Asidefromthedevelopmentofthemotionpictureasaspectacle，therehasgoneonanevolutioninitsuseforeducationalpurposesofwiderange，whichmustnotbeoverlooked。Infact，thisformofutilizationhasbeencarriedfurtherinEuropethaninthiscountryasameansofdemonstrationintheartsandsciences。Onemaystudyanimallife，watchasurgicaloperation，followthemovementofmachinery，takelessonsinfacialexpressionorincalisthenics。
Itseemsapitythatinmotionpicturesshouldatlasthavebeenfoundtheonlycompetitionthattheancientmarionettescannotwithstand。Butasidefromthedisappearanceofthoseentertainingpuppets，allelseisgaininthecreationofthisnewart。
TheworkattheEdisonlaboratoryinthedevelopmentofthemotionpicturewasasusualintenseandconcentrated，and，asmightbeexpected，manyoftheearlyexperimentswerequiteprimitiveintheircharacteruntilcommandhadbeensecuredofrelativelyperfectapparatus。Thesubjectsregisteredjerkilybythefilmswerecrudeandamusing，suchasofFredOtt\'ssneeze，Carmencitadancing，Italiansandtheirperformingbears，fencing，trapezestunts，horsemanship，blacksmithing——justsimplemovementswithoutanyattempttoportraythesilentdrama。
Onecuriousincidentofthisearlystudyoccurredwhen“Jim“Corbettwasaskedtoboxafewroundsinfrontofthecamera，witha“darkun“tobeselectedlocally。Thiswasagreedto，andacelebratedbruiserwasbroughtoverfromNewark。Whenthis“sparringpartner“cametofaceCorbettintheimitationringhewassoparalyzedwithterrorhecouldhardlymove。ItwasjustafterCorbetthadwononeofhisbigbattlesasaprize-fighter，andthedismayofhisopponentwasexcusable。The“boys“atthelaboratorystilllaughconsumedlywhentheytellaboutit。
Thefirstmotion-picturestudiowasdubbedbythestaffthe“BlackMaria。“Itwasanunpretentiousoblongwoodenstructureerectedinthelaboratoryyard，andhadamovableroofinthecentralpart。