Film History of the 1920s End of the Silents - Upheavals in the Film Industry with the Early Talkies: As anticipated, the arrival of sound created great upheaval in the history of the motion picture industry, (as spoofed and exemplified in the film Singin' in the Rain (1952)). However, the transition from silent films to sound films wasn't completely calamitous or disruptive. In fact, every major Hollywood studio began to make two versions of their motion picture releases - in an orderly and rational fashion. In some cases, the plots of the two versions differed (with either alternative takes, reversed sequences, or changed endings). One major example was All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), which had a 'silent' version (with music and effects) and a 'sound' version. At the same time, film studios were confronted with many problems related to the coming of sound, including restricted markets for English-language talkies. Films that began production as silents were quickly transformed into sound films.
Introduction to Film Sound Though we might think of film as an essentially visual experience, we really cannot afford to underestimate the importance of film sound. A meaningful sound track is often as complicated as the image on the screen. The entire sound track is comprised of three essential ingredients: the human voice sound effects music These three tracks must be mixed and balanced so as to produce the necessary emphases which in turn create desired effects. THE HUMAN VOICE: dialogue Dialogue authenticates the speaker as an individual or a real person rather than the imaginary creation of a story teller. Thus, for example: Humphrey Bogart is Sam Spade; film personality and life personality seem to merge. When voice texture fits the performer's physiognomy and gestures, a whole and very realistic persona emerges. For example: In the film 2001 little dialogue was evident, and most of what was used was banal. SOUND EFFECTS: synchronous and asynchronous sounds MUSIC: background music 2.
1920s Films – Early Production and The Introduction of Sound The 1920’s was a very notable era in film making primarily due to the transition from silent films to “talkies.” The technology of synchronized sound was introduced in 1927 with the film debut of “The Jazz Singer,” starring Al Jolsen, and the motion picture industry would never be the same again. Prior to the introduction of synchronized sound, movies were considered an art form that appealed to audiences worldwide. The magical influence of films during the post World War I era helped America to deal with the harsh memories of war by providing audiences with laughter and a harmless escape into a silver screen world of fantasy populated by movie stars who were larger then life. None of which were larger than the legendary Charlie Chaplin who began his career in 1914 in the movie ”Making a Living.” A Hollywood legend who would become a sensational star in the 1930’s began as an extra in silent films during the 1920’s.
Famous People in the 1920s Famous people in the 1920s were the shining stars of a changing world of celebrity Anna May Wong - 1920s Celebirty They're all desperadoes, these kids, all of them with any life in their veins; the girls as well as the boys; maybe more than the boys. --Flaming Youth With the rise of the mass media, the attraction of the silver screen, books, sports and Broadway shows. With the rapid social change and the rise of popular fashion and culture, the fabric of the United States became more diverse and interesting. Beautiful stars like Louise Brooks, Clara Bow, and Gloria Swanson graced the silver screens and the golden stages of Broadway Shows like the queens of a "New Age". All became the legends of Hollywood, style, and modern fashion, as much for their intelligence and vibrancy as their beauty. Famous Women of the 1920s They also gave women new role models: the strong independent woman who is capable of taking care of herself, asserting her sexuality, and making a living at the same time.
Singin' in the Rain Movie Review (1952) The image that everyone remembers from "Singin' in the Rain" has Gene Kelly, dressed in a yellow slicker, hanging from a lamp-post and swinging his umbrella in the wild joy of new love. The scene builds to agloriously saturated ecstasy as Kelly stomps through the puddles of water in the gutters, making big wet splashes. The entire sequence, from the moment Kelly begins to dance until the moment the cop looks at him strangely, is probably the most joyous musical sequence ever filmed. It celebrates a man who has just fallen in love and has given himself over to heedless celebration. And the rainwater provides the dancer with a tactile medium that reflects his joy in its own noisy way. "Singin' in the Rain" has been voted one of the greatest films of all time in international critics' polls, and is routinely called the greatest of all the Hollywood musicals.
Singin' In The Rain (1952) Background Singin' in the Rain (1952) is one of the most-loved and celebrated film musicals of all time from MGM, before a mass exodus to filmed adaptations of Broadway plays emerged as a standard pattern. It was made directly for film, and was not a Broadway adaptation. The joyous film, co-directed by Stanley Donen and acrobatic dancer-star-choreographer Gene Kelly, is a charming, up-beat, graceful and thoroughly enjoyable experience with great songs, lots of flashbacks, wonderful dances (including the spectacular Broadway Melody Ballet with leggy guest star Cyd Charisse), casting and story. Are these rumors true that wedding bells are soon to ring for you and Lina?... He begins his conveniently-laundered version of his rise to stardom with one motto he has always lived by, instilled in him by his parents from the very beginning: Dignity - always dignity. My roles were urbane, sophisticated, suave...And of course, all through those pictures, Lina was and is always, an inspiration to me.
Silent-movie buffs search the screen for clues to origins of 'Mostly Lost' films Beneath glimmering chandeliers at an Art Deco movie house built into the side of a mountain, 150 silent-movie buffs sat wide-eyed as snippets from films lost decades ago lighted up the screen. Their quest: Name the film, or at least spot details that will advance the cause. The fans shouted clues as a piano player wearing an old-time parlor vest and a thick period mustache improvised jaunty scores. They scoured vintage magazines on their laptops, checked film databases on their tablets, and scrubbed their brains for odd bits of early 20th century cultural history. Every frame had the potential to unlock a secret. "East Coast vegetation!" A locomotive flashed, and someone deduced that a scene had been filmed in France, given the placement of the boiler. And then there was the lucky glimpse of a calendar with a key nugget — the date April 1 falling on a Saturday. What they all had in common was an obsession with a time when movies were made without color, sound or social media campaigns.
Movies and Film: A Brief History of Sound in Movies We all know that first there was silent film and then there was sound. But that's not the whole story. Before films talked they still made themselves heard through intertitles and musical accompaniment. And after the introduction of the microphone, there were still questions about how to use the technology. Here is a brief breakdown of the evolution of sound. You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet: Before Sound Short Cuts Though intertitles tended toward the brief and explanatory, the writer or director could choose to be lush or poetic. Then, nature mourned—The Birds were hushed—It rained, rained, and rained ….AndOh Love—Without the—Marriage is a sacrilege and a mockery. Though Edison did not invent film, he always conceived that this visual medium and his phonograph would mesh to make sound film, and was busy trying to invent sound film almost from the birth of cinema—from about 1885—more than a third of a century before sound film became commercially feasible. Inventing Sound Second Take
Singin' in the Rain (1952) - Articles Singin' in the Rain (1952) Don Lockwood is a famous silent screen star that stars in swashbuckling adventures. His latest venture is The Dueling Cavalier in which he stars opposite Lina Lamont, one of the most glamorous actresses in movies. For publicity purposes they pretend to be romantically involved in their personal lives but, in reality, Don has his eye on Kathy Selden, a chorus girl he met at a film premiere party. When Don's studio boss, R. F. Producer: Arthur Freed Director: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly Screenplay: Betty Comden, Adolph Green Art Direction: Randall Duell, Cedric Gibbons Cinematography: Harold Rosson Costume Design: Walter Plunkett Editing: Adrienne Fazan Original Music: Nacio Herb Brown, Lennie Hayton Lyrics: Arthur Freed Choreography: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen (uncredited) Cast: Gene Kelly (Don Lockwood), Donald O'Connor (Cosmo Brown), Debbie Reynolds (Kathy Selden), Jean Hagen (Lina Lamont), Millard Mitchell (R.F. Why Singin' in the Rain is Essential back to top
About Costume Design - ArtsAlive.ca – The Secret Life of Costumes Canadian designer Judith Bowden talks about the role of the costume designer and how she approaches her work. Judith’s work is part of the National Arts Centre’s costume collection; read her biography. Natalya Stepanovna from The “Vaudevilles” of Chekhov / The Proposal (2003) © Judith Bowden The main job of costume design in a production is to provide physical and emotional support to every actor through the clothing he or she will wear to enhance characterization. The costume must work onstage. I take my cues from the characters and their surroundings as written in the play, as well as from the stylistic choices of the production. The Practicalities of the Job Practically speaking, my job is to execute the design of each garment by: Collaboration I work in collaboration with a number of people, but first with the director. In order to be a good collaborator, I need to prepare in the following ways for early discussions with the director: Designing involves a lot of discussion.
About Costume Design - ArtsAlive.ca – The Secret Life of Costumes This article was adapted by Janet Irwin and Judith Bowden from the original entitled “From Page to Stage – The Costuming Process in the Theatre” by Jennifer Smith-Windsor, appearing in Fiberarts Magazine , March/April, 1996. Permission for adaptation was granted by Fiberarts Magazine, 2007. Different theatres follow slightly different procedures, depending upon size of operation, and staff availability. “The smell of the grease paint and the roar of the crowd” is a timeworn adage used to describe the theatre. The main role of the wardrobe department is to bring the costume designer’s vision to the stage. PlanningDesigningBudgetingBuyingTreating fabricCutting and SewingFittingsDress rehearsalsBreakdown Specialized skills are required to develop costumes for the stage, therefore wardrobes are divided into departments for buying, dyeing, cutting/tailoring, millinery, boots and shoes, and accessories departments.
Be Your Self | Australian Dance Theatre Photo - Chris Herzfeld The Australian Dance Theatre is renowned for its cutting edge explorations into the borders of contemporary dance and their new show, Be Your Self, is no exception. Incorporating innovative use of movement, text, projections and an interactive set, last night’s world premier was undoubtedly world class. With a history stretching back as far as the 1960’s, ADT has been touring Australia and overseas since the early days of the contemporary dance genre. While a distinct visual theme is clear from the outset - the set’s initial lighting has a hospital-esque quality and dancers are dressed in white - the deeper ideas are not articulated nearly as well until one reads the explanation in the booklet. Nevertheless ADT present a visual feast. A definite highlight of the production was the set. The spoken text is taken from medical and neurobiological writings and used to further interpret the boundaries of a robotic notion of self.
How lighting design and technology are transforming dance on stage | Stage Lucy Carter has strong feelings about the power and possibilities of light. "It affects everything," she says. "You can be feeling quite awful somewhere, and it's simply because the lighting is so terrible. It's very emotive." As a lighting designer, Carter admits that she is constantly processing this kind of information. Watching the work of Wayne McGregor, with whom Carter regularly collaborates, it's sometimes impossible to separate the movement from the light: the mysteriously glowing halos that enclosed the dancers in 2012's Carbon Life; or the pixelated colouring in 2013's Atomos that took its cast through smog and fire into suspended celestial space. The same is true of Hulls's many collaborations with Russell Maliphant. Maliphant and Hulls met in 1994, finding they shared an interest in "what a real collaboration between dance and light would look like, where each would totally affect what the other does".