Directed by: William K. L. Dickson
Also known as Fred Ott’s Sneeze, it was the first film to be registered for copyright on January 9, 1894. It features Thomas Edison’s assistant, Fred Ott, taking a pinch of snuff and sneezing. The submission consisted of the 45 frames reproduced as a picture.
The film is also noted for being the first to feature a close-up. There seems to be an understanding that audiences do not need to be bystanders to a scene but can be taken close to the action.
Bibliography
IMDb contributors (n.d.). ‘Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze (1894)’, IMDb. Available at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0000008/ [Accessed: 28 November 2021].
Library of Congress (n.d.). ‘Edison kinetoscopic record of a sneeze, January 7, 1894’, Library of Congress. Available at: https://www.loc.gov/item/00694192 [Accessed: 28 November 2021].
Shedden, D. (2015). ‘Today is Media History: A copyrighted 1894 sneeze and the beginning of the film industry’, Poynter, 7 January. Available at: https://www.poynter.org/news/today-media-history-copyrighted-1894-sneeze-and-beginning-film-industry [Accessed: 28 November 2021].
Reel Lessons 