Re: default silence versus intended silence

From: Myron Ort (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Oct 28 2009 - 12:18:46 PDT


Brakhage himself in an article in 1960 (FC #21) points to Melies,
Griffith, and Eisenstein all employing a "silent sound sense" in
their filmmaking. He contrasts this with the inanity, even the
superfluous, in most later sync sound films using sound when they
didn't need to from an "art" making standpoint.

mo

On Oct 28, 2009, at 10:55 AM, Gene Youngblood wrote:

> Unless history shows otherwise, I always assumed it was Brakhage.
> That is, having the option of a synchronous soundtrack and
> deliberately not using it. Bunuel did it in parts of L'age d'Or,
> and if we get into that there are probably numerous examples.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rob Gawthrop
> To: email suppressed
> Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 11:32 AM
> Subject: Re: default silence versus intended silence
>
> Check out Rick Altman’s “Silent Film Sound” though I doubt if it
> answers your questions about silence.
>
> Rob
>
>
> On 28/10/2009 16:58, "Myron Ort" <email suppressed> wrote:
>
> It is often mentioned that "silent" films were meant to have live
> performed sound tracks, organ, piano, orchestras, etc. Were any
> early films actually meant to be shown truly silent by their
> creators? What is known about this? Melies, Griffith, Eisenstein etc.
> did they all prescribe music/sound for their film showings? If not,
> what is the earliest known film truly meant to be shown
> intentionally silent?
>
> When, where, and how prevalent was it to show films in silence.
> Obviously, as a film students for the most part we saw early silent
> films without any soundtracks, live or otherwise. This was
> widespread. How misleading was this typical experience? Now that I
> recall, most all of the shows I attended in my youth at that little
> movie theater across from my high school that showed Chaplin, Keaton,
> etc. were always silent. I am thinking I was mislead......
>
> default silence versus intended silence
>
> Myron Ort
>
>
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