One of the first impressions of cinema that comes to mind will be that of its intimate relationship with the

notion of entertainment that it provides to the society. Enhancement effects that have been developed over the years have attracted a large following of movie-goers. Going to the cinema has become a worldwide phenomenon and is seen as part of the global popular culture in society today.
Cinema in the present day has gone through many developmental stages over the past decades. According to Winstons ideas on cultural and technological determinism and Merritts discussions of early cinema and identity, this transition is related to changes occurring in the society and its culture, and also technological advancements.

In early 1900s, vaudeville entrepreneurs opened theaters to show motion pictures to audiences for five-cent admission charges. This early cinema, known as the nickelodeon, featured a series of short films which attracted approximately 20% of the national population every week. Majority of them were blue-collared workers as it offered them a cheap form of entertainment (Merritt, 1976). However, the small nickelodeon theaters were slowly replaced in favor of bigger and more luxurious theaters that provided better comfort, such as the opulent picture palaces of the 1920s. Furthermore, these theaters screened longer films with engaging plots that the new target audiences, the upper class, could relate to.
This transition in the era of different cinemas can be explained using Winstons two ideas, cultural and technological determinism. To a cultural determinist, it is the culture of the society in the early 1910s that led to the demise of the nickelodeons. The poor supported the five-cent theaters but upper class citizens believed that these theaters lacked class. According to Butsch (2000), its identity as an immigrant refuge made it inappropriate for upper class people. This difference created monetary opportunities for the creation of big-time vaudeville which, unlike the early cinema, catered to the rich and affluent. Furthermore, these cinemas featured reserved seating and longer films; the place was much cleaner, and the interior design was plush, comfortable and elegant. The movies also mimicked stage musicals that these upper class citizens were used to. These were luxuries which nickelodeons could not provide. The transition of the cinema demonstrates that the development carries the imprint of the social circumstances that formed it. Socioeconomic factors were dominantly responsible for the shift towards the newer cinema, making human action the prime mover of change (Winston, 1990). Thus it was placed within its cultural context and was considered key to the evolution of the media content. Winston defines technological determinism to be one where technology is the dominant, determining factor in constructing the identity of the society. Film techniques have been developing tremendously. Faster film stock and incandescent lights were used more frequently. Other new features such as Silhouette effects in location scenes and cross cutting between parallel actions were developed. These new techniques helped increase the average film length and quality. One of the first few films produced with these techniques is The Birth of a Nation released in 1915. With the development of cinema and film techniques, the era of silent films with motion pictures diminished and the audience base increased to include the affluent class of citizens. In early 1910s, the cinema was the place for the working class but technological development changed its identity to an entertainment hub for everyone who can afford it. Emphasis was placed on the role of media technology in facilitating the change in societal trends. In conclusion, the development of the early cinema shows how ideas of cultural and technological determinism from Brian Winston can help us come to a better understanding of Merritts discussions of cinema and identity.

Chen Ying (A0069959B)