In the early days of cinema, films lasted 46 seconds.
- Maëlle Billant
- Aug 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 9
When you think of cinema, you immediately think of feature films projected on the big screen. However, the roots of cinema lie in a completely different reality: that of the short format. Today, duanju, also an ultra-short format, with episodes lasting 1 to 3 minutes designed for the mobile age, invites us to delve back into the cinema of its origins, particularly that of the Lumière Brothers.
The Lumière Brothers: inventors of big-screen cinema and short film formats
In 1895, Louis and Auguste Lumière presented their cinematograph to the public. The inaugural demonstration, with the famous film "La Sortie de l'usine Lumière," lasted only 46 seconds! The reason? A technical constraint: the film stock didn't allow for longer filming.
Short format doesn't necessarily mean unproductive. Proof of this is that between 1895 and 1905, the Lumière brothers made more than 1,400 numbered and listed films, plus more than 600 others not included in the catalog. Almost all of them adhered to this constraint: less than a minute, a single take, a fixed frame. And yet, they managed to capture powerful and universal moments: children at play, scenes from everyday life, and the daily grind of the streets. These micro-sequences sparked public enthusiasm and paved the way for a new art.
From the Lumière brothers to duanju, the short format is exported and also draws on international experience. The brothers quickly trained operators to use their invention, who then traveled the world to film local events. Similarly, duanju crosses all continents, with local adaptations of hit series.
We therefore readily associate cinema and feature films, but cinema was born short. And as such, duanju does not represent a break, but rather a continuity.
Duanju: the short format chosen and not imposed
While Lumière films were short by technical necessity, duanju adopts the short format by strategic choice. In the era of mobile usage, fragmented attention spans, and multiple digital demands, viewers favor brief, effective, and immersive formats. The duanju episodes correspond perfectly to these new behaviors and current expectations, where attention is quickly captured and held.
Yet, the two approaches converge. We observe the same narrative efficiency: in a few seconds, a place, an atmosphere, characters, and a situation must be established. The same power of suggestion must be summoned: the images must immediately involve the viewer. Finally, the economy of means remains from one era to another: the Lumière brothers filmed in a single take. Duanju, for its part, often favors quick shoots, with a controlled budget and a limited number of takes. In both cases, brevity becomes a creative constraint.
When constraint nourishes art
The experimental film " Lumière & Company" perfectly illustrates the artistic legacy of the Lumière Brothers and its continuity in contemporary creation. In 1995, to celebrate 100 years of cinema, some forty renowned directors, from Wim Wenders to David Lynch, agreed to shoot a film respecting the technical rules of the Lumière Brothers: a maximum duration of 52 seconds, a maximum of three takes, and no artificial lighting. The result: radically different works, each marked by the artistic identity and sensibility of its author, despite using the same technologies and constraints. What we take away from this: the short format does not prevent art. On the contrary, it stimulates creativity.
Duanju fits into this logic: with little time and few means, it can and must produce strong, intense, singular works.
Serial storytelling: an ancient history
Duanju exploits another dimension: serial writing, a choice that is also not new. From the beginning of the 20th century, the first major cinematic serials appeared. In 1908, " Nick Carter, the King of Detectives" , directed by Victorin-Hippolyte Jasset, offered a series of episodes featuring a recurring hero. A few years later, in 1915, " The Vampires " by Louis Feuillade extended this logic: a story in episodes, a serialized plot centered on a criminal organization, strong characters.
Duanju revives this tradition: a rhythmic narration, short episodes, recurring characters, while adapting it to the digital age, with its modern uses and distribution on mobile.
From the train entering the station to the smartphone screen
The Lumière Brothers changed our relationship with image and movement. With what is considered their most famous film, " Train Entering the Station ," screened in 1986 at a cinema in La Ciotat, France, they invented an art, a language, and a collective experience. Duanju extends this adventure: it transposes intensity onto today's screens, condensing emotion, narrative, and visual identity into a very short time.
The short format is therefore not a recent trend, as one might think: it is a return to the roots. There is, however, one essential difference: from now on, the choice of the short format is no longer a technical constraint, but a new way of telling stories to a generation in a hurry and multi-connected. Duanju, like the Lumière brothers, must continue to show that one can make art with little: little time, few resources, but a lot of inventiveness.
Article written by Maëlle Billant
Sources:
• Lumière Institute: Lumière films
• Cineccentric , July 7, 2021
