#10 - Wild Card

Evolution of Video: How We Have Video as We Know It  

"What should I do for my Wild Card paper?" When I asked my parents this question, I was not expecting the reaction I received. Once I explained the topic had to relate to video, my dad's eyes lit up, and he started explaining how much video had changed since he was a kid. He started shaking his phone around, saying, "kids today just don't understand how amazing this is." My parents began telling me stories about how you had to rewind tapes before returning them to the store and how when my dad filmed things in high school, it required a giant video camera and a lengthy editing process. My mom mentioned how revolutionary streaming services are for us today. This conversation made me realize how much video has genuinely changed. Today would seem like science fiction to a person one hundred years ago. It made me wonder, "what were the significant developments in video over the years?" Throughout this paper, I will be using the term "video" to refer to all visual mediums. 

1888 - First Video.

To fully understand video development, we must go back to the beginning. I wasn't expecting to find out that the first video was taken in 1888, just over one hundred thirty years ago. The video is titled Roundhay Garden Scene. The film depicts several individuals walking around a courtyard and lasts 2 seconds. The video was taken at the Whitely Family house in Oakwood Grange Road in Roundhay, Great Britain. Louis Le Prince was the inventor and director of the video, and the actors included family members Adolphine Le Prince (son), Mrs. Sarah Whitley (mother-in-law), Joseph Whitley (father-in-law), and Mrs. Harriet Hartley (family friend). The video is a significant piece of video history, and it is fascinating to watch. 

1894 - 1895 - First Video with Sound.

In late 1894, or early 1895, The Dickson Experimental Sound Film was the first known film to incorporate sound. Inventor William K.L Dickson partnered with Thomas Edison at Black Maria, Edison's movie production studio in New Jersey, to create the video. The sound was recorded on a wax role called a phonograph cylinder, invented by Edison.

  

Although the audio doesn't sound fantastic, it was a significant step forward in creating video as we know it. 

1902 - First Video Filmed in Color.

When I think of the most revolutionary movie to introduce color, I usually think of the Wizard of Oz. The film introduced color in a dramatic way; however, it was not the first video to incorporate color. Around a decade ago, it was discovered that the first video filmed in color was taken in 1902 by Edward Raymond Turner. The film was found by the National Media Museum in the United Kingdom. The film depicts marching soldiers, birds, and Turner's children. Before being discovered by Michael Harvey, Curator of Cinematography at the National Media Museum, the video gathered dust for almost a century.

 

1927 - The First "Talkie."

For years, moviegoers enjoyed watching films without hearing the actor's voices. Although Dickson and Edison filmed the first video in sound around 1894, it took years to incorporate sound into cinema. In 1927, the first "talkie" was released. The film was titled The Jazz Singer and was an American musical. The film is controversial today due to its use of blackface, which was typical for films during the time; however, it is credited as the first full-length film to incorporate sound.

1928 - First Full-Length TV Broadcast.

On September 11, 1928, the first full-length television broadcast was aired. The broadcast was a one-act drama titled The Queen's Messenger by J. Harley Manners. The broadcast was circulated by the WGY radio station in Schenectady, New york. The film was intended for screens no larger than a postage stamp and is obviously grainy. Of course, movies had become popular during the 1910s, but being able to broadcast a show through television, only one year after the first "talkie" is utterly astounding. 

1951 - First TV Broadcast in Color.

On June 25, 1951,  CBS aired the first color television broadcast. According to Eyes of A Generation, the program was "broadcast over a five-station network from New York's Studio 57." The program was a musical variety special titled Premiere. Unfortunately, the broadcast was restricted because the program was not visible on black-and-white television sets. On June 27, CBS began regular color broadcasts with their daytime series The World is Yours and Modern Homemakers.

1970 -First Video Call. 

Today, millions of people use video chat every day. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we started using Zoom for education and communication; however, did you know that the first video chat took place in 1970? During this revolutionary event, the device was called a videophone but is now called the Picturephone Mod II. The date was July 1, 1970, and Pittsburgh mayor Peter Flaherty and John Harper, CEO of Alcoa, made the phone call. 

1981 - First Televised Music Video.

The title is both fitting and ironic for the first televised music video. "Video Killed the Radio Star." by the Buggles premiered on MTV as its very first episode, on August 1, 1981. Today, many people will play music videos on their television while listening to music. Radio is not used often today; still, people will listen to the radio in the supermarket or in the car, and even then, they will BlueTooth music from their phone. 

1999- First Camera Phone. 

The first cell phone with a camera built-in was invented in Japan in 1999. The Kyocera VP-210 was the first camera phone sold to the general public. Today, the phone is considered a museum piece, but it is still nothing short of revolutionary. Through the Kyocera VP-210, inventors were able to produce the cell phones we use to capture video today. 

2005 - First YouTube Video.

Jawed Karim, the co-founder of YouTube, posted the first YouTube video. The video, titled "Me at the Zoo," is still the only video on Karim's channel. Karim and his partner sold Youtube to google for around $1.65 billion a year after he uploaded the video. Today, there are over 800 million videos on YouTube, and many people have created careers out of it. YouTube not only revolutionized video uploads but also streaming. It is incredible how YouTube went from someone discussing the zoo to a place where people are told to "like, comment, and subscribe." 

2007-Present - Streaming.

Although YouTube revolutionized streaming, another platform gets credit when it comes to TV and movies. Netflix was originally a DVD renting company before beginning the streaming game in 2007. Netflix has introduced many popular shows over the years, including "Orange Is the New Black," "Stranger Things," and "House of Cards." Because of the competitiveness that streaming platforms created, television networks switched to streaming. Today, streaming has wholly taken over the entertainment industry. Many people are entirely switching to streaming services; last week, my family canceled Dish Network and started using YouTube TV. 

If I were to approach anyone on the Southern Arkansas University campus and ask, "have you seen a video today," I would be surprised if someone said "no." Today, video is unavoidable. It completely engulfs our lives. It has become a way to communicate, entertain, and socialize with people. Also, video has been used to save many lives by educating others and using it in the medical field. While researching the developments we have accomplished in video over the last one hundred thirty years, I was utterly astounded by the intelligence and timing of these inventions. As I grow older, I cannot wait to witness the same advancements that my parents have experienced in their lifetimes.