Unit 3: Music For Silent Films (1895-1927)
In Unit 2 we discussed the business side of the movie industry and looked at various roles that contribute to the operational aspects of the film business such as the film composer, orchestrator, etc. In Unit 3 we will begin to look at the role music played in early silent films and some of the important events that led to music being an integral part of film production.
By the end of this unit you will be able to:
By the end of this unit you will be able to:
- Understand and identify the major contributors to the silent film ea
- Understand and identify the various moods of music for film
- Identify important landmark films of the era and how they changed the industry
- Understand and identify the four types of music used during the silent era
- Analyze and identify what constitutes mood in music and compare this to more recent examples
Pre-Film Moving Pictures
The creation of moving pictures served as the precursor to film. Similar to a flip-book, a Zeotrope took a series of still images places linearly and the physical movement of the images put the subject in motion. The lack of light in key spots forces our brains to fill in the gaps creating the movement.
Zeotropes are still being created today, but with a twist. Instead of a piece of paper removing the light from our eyes, the use of a strobe light creates the same effect but without the physical barrier.
The First Films
- The Lumiere brothers- Auguste and Louis manufactured the Cinematographie c.1894 (which was a lightweight handcranked camera and also projected films) which ultimately became known as the early movie projectors.
- The word "cinema" used today was derived from this invention
- Early films were shown in parlors, cafes, basements of salons using a white cloth screen*
- Pianist was hired to provide added excitement to the action being observed-This would start a precedent that would become tradition throughout the entire period of silent pictures
- The motion picture camera became one of the most influential inventions of the next century and influenced culture-hairstyles, fashions, sensitivity to violence, sexual acceptance and other moral and ethical issues
The Role of Music in Silent Films
Music served multiple purposes:
Various inventors such as Thomas Edison (1847-1931); Oskar Messter (1866-1943) and Charles Pathe (1863-1957) were all experimenting with developing the synchronization of the gramophone (phonograph) recording to the moving picture.
- Providing additional emphasis to the moods and actions on the screen
- Blocking out the unwanted mechanical sounds of the projector
- The 3-D quality of the music became a hook to lure moviegoers into the action or drama seen on screen in a two
Various inventors such as Thomas Edison (1847-1931); Oskar Messter (1866-1943) and Charles Pathe (1863-1957) were all experimenting with developing the synchronization of the gramophone (phonograph) recording to the moving picture.
- By 1907 there were approximately 3,000 theaters (nikelodeons) throughout the United States
- Pianists were used in smaller venues with live ensembles of varying size (chamber groups of three people to orchestras of 100+) used in bigger cites