By 1908, the cinema was swiftly changing. The wide range of 'actuality' subject matter of the early years would be less apparent, as fictional subjects came to prominence. As an example, in Britain Charles Urban extended his catalogues small range of fiction films with the inclusion of dramas and comedies from the important production companies Vitagraph (USA) and Eclipse (France). Audiences in the new Electric Palaces of post-1907 demanded such story films, which became longer and more lavishly produced.
At this time, many studios were being erected, but it was still not unknown for interiors to be filmed outdoors, as this model of an English seaside filmshoot shows. Filming was very dependent on the weather, and the effects of a breezy day can be seen in surviving films of the period, as tablecloths and drapes flap in the wind.
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