The Natural History of Film Form

The Natural History of Film Form argues that, more than simply ingredients in film stock, gelatin, silver and celluloid helped shape early film aesthetics. Drawing on fan and industry periodicals, as well as the testimony of pioneering filmmakers and film manufacturers, the book reveals that the “politico-material” properties of these geo- and bio-physical materials influenced a range of aesthetic regimes – from the turn-of-the century “trick” film, to developments in popular science cinema, to early studio-era fantasies of the “silver screen.” In the process, the book offers a fresh perspective on the interplay between “nature” and “culture” in film history.