A Trip to the Moon Task 1

Q1: What is happening in this Film?

A1: In the film, A trip to the Moon, a group of people are building a
rocket that will hopefully end up taking them to the Moon. The film shows
the struggles that occur once they arrive, and how they manage to
overcome this, which leads to them returning victorious to their
hometown.

Q2: What happened in 1902 with regard to flight exploration that might
have influenced this film?
A2: In 1902, the first completely controllable aircraft was made by the
Wright Brothers. It was the only one in the world, and this made it even
more intriguing as many people didnt understand the concept of a large,
heavy aircraft being able to glide in the sky, which caused more models
and more experiments to be carried out, as it was a critical part of
developing technology for the world. Therefore, the fact the film is
expanding further into air travel, by showing a rocket travel to the moon,
shows that it was influenced by the first aircraft, as they wanted to make
it bigger and better, by expanding the distance it could travel, and
exploring the life on the moon. This was a key aspect of making the film
popular, by exploring other concepts that have not been discovered in
order to entertain the audience in 1902.

Q3: Which moves more, the camera or the actors?

A3: The actors move more than the camera in the film, and this would
have meant that less editing would have been needed, as there arent
many different camera angles, and many of the scenes are in the same
position, but the actors are constantly moving around or performing large
gestures, in order for the audience to follow the film more, even without
sound.

Q4: What is the purpose of this film?

A4: The purpose of the film is to show the extent at which technology can
advance. The idea of rockets and travelling to the moon would have open
everyones imagination in 1902, to a whole different idea of technology
and what can be achieved by the human race. It would have also shown
people what the moon might look like, which would have intrigued people
even more, as in 1902 no one had stepped on the moon. So, the film was

meant to entertain people, as well as expand their knowledge on possible

advancements in technology that could be possible.

Q5: Which sections show the development of special effects?

A5: Throughout the film, the use of smoke machines are a key aspect of
the film, especially when symbolising the death of an Alien on the moon.
Also, when the men are sleeping on the moon

Q6: How is it telling a story?

A6: Its telling a story through the use of stage directions, and the way
actors perform in order to tell a story. Also, the fact that the stage
directions are very frequent in the play, suggest that it is a key aspect of
the movie. The costumes also make the film more realistic and more
understandable.

Q7: What is important about its length?

A7: At the time most films werent very long, as it was very expensive and
many directors didnt have enough people to be in the films. Therefore,
the fact the film is 12 minutes long, shows that the directors invested a lot
of money into the film, so the purpose of the film would work.

Q8: How do you think Melies has moved film production on from Muybride
and Lumiere Brothers?
A8: Through the use of video editing and sound to enhance the impact on
the audience, and make it more realistic. Video editing is a major part of
telling the story, and moving the plot forward. So this technique was vital
in improving the formation of films or videos, to make them more realistic
and entertaining for the audience. Also, the use of special effects has
improved the quality of recordings