An illusionist and stage magician, and a
wizard at special effects, Melies exploited the new medium with a
pioneering, 14-minute science fiction work, Le Voyage Dans la Lune - A
Trip to the Moon (1902). It was his most popular and best-known
work, with about 30 scenes called tableaux. He incorporated
surrealistic special effects, including the memorable image of a
rocketship landing and gouging out the eye of the 'man in the moon.'
Melies also introduced the idea of narrative storylines, plots,
character development, illusion, and fantasy into film, including trick
photography (early special effects), hand-tinting, dissolves, wipes,
'magical' super-impositions and double exposures, the use of mirrors,
trick sets, stop motion, slow-motion and fade-outs/fade-ins. Although
his use of the camera was innovative, the camera remained stationary and
recorded the staged production from one position only.
Watch old movie from the beginning of cinema to 2000
