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Author Topic: Film music and sound history and facts Andy Summers Master Film Handler Posts: 397 From: Bournemouth Dorset United kingdom Registered: Jun 2005 posted 10-07-2005 06:59 PM                 Hallo all What I like to know about is the early days of cinema before the advert of sound, I know they where called silent films, way before “Al Jolson” said those immortal words in 1927 with “The Jazz Singer” “You haven’s heard any thing yet” so what I like to know it was the piano that helped tell the story. So if any one on the film-tech forums got any historical knowledgeable facts, I would like to hear from you, along with some direct links to some exclusive sites on this topic. Thank you all.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-07-2005 07:37 PM                        Suggested reading. The essays in this book focus on what and how sound was played in cinemas before sychronised, electronic audio recording became the industry norm - which I get the impression is what you're interested in finding out about. More suggested reading - standard economic/cultural history of the conversion period. A little dry and textbooky, but very comprehensive. More suggested reading. As above, but written for a more mainstream than academic audience. That's not to criticise it in any way - Eyman's book is very solidly researched and does a great job of bringing the story to life for a more mainstream readership than Crafton's. Related suggested reading - not on sound specifically, but fills in the background context to audio recording related to film in the pre-conversion period very well. More related suggested reading - a social history of audio recording: again, not specifically related to film sound, but explains a lot about how the technologies used for film sound recording grew out of the telecommunications, radio and recorded music industries.  |  IP: Logged Andy Summers Master Film Handler Posts: 397 From: Bournemouth Dorset United kingdom Registered: Jun 2005 posted 10-07-2005 07:57 PM                 Leo’ Chreers for that information there, I’ll pass this on to The College, LRC next week as I’ve got an assignment to do and gathering all the facts as much as possible, again cheers man you’re a lifesaver totally indispensable. I have also got on lone form the library a book called “Film Art an introduction”, sixth edition by David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson. http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/007118001X.02.LZZZZZZZ.gif http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/007118001X/202-3160525-1798256 Also--- ---What was the frequency response please of the “vitaphone” sound system, that was used in the cinemas back in 1927, not soon after the “vitaphone” was replaced with film sound placed alongside the films image, what was the frequency response of that sound system which was called the, “RCA” optical recording system, wasn’t it? Cheers….  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 10-07-2005 10:38 PM                     A number of interesting cinema facts and firsts are discussed in this thread !  |  IP: Logged Andy Summers Master Film Handler Posts: 397 From: Bournemouth Dorset United kingdom Registered: Jun 2005 posted 10-08-2005 07:49 AM                 Mike’ Cheers, for that, that post only had one useful bit of information that was posted by Mitchel... ________________________________________________________________ -Quote- Serious answer, it would have to be some Edison short. Edison was quoted in the late 1890's as having invested resources in motion pictures only so that people could see the people recorded on his phonographs. He produced prototypes of his peep show kintoscopes with sync'd cylinder phonographs, but at the same time projected movies were taking hold, and sound amplification sufficient for theatre use did not exist, delaying the sound for 30 years. You may want to contact the Edision National Historic Park in West Orange NJ. It is run by the National Park Service, and comprises most of his original labratories. The tour is real interesting if you are ever in NJ. /Mitchell _______________________________________________________________ The rest was all Loony tune time….well at lest I found something useful, again cheers… Wasn’t “Thomas Edison” the first pirate after thieving from “Marie-Georges-Jean Méliés” copying his films and making a huge pocket of money, now after my chief projectionist telling me16 years ago how, brilliant the guy was. Tell you the truth no I don’t like the guy, thieving bustard…. Poor ole “Georges Méliés” made no profit out of this venture, man I really feel sorry for “Georges Méliés” (Edison you should be ashamed…)  |  IP: Logged Jeffry L. Johnson Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 809 From: Cleveland, Ohio, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 10-08-2005 10:34 AM                        Film Sound History Motion Picture Sound part 1 Méliès is the correct spelling.  |  IP: Logged Andy Summers Master Film Handler Posts: 397 From: Bournemouth Dorset United kingdom Registered: Jun 2005 posted 10-08-2005 11:44 AM                 Jeffry’ Cheers, now that’s spot on wall to wall technical facts, why wasn’t I look for those sites, I’ve passed by them in the past, just didn’t save them, now I have saved them to the college briefcase, I have some work to do. Again cheers a whole lot, indispensable.  |  IP: Logged Leo Enticknap Film God Posts: 7474 From: Loma Linda, CA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 10-08-2005 12:33 PM                        quote: Andy Summers Chreers for that information there, I’ll pass this on to The College, LRC next week... At least it's not just my own institution which is incapable of calling a library a library! But if yours is on a spending spree, you could mention this one. I get about 26p in royalties for each copy sold, and every little helps... quote: ---What was the frequency response please of the “vitaphone” sound system... A vast improvement on acoustic disc and cylinder recording, but it wouldn't give Ray Dolby a run for his money. I can't remember the figure. If you want that sort of detailed information, the best place to look is one of the many projectionist training manuals which were produced during and shortly after the conversion. Needless to say these are out of print and not easy to get your hands on. For example, James R. Cameron, Motion Pictures With Sound (Manhattan Beach, Cameron Publishing Co., 1929) contains a lot of specs and stats relating to virtually the cinema reproduction systems on the market at that time, Vitaphone included. The last time I was in London I saw a copy in the secondhand section of this bookshop for £40. If your college has an inter-library loans facility it might be worth trying that route.  |  IP: Logged

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