Most Influential Pioneer of the Film Industry In my opinion, the most influential person in the history of film (ending in the 1930s), is Thomas Edison and the Black Maria Studio. While he is not the greatest person of all time, Edison was the first person to open a studio solely dedicated to making motion pictures, made the first filmed advertisements, made staged films, and pioneered Nickelodeons which would lead to the creation of movie theaters. While there were other inventors such as Louis Le Prince whose contributions thrust the whole industry forward, it was Thomas Edison that created the modern blueprint for movie production. The Black Maria Studio was opened by Edison and in it, he began staging films rather than just filming things he saw in everyday life. This is where the idea of telling a story through film developed and motion pictures could be seen as something more than a novelty. While it was very simple stuff he was producing, ...
