1861-1938. French film pioneer, born in
Paris. In the period 1896 to 1912 he made
over 1,000 films, mostly fantasies, such as
Le Voyage dans la Lune/A Trip to the Moon
1902. He developed trick effects such as slow
motion, double exposure, and dissolves, and
in 1897 built Europe's first film studio at
Montreuil. He started out as a stage
magician. His interest in cinema was sparked
by the Lumiere brothers' cinematographe,
premiered 1895. He constructed a camera and
founded a production company, Star Film.
Melies did not develop as a film-maker and
the novelty of his films wore off, which
caused him to go bankrupt 1913. He received a
Legion of Honour medal 1931.