Home Movies
History
Home movie (with professional narration) of Bonnie and Clyde death scene (1934).
The development of home movie-making has depended critically on availability of equipment and media formats (film, videotape, etc.) at prices affordable to consumers.
Development of film formats suitable for amateur hobbyists began early in the history of cinematography. For example, the 17.5 mm “Birtac” format was patented by Birt Acres in 1898. This format split the standard 35 mm film into two strips half as wide and was able to be loaded into the camera in daylight. Since the frames were also half the height of 35 mm frames, the Birtac format used only 25% of the amount of film stock used by 35 mm. Since the camera doubled as a printer and projector, equipment costs were also reduced.
Safety film and the 16 mm film format
Another breakthrough in making film practical for home users was the introduction of safety film in the 1920s. Earlier “nitrate film” required special handling and storage, even after it was exposed and developed, since it is extremely flammable and has even been known to spontaneously catch fire as it gets older.
Many competing film formats were introduced in the early decades until 16 mm safety film was introduced by Eastman Kodak in 1923 and became a standard in the non-professional market. Although 16 mm had the advantage of users not being tied to one equipment manufacturer and there were obvious cost advantages compared to standard 35 mm, it was never able to eliminate smaller formats and it eventually was relegated to professional users, particularly in the education market.
