projected images on a screen in front of an audience.
B) The Vitascope allowed for a greater range of subject matter.
C) The Vitascope experience was much less expensive.
D) The Vitascope included sound.

Accepted Answer

The Edison Company's Vitascope system was seen as a different kind of screen experience because, unlike the Kinetoscope, which was designed for individual viewing through a peephole viewer, the Vitascope projected images on a screen, allowing multiple people to view the content simultaneously. This transition from individual to collective viewing marked a significant change in the way moving images were experienced.

Question 2

The career of Alice Guy-Blaché demonstrates:
A) How rare it was for women to participate in the early movie business.
B) The central importance of the influence of women filmmakers in the development of the movies.
C) How difficult it was for early audiences to accept movies made by women.
D) The lack of an international market for movies in early cinema.

Accepted Answer

B

Question 3

Which of the following is most accurate about Thomas Edison?
A) He was personally responsible for the most important developments in the invention of moving pictures.
B) He greatly underestimated the potential popularity of movies.
C) He preferred to maintain a low profile and work behind the scenes.
D) He aggressively sought to achieve dominance in the movie business.

Accepted Answer

Thomas Edison aggressively sought to achieve dominance in the movie business, using patents and legal actions to control the industry.

Question 4

Cinematic representations of gender roles are important because:
A) They show how our most important ideas about gender have remained the same over the years.
B) They show how our ideas about gender have changed and developed over the years.
C) They are a true reflection of larger social ideas about gender.
D) Most early movies had few women in them.

Accepted Answer

Cinematic representations of gender roles are important because they reflect and influence societal perceptions and attitudes towards gender, showing how these ideas have evolved over time.

Question 5

The Life of an American Fireman is significant because:
A) It was the first movie to feature firemen.
B) It led to important fire safety reforms.
C) It combined actuality footage with a fictional narrative.
D) It was one of the first movies based on a true story.

Accepted Answer

"The Life of an American Fireman" is significant for its innovative combination of actuality footage with a fictional narrative, showcasing early narrative storytelling techniques in film.

Question 6

The term "actuality" refers to:
A) Short movies about past historical events.
B) Short movies featuring realistic stories
C) Short movies of actual people, places, or events.
D) Short movies without people in them.

Accepted Answer

The term "actuality" refers to short movies of actual people, places, or events, capturing real-life scenes and occurrences without scripted performances.

Question 7

Which of the following was not a primary purpose of the Motion Picture Patents Company?
A) Encouraging new filmmakers to enter the movie business.
B) Controlling the distribution of movies.
C) Enforcing the patents of the member companies.
D) Reducing the volatility and unpredictability of the movie business.

Accepted Answer

The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC), also known as the Edison Trust, was formed to control the movie industry by enforcing patents, controlling distribution, and reducing business volatility, not to encourage new filmmakers. In fact, its monopolistic practices were aimed at limiting competition, which discouraged new entrants.

Question 8

The example of the early chase narrative Personal demonstrates what moviemaking practice that continues to this day?
A) Movies featuring a large cast of characters.
B) Copying and remaking the same popular story over and over.
C) The use of humor in the movies.
D) Movies about the plight of recent immigrants.

Accepted Answer

The early chase narrative "Personal" exemplifies the moviemaking practice of copying and remaking the same popular story over and over, a trend that persists in the film industry today.

Question 9

Which of the following statements best describes the early movie business in America?
A) The production of early movies was a slow and painstaking process.
B) The complexity of early movie technology discouraged many people from getting involved in the new business.
C) The increasing demand for new short films led to an explosion of new movie companies.
D) Audiences were content to watch the same small group of movies over and over.

Accepted Answer

The early movie business in America was characterized by a high demand for new content, which led to the rapid establishment of numerous new movie companies to produce short films. This period saw a significant expansion in the industry due to the public's growing appetite for motion pictures.

Question 10

Why is it difficult to pinpoint when movies were first invented?
A) Many different experiments and kinds of screen experiences contributed to the development of the movies.
B) Most of the early patent claims for movie technology have been lost.
C) Early pioneers like Thomas Edison or the Lumiére brothers were not interested in taking credit for inventing the movies.
D) There was little public interest in the early movies.

Accepted Answer

The development of movies was a gradual process involving numerous experiments and types of screen experiences, making it hard to pinpoint a single moment of invention.

Question 11

Why was vaudeville such an important precursor to the movies?
A) Many early short films featured popular vaudeville performers.
B) Many early movies were included as parts of vaudeville shows.
C) The national circuit of vaudeville theaters provided an infrastructure for distributing early movies.
D) All of the above.

Accepted Answer

Vaudeville was a crucial precursor to movies because it did all of the following: featured popular vaudeville performers in early short films, included early movies as parts of vaudeville shows, and its national circuit of theaters provided an existing infrastructure for distributing early movies.

Question 12

The pioneering photographer and moving picture developer Eadweard Muybridge first experimented with using cameras to capture motion in order to settle what question?
A) How fast can a horse run?
B) Do horses run differently than other large animals?
C) Can a horse walk backwards?
D) Does a horse ever lift all its feet off the ground?

Accepted Answer

Eadweard Muybridge's experiments with capturing motion using a series of cameras were initially aimed at settling the question of whether a horse ever lifts all its feet off the ground while galloping. This was a topic of debate at the time, and his photographic sequence successfully demonstrated that horses do indeed have all four hooves off the ground during part of their stride.

Question 13

The Great Train Robbery is most famous as an example of what important development in the early screen experiences of American movies?
A) The use of movies to inform viewers about current events.
B) The use of movies to tell a sustained narrative.
C) The use of violence in American movies.
D) The use of actors in American movies.

Accepted Answer

The Great Train Robbery (1903) is celebrated for demonstrating the potential of movies to tell a story or a sustained narrative, rather than just capturing snippets of reality or short scenes without a cohesive story. This film is often cited as a significant step in the development of narrative filmmaking.

Question 14

What was a key difference between the Mutoscope and the Kinetoscope?
A) The Mutoscope experience was more expensive than the Kinetoscope.
B) The Mutoscope could only accommodate a single viewer at a time.
C) The Mutoscope became obsolete much more quickly.
D) The Mutoscope used a flip card system rather than moving film.

Accepted Answer

The Mutoscope used a flip card system to display its images, creating the illusion of motion by flipping through a series of individual cards attached in a circular fashion, which differed from the Kinetoscope's use of continuous moving film.

Question 15

Why did Edwin S. Porter find it increasingly difficult to work in the movie business later in his life?
A) He began to lose interest in movies as an art form.
B) Ill health prevented him from making more movies.
C) He became independently wealthy and didn't need to make movies anymore.
D) He found the increasing specialization of the movie industry difficult to accept.

Accepted Answer

Edwin S. Porter found it increasingly difficult to work in the movie business later in his life because he found the increasing specialization of the movie industry difficult to accept. This specialization contrasted with the early days of cinema, where individuals like Porter often took on multiple roles in the production of a film, from directing to editing to camera work. As the industry evolved, these roles became more specialized, which was a shift Porter struggled with.

Quiz 1: Beginnings: Multiple Cinemas, Multiple Audiences, 1895-1907

Why was the Edison Company's Vitascope system seen as a different kind of screen experience than their older Kinetoscope?

The career of Alice Guy-Blaché demonstrates:

Which of the following is most accurate about Thomas Edison?

Cinematic representations of gender roles are important because:

The Life of an American Fireman is significant because:

The term "actuality" refers to:

Which of the following was not a primary purpose of the Motion Picture Patents Company?

The example of the early chase narrative Personal demonstrates what moviemaking practice that continues to this day?

Which of the following statements best describes the early movie business in America?

Why is it difficult to pinpoint when movies were first invented?

Why was vaudeville such an important precursor to the movies?

The pioneering photographer and moving picture developer Eadweard Muybridge first experimented with using cameras to capture motion in order to settle what question?

The Great Train Robbery is most famous as an example of what important development in the early screen experiences of American movies?

What was a key difference between the Mutoscope and the Kinetoscope?

Why did Edwin S. Porter find it increasingly difficult to work in the movie business later in his life?