Conjuring

About the production

Filmed in Méliès's garden studio in Montreuil-sous-Bois, which was essentially an outdoor stage with glass walls allowing natural lighting. The film was shot on hand-cranked film stock, typical of the era. Méliès used the same theatrical props and costumes from his stage performances, marking a direct transition from theater to cinema. The film was cataloged as number 2 in the Star Film Company's early releases, indicating its importance in Méliès's emerging filmography.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Conjuring appeared in 1896, when the nickelodeon era and the birth of narrative film shaped how movies were financed, distributed, and discussed. Audiences of the day encountered the work amid shifting tastes in acting, pacing, and spectacle. Its focus on Georges Méliès reproduces a magic act méliès performed at his paris theater-of-illusions, the théâtre robert-houdin mirrors themes circulating in popular culture of that moment.

Why this film matters

Conjuring (1896) belongs to the wider archive of world cinema, documenting Georges Méliès reproduces a magic act méliès performed. Archivists and historians value such titles for what they reveal about craft, genre, and audience expectations. Restorations and festival screenings keep the work visible to viewers far beyond its first run.

Making of

Georges Méliès was already a successful stage magician when he attended the famous Lumière brothers' first film screening in 1895. Initially unimpressed, he soon saw the potential of cinema for enhancing his magic acts. 'Conjuring' was filmed in Méliès's makeshift outdoor studio, which featured glass walls to maximize natural lighting - a necessity before artificial film lighting became available. The magician himself performed in the film, using the same costumes and props from his regular theater performances at the Théâtre Robert-Houdin. This film represents the crucial transitional moment when Méliès began to see film not just as a recording device but as a new medium for artistic expression, setting the stage for his later innovations with special effects and narrative filmmaking.

What critics said

Press coverage from 1896 is fragmentary for many titles of this vintage; surviving notices for Conjuring tend to stress novelty, star power, or topical appeal. Later writing places the picture within its national and generic context, weighing both period conventions and moments that still land for modern viewers. Streaming and disc releases have revived discussion among classic-film audiences.

Did you know?

• This was Georges Méliès's second film ever made, following 'Playing Cards' (1896)
• The film represents Méliès's first attempt to move beyond actuality films into fiction filmmaking
• Méliès was a professional magician before becoming a filmmaker, owning the Théâtre Robert-Houdin
• The film was shot on 35mm film using a camera Méliès modified himself
• Star Film Company catalog number 2, making it among the very first commercial fiction films
• The magic tricks shown are purely theatrical, as Méliès hadn't yet discovered his famous substitution splice technique
• The film runs for approximately 16 meters of film stock
• Méliès would go on to make over 500 films in his career
• The film was hand-colored in some releases, a common practice for Méliès's films
• This film helped establish the magic trick film as a popular genre in early cinema

Visual style

The cinematography of 'Conjuring' is characteristic of 1896 filmmaking, featuring a single static camera position that captures the entire performance from a frontal perspective, much like an audience member's view of a stage performance. The camera was likely hand-cranked, resulting in variable frame rates typical of the era. The film was shot on 35mm film stock, which was the standard format established by the Lumière brothers. The lighting was entirely natural, utilizing sunlight through the glass walls of Méliès's outdoor studio. The composition is theatrical rather than cinematic, with the performer centered in the frame and the entire stage visible. This straightforward approach was typical of early cinema before filmmakers began exploring camera movement, close-ups, and more sophisticated visual techniques.

Innovations

While 'Conjuring' itself does not feature the special effects that would make Méliès famous, it represents an important technical achievement as one of the earliest successful attempts to capture theatrical performance on film. The film demonstrates Méliès's early understanding of how to adapt stage performance for the camera, including considerations of framing, timing, and visual clarity. The production utilized Méliès's custom-built camera and his innovative outdoor studio with glass walls, which was a technical solution to the lighting challenges of early filmmaking. The film also represents an early example of genre filmmaking, establishing the magic trick film as a distinct category. Although the tricks themselves are theatrical rather than cinematic, the film shows Méliès beginning to think about how the camera could enhance and transform traditional performance arts.

Memorable scenes

• The entire film consists of a single memorable scene: Méliès, dressed as a magician, performing sleight-of-hand tricks on stage, making a woman and various objects appear and disappear through traditional theatrical methods rather than film effects

What audiences thought

Audiences in 1896 were fascinated by Méliès's film, as it offered something different from the Lumière brothers' actualities. Viewers were amazed to see a magic trick captured on film, even though the effects were purely theatrical rather than cinematic. The film was popular in both France and internationally through Star Film Company's distribution network. Contemporary audiences appreciated seeing a familiar form of entertainment (magic tricks) presented through the new technology of cinema. The film's success helped establish Méliès as a major figure in early cinema and encouraged him to produce more films with magical themes. Modern audiences viewing the film today primarily appreciate its historical significance and its role in the birth of narrative cinema.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Stage magic performances at Théâtre Robert-Houdin
• Theatrical illusion traditions
• Lumière brothers' early films

This film influenced

• The Vanishing Lady (1896)
• The Famous Box Trick (1898)
• The Magician (1898)
• The Mysterious Retort (1909)
• A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Film restoration

The film survives and has been preserved by various film archives, including the Cinémathèque Française. Multiple copies exist, including some hand-colored versions. The film has been digitally restored and is available through various early cinema collections and archives.

Where to watch

• YouTube (various public domain uploads)
• The Criterion Channel (as part of early cinema collections)
• Kino Lorber DVD releases of Méliès films
• Mubi (occasionally featured in early cinema programs)
• Film archives and museum collections specializing in early cinema