Watching movies has many benefits, but how and when did movies begin? What is the history of movies and cinematography?
Cinematography has been around since the late 1800s, with many people receiving credit for different advancements that ultimately led to the big-screen motion pictures we enjoy today.
In 1888, French-born inventor Louis Le Prince shot several short films in Leeds, England. The following year he started to use a new invention, celluloid film, and, in 1890, he planned to show his work in New York City. However, while traveling to France, he disappeared, and his work remained unknown for decades.
Thomas Edison’s assistant, William Dickson, created the first motion-picture camera called a Kinetograph. The Kinetoscope, a device that could project moving images onto a screen, came in 1892. Edison started public film screenings in newly opened Kinetograph Parlors in 1894.
Louis and Auguste Lumière invented the Cinématographe, a camera, and projector, in 1895. Their projector could show 16 frames per second, showing audiences simple movement and action images. Their cameramen traveled worldwide, and a new industry took shape.
Silent films, with storylines and music, flourished between 1890 and 1927. The Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s and 1940s brought feature-length movies in color with synchronized sound. Ornate cinemas became a popular entertainment spot.
Today, we have 3D, Imax, and never-ending advancements in digital technology, special effects, and sound, with augmented reality and artificial intelligence (AI) around the corner.
7 Benefits of Watching Movies
Now that you know a little about the history of cinematography, let’s talk about some of the many ways watching movies can benefit our lives and health.
1.Cinematherapy
Encompassing cinema and video therapy, cinematherapy exposes you to a character undergoing a similar emotional experience as you. Cinematherapy can help you see a different perspective on your situation, providing new coping techniques.
2.Reduce stress
Movies help us reduce stress in many ways, serving as a way to escape reality for a little while. That is especially important in times of stress, as removing yourself from a stressful situation can help reduce cortisol levels. Elevated cortisol inhibits the body’s production of other essential hormones, including human growth hormone (HGH).
According to hghtherapydoc.com, hormonal changes like HGH deficiency and high cortisol significantly impact our stress levels and anxiety, leading to a lack of activity and even depression. If you feel worried and stressed, try to relax and use the power of movies. Comedies reduce blood pressure and stress hormone (cortisol) levels. Laughter can be the best medicine. But be careful with serious diagnoses and consult a doctor for the proper treatment when stress overwhelms your life.
3.It can bring together families, friends, and couples
Nothing is better than getting together with others to enjoy a good movie. Sharing interests can also help boost friendships and rekindle relationships. There is a sense of connection when sharing an experience with someone else.
4.Boost our immune system
Watching movies helps your immune system in a few ways. First, comedies, as we mentioned, help reduce stress. Laughter has been shown to increase oxygen intake, stimulating your heart, lungs, and muscles. It also increases endorphin release. As stress declines, so does the increased risk of illness associated with high stress. While not advised for people who get stressed at them or those with heart problems, watching horror movies can help increase white blood cell counts.
5.Make us more creative and curious
Watching movies stimulates our brains, helping us broaden our thoughts. A movie can initiate creativity, curiosity, and motivation, spurring us into exciting new actions. Movies can also serve as a distraction to allow the mind to relax and regenerate before tackling a project.
6.Broadens our mind
Movies can inform us about subjects we did not know, provide thought-provoking contemplation, and help us understand other points of view. Watching movies can educate, enlighten, and entertain us, inspiring social and cultural reflection.
7.Discover and appreciate art
Filmmaking entails the expertise of many professionals, helping us appreciate many art forms. Animators, special effects artists, painters, set designers, builders, and many others create visual masterpieces to expand our horizons. Movies shot worldwide can help us appreciate the art of other nations.
Variety of Movies Genres
Movie genres are categories of film that meet a set of stylistic criteria. Drama, comedy, action, and romance are often the first genres that come to mind. There are many others, and the benefits of these various categories are that you can find something to watch, whatever mood you are in.
Here are the most common movie genres, along with some of their styles:
- Drama: historical, romantic, medical, docudrama, satirical, psychological, melodrama, light
- Comedy: parody, slapstick, screwball, romantic, action, road trip
- Action: spy, war, martial arts, racing, action hybrid
- Romance: fantasy, comedy, contemporary, historical, suspense
- Fantasy: science, dark, magical realism, science fiction, high, urban, fables
- Thriller: crime, supernatural, spy, legal, conspiracy
- Horror: witchcraft, zombie, monster, paranormal, vampire, alien
- Western: spaghetti, comedy, singing cowboy, documentary, acid westerns
- Mystery: detective, crime, cozy, thriller, noir fiction,
- Science Fiction: fantasy, action, space opera, dystopia
- Sports: biography, history, fiction, comedy, action
There are many more movie genres than those listed here, with new ones always on the horizon. When it comes to watching movies, there truly is something for everyone and every mood.
The Importance of Cinematography
Cinematography serves many purposes in our lives. It entertains, educates, enlightens, and expands our horizons. Watching movies can make us better people, providing us with tools to improve how we think, act, and view others.
There are so many things occupying our minds and time that now and again, it is good to disconnect and get lost in a movie. The relaxation from watching a movie can help us think more clearly afterward. Cinematography immerses us for a short time in another place and time.
Conclusion
Watching movies benefits our bodies and minds, helping us relax, reduce stress, improve mental health, become more creative, strengthen our immune systems, and foster relationships.
However, movies are not a cure when underlying issues affect your life. Seek help, when needed, for your physical or mental health.