After he laid the groundwork for what became modern movie grammar from 1898-1904, exploring the uses of close-ups, long shots, and cutting, George A. Smith continued his experiments by producing and directing the first successful -- sort of -- color movie process.. He called it Kinemacolour, and from about 1908 through 1914 he produced and directed and ran the first worldwide organization making color films. Previously, color films had been produced by hand-coloring the prints, a laborious process. Then stencil methods were developed, like those for Currier & Ives prints. It was still a time-consuming and expensive process. With Kinemacolour you didn't need rooms full of young women with paint brushes. It was, given the later methods deveoped. not a particularly successful method, but it certainly was an interesting experiment andmade apparent the market for color films.
Here's Smith's first released Kinemacolour movie. Although the print I looked at doesn't seem to be of the highest quality, the process actually worked.
Here's Smith's first released Kinemacolour movie. Although the print I looked at doesn't seem to be of the highest quality, the process actually worked.