Film and Television

From patrons running from a movie theater after seeing a train come straight at them on the big screen to the halcyon days of the movie musicals to 3-D movies and computer generated graphics, film has enjoyed a storied history in American culture.  That history spans over one hundred years in which the silver screen has delighted, horrified, and rallied people to various causes.  Film has held a place within the hearts and minds of not only Americans, but the global community in terms of both world cinema and global cinema.

Television gave us our own personal, small silver screens, first in black and white, then in color, and then in high definition and 3D.  Televisions have changed from clunky heavy boxes with rabbit ears into sleek, smart machines that connect to the Internet.  The news, family programming, and even commercials have changed along with advances in television technology.  Televisions also allowed us to hook up our own personal movie players, like VCRs, DVDs, and Blueray, and connect to programming through services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.  The last few decades, in particular, have seen amazing advances in television technology.

Whether television or film, a great deal goes into producing the final products presented on any screen.  Importantly,there are several people that aid in that production.  They include everyone from the writers and actors to people behind the camera to the lighting crews to the boom operators to the editors to the directors and more.  An entire crew, and the technology that crew uses, work together in order to create both the mundane and the masterpieces that we know and love. 

This guide explores the many fascinating facets that make up film and television.  It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a place to start your exploration into this exciting world.