Transition to Sound Early on when film prints traveled from small town to small town in the American heartland they were often narrated by a live raconteur who would explain the action onscreen to audiences ID: 226482
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Slide1
Early Hollywood Slide2
Transition to Sound
Early on, when film prints traveled from small town to small town in the American heartland, they were often narrated by a live raconteur, who would explain the action on-screen to audiences. "
Intertitles
"—those cards between moments of action—contained explanations of action, or important moments of dialogue, or even bits of poetry to set the mood.
Read more:
Movies and Film: A Brief History of Sound in Movies — Infoplease.com http://www.infoplease.com/cig/movies-flicks-film/brief-history-sound-movies.html#ixzz21JDxNS1ySlide3
Synchronization
and
amplification were problems that needed to
be
overcome
During the expansion in the 1920’s Warner Brothers was the first studio that invested in a sound system using records in synchronization with film images (
Vitaphone
)
Vitaphone
, which produced the first commercially viable sound system, essentially a very large phonograph
hooked
up to
a
film
projectorSlide4
Don Juan (1926)
Orchestral accompaniment and sound effects on disc
The Jazz Singer (1927) (part talkie with some scenes accompanied by music
These two films popularized the idea of sound on film
The success of these films proved that sync sound could be profitableSlide5
Sound films needed to be compatible with all projectors
Eventually a sound on film rather than a sound on disc system had to be invented
This became the standard
The sound track is printed on the strip of film alongside the image
Technological Advances Slide6
Setback for Hollywood style
The camera had to be placed in a large casing called a blimp
The camera couldn’t move except for short pans and tilts
One solution was multiple cameras in a boothBoom Invented Slide7
Diegetic Sound allowed for better continuity editing (
s
ound
b
ridge) Large studios developed distinctive approachesMGM: Prestige studio (huge number of stars and technicians under long term contract)
Warner Brothers was a smaller studio that made more specialized features
They invested in sound because they were interested in producing musicals (more fragmented like vaudeville acts strung together)
RKO constructed musicals as classically constructed narrativesSlide8
Deep Focus
Some musicals in the 30’s were shot in
technicolor
This required a lot of light
The technical development of using light on the set led to the development of deep focus films
Greg
Toland
, Cinematographer for Citizen Kane used this technique
Citizen Kane: 1941Slide9
Frank Capra
Affectionate portrayals of the common man
Films deal with the
strengths and foibles of American
democracy
Sicilian descent: came to the US in steerage
Depicts a battle
to prevent a power-crazed industrialist from taking dictatorial control of the country in "Meet John
Doe"
Meet John Doe Slide10
Heroes of Capra Films
Homespun American heroes
Na
ï
ve
idealists who are up against evildoers
The central characters win, because of their innate goodness
"Meet John Doe" drew criticism for what was seen as a "cop-out" happy ending. But
Bosley
Crowther
of The Times called the 1941 movie "superlative" and said it was "by far the hardest-hitting and most trenchant picture on the theme of democracy" Mr. Capra had yet made.Slide11
Career
In 1922 bluffed his way into making a successful one-
reeler
Columbia Pictures
(made a series of adventure films)
A Lady for a Day
1933
It Happened One Night
1934
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 1936
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 1939
Meet John Doe 1941
It’s a Wonderful Life 1947Slide12
"I always felt the world cannot fall apart as long as free men see the rainbow, feel the rain and hear the laugh of a
child”Slide13
Classic Narrative
Representation: signifies a world or a body of ideas
Semantics of narrative (semantics: the study of meaning)
Narrative can also be studied in terms of structure Slide14
Fabula
Russian formalist term for the narrative events in causal chronological sequence
Narration: the process of cueing a perceiver to construct a
fabula by use of
syuzhet
patterning and film style (the way the story is organized)
http://
www.youtube.com
/
watch?v
=vZyur2rlh6ASlide15
Syuzhet
and Hollywood Screenwriting Formula
Initial state of affairs which gets violated and must then be set right
Undisturbed stage
DisturbanceStruggle
Elimination of disturbance Slide16
Causality
The prime unifying principle
Cause and effect
Spacial
and Temporal representation are motivated by causalityThis process is especially evident in a device highly characteristic of classical narration: The deadlineSlide17
Classical
Syuzhet
presents a double causal structure
Heterosexual romance
Goals obstacle and climax (Work war mission or quest
)Slide18
Scenes
Hollywood narration clearly demarcates its scenes
Unity of time
Space (a definable locale)
“The bounds of the sequence will be marked by some standardized punctuations: dissolve, fade, wipe or sound bridge. Slide19
Scenes or Sequences
Usually are closed temporally and spatially, but open in terms of the overall causality
Always move causality forward
Montage (Classical Hollywood) Compresses time
Fills in information to move causality forward Slide20
Distinct Phases of a Scene
Exposition specifies the time, place and distinct characters relevant to it
In the middle of the scene characters act towards their goals
They often struggle, make appointments, set deadlines and plan for future events
The Classical scene either closes off cause-effect developments brought about in previous scenes or begins new onesSlide21
Syuzhet
Variations
A film in which the
Syuzhet
focuses on a single space for most of its duration will punctuate scenes in different waysA film that spans decades may need more than a simple fade to black to communicate that Slide22
Classical Hollywood Endings
Smooth careful linearity
Logical conclusion of the string of events
The final effect of the initial cause
Arbitrary readjustment of the world knocked awry in the previous 80 minutes
Sometimes this is predictable (in 100 sampled movies over 60 ended with a display of a united heterosexual couple)Slide23
Transparency and Visibility of Narration
Classical narration tends to be omniscient
Knows more than most or all of its characters
Conceals very little (except what will happen next)
First few shots (Overt narration—exposition)
Once the action starts, the narration becomes more covert (the character’s actions take over)Slide24
Montages
Tend to become self conscious
Express narrations awareness of the viewer
A classical Hollywood montage compresses timeSlide25
Soviet Montage
Aspects of cinema are juxtaposed for meaning or for heightened emotional effect
Not always clear in terms of demarcated scenesSlide26
Experimental Film
Causality is not always a factor
“ambiguous interplay of subjectivity and objectivity”Slide27
“Realistic” motivation
Audiences see films fully prepared
Conventions
Genre
Personality types Transtextual motivation (star system)Slide28
“Artistic” Motivation
“Moment of spectacle” or technical virtuosity
Unmotivated shift from the objective to subjective perspective
Connections between sequences ruminate on themes rather than causal relationships
Limited focus on a single goal
Musical numbers