From Slideshow To Movie: "Declaring" Early Image Advertising Research (1872-1913)

If we look on the film "Nan Fu Nan Qi" which was released in 1913, there were many important topics in the film history, film studies and sociology. Based on IMDB, this is the first Chinese made film which directed by Zhang Shichuan and Zheng Zhengqiu, produced by Asia Film & Theatre Company.Before the "Nan Fu Nan Qi" released, western films were introduced in China and influenced the birth of Chinese films. Therefore, the period before 1913 was the history of development of Chinese film that observed the western video reception, accepted western images and ideas, then began to create Chinese original films.Before 1913 images in the history of the development of research, if placed in the category of historical research, in numerous sections, for example, to study the social, economic, cultural, religious, and people’s daily lives, and the factors that influence on this period of history in the development of image or, conversely, through changes in the domestic and international image of the work itself that film and the change in the relationship with the audience. Regardless of which method is used, a huge challenge is that how to transit "images" and "theory" from mutual opposition state to mutual support-- how can both analysis works and works for the birth of the technology, and can continue to use and develop the meaning or the perspective of historical theory and method, to explain such problems as "in current understanding of the global spread of the culture, Chinese early images of what complement", "Chinese film is west to East one-way flow or Western influence each other".In this study, I choose the way of "context reconstruction ", starting from the image itself, to restore the cultural, political, social and religious environment and flavor, including the environment of science and technology, the use of the environment and is the use of the environment, which does not automatically appear in the image itself, and through more in-depth study to be reconstructed. This kind of reconstruction, based on a large number of historical literature retrieval, at the same time, with reference to the modern visual, communication and other theories to analyze and explain.Therefore, the image itself tend to become historical interpretation of the theme and framework, explain to the popular in the history of images or movie history of all sorts of duality structure, including the breaking of the works and theory, the text and context, the audience and the television audience.Not only for the history itself, but also for the study of the history of the image, it must return to the research object, which is an important research object. Early imaging, especially before 1913 images show, both static images of photographs, slides, film, or dynamic image of film and television art present, most have no exact "image" of media available. Image itself, but also different from other art categories, such as drama, art, literature, etc., these categories have their own "mass foundation", in the process of communication, a priori to have the motive of anthropology. Image dissemination and need in the development of technical means to a certain extent will occur the different forms, therefore, often need to with the help of his force, especially early audience is more familiar with the newspaper as a carrier, the news, advertising, and other print media types of communication as a medium, a step by step reached its communication purpose. Therefore, the early movie may have certain connections with the advertising in the newspaper.This paper that is locked "advertisement" as an important object of study, through the study of the specific content of the image ads, finish the quest history images, or early on the history of Chinese cinema. In the process of studying image advertisement, this paper focuses on the "Shun Pao", which is the longest published newspaper in old China ". As one of having longest history Chinese newspapers, "Shun Pao" experienced the Qing Tongzhi, Guangxu and Xuantong three dynasties, and experienced the 1911 Revolution, the May 4th movement, the Northern Expedition war, the war of resistance against Japan and the war of liberation in different historical stage, become the modern extant in China with the longest history of Chinese newspapers. “Shun Pao” daily layout, advertising accounted for at least half. Therefore, this paper argues that "Shun Pao" advertisements can help us understand the ups and downs of modern business in China, the image ads, changes in the content, design, layout, price, frequency, to study until 1913 foreign films introduced history and Chinese film history. It has significent reference value.Therefore, this paper spent a lot of time and effort to search every image advertising in “Shun Pao” since April 30, 1872 to September 1913,the release of “Nan Fu Nan Qi”. Through the detailed investigation of the “Shun Pao” image advertising and influence image advertising representative speech, reached to clarify many fallacies in film history, at the same time, this paper borrows from the voluminous historical rake comb, gradually sorted out foreign images were imported into China, and the relations between image advertising and film itself. Hope this paper to explore, to help clarify the development of Chinese film, which for the understanding of the history of Chinese film, or the use of film theory to guide the film practice, will have a certain reference.