The theme of our blog is technology in entertainment. The first five weeks the post will be on the past, then we will move on the present, then the future. Everyone in our group had the ability to post what they want without the permission of the other group members. Each member of the group is required to post at least four elements on the blog in each time period. If a member fails to do their required posts, they will be individually penalized. This is supposed to be informative and fun!
One of the earliest forms of entertainment when it comes to music and partying would have to be the Jukebox. In 1889 the first modern Jukebox was introduced in Palais Royale Salon in San Francisco. It was an Edison Class M Electric Phonograph and accepted nickles to listen to your favorite hits. It was also refereed to as the nickle-in-the-slot machine and in it's first six months of operation it earned over $1000!!!
Below I have posted a Youtube video of the first Phillips Video Cassett Recorder ever. The video includes different specs about the VCR and it's truely amazing to see how our technology has improved since then. I apologize for the audio, the guy in the video is a little hard to hear.
Americans started playing the game of baseball first in the early 1800's. In the year 1845 the first modern baseball field was created by a man named Alexander Joy Cartwright. Him along with the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club created the first rules and regulations for the modern game of baseball. The first game recorded was in 1846 when the Knickerbocker's lost to the the New York Baseball Club. Below is a link for you to click on and view a picture of the Knickerbocker team.
The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible. This game kept people busy for hours. What happened to this game it is slowly disappearing into the past. You see fewer and fewer pinball machines around today.
This is a cool website I found that has a listing of a lot of old models of computers. They have a description for each that includes everything you would ever want to know about old computer models. The website also includes descriptions for old video game systems and old pong games. Its pretty cool, check it out.
Old video about the original Laser disc. It is a store demo video talking about how much better the laser disc is compared to VHS. They even got Ray Charles to talk about it.
There were very basic moving picture devices in existence decades before the creation of Edison's and the Lumière brothers' creations. The zoetrope, while completely rudimentary, is the earliest example of an optical illusion that would give way to motion pictures. This device relied on the optical illusion "persistence of motion" that seemingly creates a moving picture when a series of photographs taken in succession are spun at a quick speed. Click HERE to learn more about the Zoetrope.
While Edison was the first in the States to pioneer in motion picture technology, the Lumière brothers, Louis and Auguste, had been at work in France with their own motion picture device: the Cinématographe.This device, which both recorded and projected back the moving images, was confined to one easily portable box.The portability and flexibility gave it major advantages over Edison’s Kinetoscope, which was a stationary cabinet-like playback device, incapable of recording moving pictures to celluloid film.
Click HERE to see more information on the Cinematographe, and HERE for additional information on the Kinetoscope.
Video games have been around for years, dating all the way back 1972 when the first ever console was released, The Magnavox Odyssey. Although it is nothing compared to the consoles available to us today, it was a great form of entertainment for all ages and everyone couldn't wait to get their hands on it. The Magnavox Odyssey started the video gaming world that our society has become so addicted too and many consoles have been released since then. Some consoles that have been released after the Odyssey include, The Atari, Mattel Intellivision, Vectrex, Nintendo, and many more. Below, I've posted a video that I found on Youtube of different commercials advertising for video game consoles of the past. Many of them are humorous and you may actually remember some of these videos from back when you were a youngster. Enjoy.
With the upcoming switch in NBC's late night line-up, this is a pertinent time to discuss what has gone on in past late night programming.
Late night television started out in the 1950's with variety shows such as a show hosted by Steve Allen called--you guessed it--"The Variety Show." Others would include the Ed sullivan show, these shows hosted popular celebs of their day, but weren't on as late as todays late night talk shows.
Steve Allen Host the first late night talk show called, "Tonight". This is the show that evolved into "The Tonight Show" Which Johnny Carson hosted for thirty years making the show a staple of network programming.
Jay Leno was a frequent guest host on Carson's show, meanwhile, David Letterman hosted the program following Carson, "Late Nite" with David Letterman--now hosted by Conan O'Brian who will, very soon, pass it off to Jimmy Fallon.
Carson Wanted Letterman to replace him & Letterman expected this to happen; however NBC announced that Leno was to fill in the "Tonight Show" void, causing a well known fued between Leno & Letterman.
In the early 20th century live musical performances for entertainment purposes didn't usually exceed an audience size that required manufactured amplification. Usually "big bands" from the 20s produced enough sound & volume to fill the room & of course orchestras could fill large halls, but the guitar just didn't have the "umph".
It's interesting to see the struggles players went through to make an effective sound. Perhaps t he reason the electric guitar has a rebellious reputation is because ever since its inception it has been undergoing many changes & suffering the influences of innovation to improve it—improvement equals change & change translates to a rebellious attitude.
Monday, February 16, 2009
This kinda goes with the the video on drive in movies I posted below. This link is a website on the history of drive in movies through the years. Its an interesting website. I really think they need to start bringing back drive in movies. I think it would be just a great experience! What do you think?
Here is the first footage that Edison ever recorded onto celluloid film. While it is extremely short and simplistic for modern days, this was revolutionary for the time period.
The fictional band Spinal Tap, the subject of a 1980's movie features the trials and tribulations of a band and is quite the knee slapper even if you do not enjoy this genre of music. And anytime they're mentioned one shold immedialtly begin thinkin in a satirical manner otherwise, the subject matter just won't make much sense. You can find more information and a video here: http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/61983169
Film as we know it in America was started by Thomas Edison and company over in New Jersey. While they were not the first to experiment with motion picture, they were among the first to do so in America. At first, Edison did not really know what to do with motion pictures. For instance, the first major achievement in motion pictures was capturing the motion of a man sneezing. It was not for another couple years until they began realizing that stories could be told and recreated through the technology of motion picture. I am linking a great site about Edison and his team and more information on their film making, and some of my upcoming blog posts will have embedded video clips of some of the early motion pictures.
Click HERE for the website on Thomas Edison's motion pictures...
