This film is part of Free
Ship at Sea
A clever early film that uses the new medium to drag the audience out to sea
Overview
The power of moving photography is exploited in this early film, not to dazzle audiences' eyes but to turn their stomachs. The camera is mounted on the bow of a ship ploughing forward through a squall, and as the boat lurches up and down, the image does too - meaning that the viewer experiences the (unpleasant) sensation of movement too. The canny composition means that the frame contains both the ship and the waves, each moving in different directions.
This ingenious film pre-empts the emerging enthusiasm for 'phantom ride' films, in which the camera is mounted on the front a train, car or boat, giving the audience the impression of travelling through a landscape. In this film, rather bleakly, there is little on the horizon except for more of those brutal waves. It was made by the Warwick Trading Company, an early American film production outfit run from a London office. Warwick specialised in actuality films, shot all over the world. When few people could afford to travel, these films brought far-flung sights to the first film audiences.
Related
Tram Journey through Southampton Tram Journey through Southampton
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Silent Location: Southampton
A moving tour through lively turn-of-the-century Southampton.
Churned Waters Churned Waters
Non-Fiction 1899 1 mins Silent
A hypnotic study of the wake of a ship at sea
Panorama of the Paris Exhibition No. 3 Panorama of the Paris Exhibition No. 3
Non-Fiction 1900 1 mins Silent
An unusual view of Paris, shot from a boat travelling down the Seine. You can even see the Eiffel tower - almost!
Railway Ride over the Tay Bridge Railway Ride over the Tay Bridge
Non-Fiction 1897 5 mins Silent Location: Tay Bridge
Stunning train's eye views across the Tay rail bridge from Fife to Dundee
Phantom Ride - Chamonix Phantom Ride - Chamonix
Non-Fiction 1900 2 mins Silent
Admire the view but don't look down, as this short film takes you on a breathtaking trip through the Alps
A Steamship Passes By A Steamship Passes By
Non-Fiction 1899 1 mins
With energetic waving of handkerchiefs to those on shore, a large steamship heads off
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.