Because of being the first film company to open in the US, the Edison Manufacturing Co. was often the initiator of several popular film genres during the first years of cinema. (Ironically, as time went on, they actually began to do the opposite and began stealing other filmmakers' ideas rather than creating their own). By having Annabelle Moore and other popular vaudeville dancers come to the studio, they initiated the dance genre, variations of which were copied again and again by such studios as Pathé and Star Film. They also promoted the notorious boxing fad, by having such champions as James J. Corbett, Mike Leonard and others come to the Black Maria to perform a match for the camera; interestingly enough, this genre (mostly made popular by the Edison company themselves) gave rise to the world's first feature film of 1897. They even began the 'blacksmith' film genre in "Blacksmith Scene" of 1893, which was later copied by Lumière in 1895 and by Méliès in 1896.
Believe it or not, they also were responsible for starting the firefighting genre, a genre so popular that it later became elaborated on in some of the first story films by Williamson in England and also by Edison himself. That's right, the fad began with this very film, a 20-second clip of a staged fire rescue. (After all, the chances of a cameraman being able to shoot this close to the action is very unlikely). Quite honestly, it's a little hard to believe this short was made in 1894: don't forget, Dickson's and Heise's output in that same year was very focused on promoting the fads of the day into motion pictures. (Indeed, that alone is how the dance genre started). Here, the film is not a stage routine or display of skill as is typical of the studio's previous work. It is a fictitious film, quite realistically portrayed, with 'fine smoke effects' (as the catalogue states) and a good amount of danger and suspense to top it off. Furthermore, the Edison crew deserves plenty of credit for doing such a good job in the cramped studio they had to work in. The location is meant to take place outdoors, and even with a lack of detail it still doesn't do a bad job.
The film is staged to show some firemen (maybe real, as some people like to think, but just as likely factory workers from Edison's crew dressed up) saving trapped children from a burning building--which remains unseen because of the lack of one in the first place. The smoke effects, as the catalogue says, are quite spectacular but almost appear too thick to be real. In addition, having the other firemen waiting down below demonstrates how short the ladder really is, which can be pointed out if one was to use their head enough. Still, these are all minor details to be noticed and when you add all of the higher points together (like the smoke and suspense), it does come of as pretty well done--and very creditable for a film of that year.
Soon after the year 1896 began for the Edison studios, they abandoned the boring black backgrounds of the Black Maria and went on, as the Lumières did, to shoot documentary scenes outdoors. It was that year that the firefighting films really began to start becoming popular, as the crew was able to capture true footage of firemen in action. These included many 'going to the rescue' films, such as "A Morning Alarm", "The Morning Alarm", and "Going to the Fire", and many fake reenactments of rescue scenes, such as "Firemen Rescuing Men and Women" of 1899. Eventually, James Williamson was able to develop these different types of firefighter scenes into his five-scene narrative film "Fire!", made seven years after the genre was first initiated; but until then, one-shot movies of firemen were enough. Audiences enjoyed the action and suspense, and did not care one bit about a lack of story.
Believe it or not, they also were responsible for starting the firefighting genre, a genre so popular that it later became elaborated on in some of the first story films by Williamson in England and also by Edison himself. That's right, the fad began with this very film, a 20-second clip of a staged fire rescue. (After all, the chances of a cameraman being able to shoot this close to the action is very unlikely). Quite honestly, it's a little hard to believe this short was made in 1894: don't forget, Dickson's and Heise's output in that same year was very focused on promoting the fads of the day into motion pictures. (Indeed, that alone is how the dance genre started). Here, the film is not a stage routine or display of skill as is typical of the studio's previous work. It is a fictitious film, quite realistically portrayed, with 'fine smoke effects' (as the catalogue states) and a good amount of danger and suspense to top it off. Furthermore, the Edison crew deserves plenty of credit for doing such a good job in the cramped studio they had to work in. The location is meant to take place outdoors, and even with a lack of detail it still doesn't do a bad job.
The film is staged to show some firemen (maybe real, as some people like to think, but just as likely factory workers from Edison's crew dressed up) saving trapped children from a burning building--which remains unseen because of the lack of one in the first place. The smoke effects, as the catalogue says, are quite spectacular but almost appear too thick to be real. In addition, having the other firemen waiting down below demonstrates how short the ladder really is, which can be pointed out if one was to use their head enough. Still, these are all minor details to be noticed and when you add all of the higher points together (like the smoke and suspense), it does come of as pretty well done--and very creditable for a film of that year.
Soon after the year 1896 began for the Edison studios, they abandoned the boring black backgrounds of the Black Maria and went on, as the Lumières did, to shoot documentary scenes outdoors. It was that year that the firefighting films really began to start becoming popular, as the crew was able to capture true footage of firemen in action. These included many 'going to the rescue' films, such as "A Morning Alarm", "The Morning Alarm", and "Going to the Fire", and many fake reenactments of rescue scenes, such as "Firemen Rescuing Men and Women" of 1899. Eventually, James Williamson was able to develop these different types of firefighter scenes into his five-scene narrative film "Fire!", made seven years after the genre was first initiated; but until then, one-shot movies of firemen were enough. Audiences enjoyed the action and suspense, and did not care one bit about a lack of story.