Cineanalyst
Edison film historian Charles Musser says this film, "Panorama of Eiffel Tower", features the first camera tilt among the company's surviving oeuvre, and since he has apparently seen all of them through 1900 for his Annotated Filmography, I'll take his word on it. In reading other histories and watching a fair share of early cinema myself, it's the earliest I've seen or heard of. Camera pans, however, had been around for about a year. Again, according to Musser, the Biograph panning head turned more smoothly and quickly than did White's version. Biograph filmmakers, like G.W. "Billy" Bitzer, had already used it in non-fiction and fiction films as early as 1899. Panorama shots, which may be accomplished without a mobile camera--by placing the camera and tripod in a boat or on a train, for example--had been around since Lumière cameraman Alexandre Promio placed his camera in a gondola for "Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un bateau" (1896). This lead to the phantom ride films, where the camera attached to the train locomotive provided spectators with a shot from the train's point of view. In 1904, "Photographing a Female Crook" featured a dolly-in close-up. These were simple steps, but are of historical importance for introducing camera movement. Yet, oddly, these vital innovations are often ignored in film histories.On 19 June 1900, James White and a cameraman, who Musser suggests might have been Alfred C. Abadie, left New York aboard the "Kaiserin Maria Theresia" for the Paris Exposition. By the few accounts of him available, James White was an enthusiastic filmmaker, who predominately specialized in non-fiction, actuality films, such as this one. He also travelled extensively for the Edison Company to provide interesting subjects. In 1897, with a different cameraman, he produced phantom rides across America before going to Asia. During these 1897 travels, he filmed "Return of Lifeboat", which I have also commented on for its varying camera perspectives. Another aspect that is often ignored in film histories is how the early actuality films helped further developments in film technique and grammar. Moreover, this fellow, James White--although you may not have heard of him until now--was an important pioneer. He changed the role of editing and, more so, the role of the camera.On their way to Paris, they experienced some rough seas and took out the camera to film it. In Paris, they filmed circular panoramas with their panning camera, which are somewhat disorienting for how jerky and quick they are. They placed the tripod on a moving boardwalk--something the Lumière cameramen did as well--but White and his cameraman also panned the camera, while the camera was being moved, to focus on onlookers of the photographing. White also took his camera on the Seine for a rather long panorama film for the time, at 375 feet in length (which is too long for such a subject to today's eyes). In another highly original film, "Panorama of Place de L' Opera", their camera at first follows a carriage and then follows a bus as soon as the carriage speeds away and then abandons the bus for a stationary shot of traffic. In another Paris Exposition film, they take the camera on the elevator ascending the Eiffel Tower.Overall, White produced at least 20 short actuality films while in Paris. This one, "Panorama of Eiffel Tower", appears to be the only one that features the tilting of the camera, though. The great part about it is that it seems entirely appropriate. Standing near the Eiffel Tower, that is what one does; they tilt their head up. It seems too appropriate that this is possibly the first film to feature the technique.The film begins with the camera view at eye level. In the first brief shot, the people filmed don't yet notice the cameramen. In the second shot, which is a jump cut, some are beginning to stare back at the camera. The camera, rather than staring back, tilts upward until its framing reaches the top of the tower. It then tilts back down to eye level. Now there are more gawkers--several men begin crowding in front of the camera—some act up and attempt to be humorous. The interaction between subjects and camera in this film is particularly interesting when compared to earlier incarnations. In the earliest Lumière films, it seemed to me most would only stare or glance at the camera. By 1900 in cosmopolitan Paris, however, these subjects are already well acquainted with the young invention; they know they'll be reflected at the cinemas.(Note: This is the last in a series of my comments on 10 "firsts" in film history. The other films covered are Traffic Crossing Leeds Bridge (1888), Blacksmith Scene (1893), Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895), The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (1895), La Sortie des usines Lumière (1895), L' Arroseur arose (1895), L' Arrivée d'un train à La Ciotat (1896), Panorama du Grand Canal vu d'un bateau (1896) and Return of Lifeboat (1897).)
Polaris_DiB
These early films are more interesting to historians of cinema and daily life than they are for any form of entertainment, even for the avid cinephile. As experiments they're successful and they've obviously been preserved for history sake pretty well, but it's hard to see very many people getting that enthusiastic about it.I actually think this is a noteworthy scene from the Paris Exhibition Films, however. First, the people reacting to the presence of the camera with grins and curiosity make a much more human element to it, and also this would be an early moment of people from different cultures (French and American) actually put together without travel... from the American side, mostly.I also think this film is noteworthy in the novel treatment of the Eiffel Tower. Instead of starting at the top and panning down, or starting at the bottom and panning up, or any of those typical approaches to that site which has become our generally understood way of "seeing" that place through cinema, it actually revolves a bit around the area, only glancing at the base a few times before finally leading upwards. It shows the Eiffel Tower more how it looks from the regular person's eye than from a cinema perspective, which is actually quite refreshing.--PolarisDiB
