Commercial Amusement: What did the early motion pictures do to change mass communication?

The invention of motion pictures changed the way audience were able to experience entertainment. Films allowed the public to experience the same sights, images, and stories throughout the country. Similar to other mass media mediums, such as the radio and later television, movies gave the public a common bond. In film's early history, the new technology was viewed as, "a commercial amusement" which also included dance halls and penny arcades (Crowley 164). 

Unlike these other venues, this new invention was able to bring a single experience to a mass audience in every part of the world and revolutionized mass communication. Films could be viewed all over so the geographic location didn't matter: movies could be watched by people in both rural and urban areas. 

Unlike theater, movies were an art form that could be repeated in exactly the same manner and could vicariously experience the stories. Therefore, the masses were able to see the exact same performance in numerous areas. Moreover, the movie studios began to understand their audiences, they attempted to appeal to them with certain genre and stars.