Lightning Sketches

The film 'Lightning Sketches' is a silent short directed by J. Stuart Blackton for the Vitagraph Company of America. Released in 1907, it belongs to the 'lightning artist' subgenre of early cinema, showcasing the director's speed-drawing techniques and stop-motion effects. According to US copyright law, all works published or registered before January 1, 1928, have entered the public domain. As a 1907 production, the film's maximum potential copyright term (which was originally 28 years plus a 28-year renewal under the 1909 Act) has long since expired. All works from this era became public domain no later than 75 years after publication, and the 1998 Copyright Term Extension Act did not restore or extend copyrights that had already expired.