Watson Lecture - Brian Jacobson: How Technology Shaped the Movies (and How Movies Shaped Technology)

Early cinema's technologies required materials such as coal, oil, metals, and chemicals that had to be extracted from the earth, and unprecedented quantities of water and electricity. At the same time, Hollywood films projected extractive industries on the screen, building storylines and set pieces around the mining, transport, and fabrication of resources like petroleum and minerals. In this talk, Professor of Visual Culture Brian Jacobson will discuss how the filmmaking industry grew up alongside the oil industry in Los Angeles and how oil and other industries used the movies to teach us about our world.

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Evening Schedule

6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food, drinks, and books available for purchase

7 p.m. — Doors open

7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&A

8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation

The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.

About the Series

For more than 100 years, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.

Free and open to the public, the Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food, drink and music, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.

Many past Watson Lectures are available on YouTube.

For more information, please contact The Caltech Ticket Office by email at [email protected].