Another silent film....

[MIDI Life Crisis]

My latest released score for the National Film Preservation Foundation accompanies this fun find. These folks at the NFPF really doing fantastic and amazing work on preserving our rich film heritage.

And of course, all in DP.

Enjoy!

http://www.filmpreservation.org/preserv ... hater-1910

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Awww... thanks. They're so much fun to work on.

[mhschmieder]

Well done -- the piano really works as the perfect accompaniment to this story.

One curiosity item: at roughly 1:00 into the film, does it appear to you (by lip-reading) that the main character utters the "S" word when he reads his rejection letter from his betrothed?

There's actually a few other moments later in the film (particularly with the uncle) where I could swear (no pun intended) that some colourful language is in use.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Ha ha ha! I believe you are correct, sir (to quote Ed McMahon).

I noticed as well. You can also read lips in other sections and other films. I've actually learned to read lips a little by working on these films over 25 years.

Sometimes there is a conscious effort on the part of the filmmakers to get close enough to an actor so that you can see what they're saying.

As for untoward language, it is astonishing how prevelent it is, especially in comedies.

Some actors didn't speak a word of English, so no clues are to be gained for those non fluent in the language in question. My fav moment in any film in this regard is in Chaplin's 1916-7 short, The Fireman. The "heavy" played by Eric Campbell steals a kiss from the ingenue, played by Edna Purviance. As he turns to walk away she can be clearly seen to be saying somewhat under her breath: Bastard!

The sub texts can be very funny at times.

Good call!

[Phil O]

Hey, nicely done as always, Michael. Thanks for the post.

Phil

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thanks, Phil.

[Tesionman]

WOW MLC!!!! You captured the emotion. I was never into the silent era... but hearing your playing changes. What an old movie.. just to think this was made even before the Titanic sank!!!
Superb job!

cheers

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Thanks for you very kind comment. There's a lot of great stuff in these old films. The next one coming out in a couple of weeks is going to turn a few heads. Alfred Hitchcock's first effort!

[mhschmieder]

I might have seen that one before. I'm a big fan of his silent films (one of which was a John Galsworthy adaptation -- though perhaps that was an early talkie; it's been too many years). He hadn't settled into his groove yet of making mystery/suspense films and even had a comedy or two alongside standard drama with no murders. He also did a German film with an English version that wasn't just a translation. But I may be confusing some of his early talkies with his silent films.

Anyway, I imagine you'll have fun with that project, and I look forward to whatever you do to bring out the story elements and characters. I think people unfairly dismiss the "missing soundtrack" as "not part of the movie", when clearly the directors had a "soundtrack" in mind, but also had to be good enough to make a film that would work with multiple soundtracks (at each location shown, and using different musicians).

I actually think it's kind of awesome that silent films can have "multiple versions" that bring out different aspects of the story. It relates to my sensibilities as a jazz musician.

[SixStringGeek]

I have no idea how these things worked back in the day (or now).

Is there any kind of music written down for these or did the pianists just wing it in the theaters when first run?

When you do one, is it basically all your composition then?

Curious about the process.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Sorry for the delay in writing back.

I have no idea how these things worked back in the day (or now).

Is there any kind of music written down for these or did the pianists just wing it in the theaters when first run?

When you do one, is it basically all your composition then?

Curious about the process.

There were some films with written scores, but most in the early days were thrown up on a screen and a musician had to make stuff up. Often it was just playing what they already knew which meant classical rep or songs of the day. Some distributors would send out music cue sheets that consisted of 8 bars of a piece to be played at a particular point here or there. The rest had to, again, be provided by the musician by improvisation or performing what they knew.

There's a book of music that was published in the 1920's or so that catalogued music by scene: Aeroplanes [sic], romance, comedy, chase, as well as by the ethnicity of the characters. I was recently given a collection of over 1000 pieces of sheet music (much of it original, unpublished work) that was held by a now deceased silent film accompanist. He donated it to a professor friend at the Univ of CA who didn't know what to do with it. Some very famous name composers are included in that stack of music - but not their unpublished works. The unpublished stuff is very interesting and very well done.

Still other venues would have small ensembles or even full orchestras with composed scores. These were rare and only in large cites where they could make back the investment in such a production. Some of these scores still survive and continue to be performed. A handful of composers (current company included) still write for large orchestras and have the scores performed while the film plays in the concert hall, as well as writing for smaller ensembles. Frankmax recently played on one of my scores and is doing his own scores. It's a different approach than mine, but no less valid and Frank is one helluva musician.

He recently posted a few here and as soon as I hit send I'm off to go watch those.

As far as what I do, I am a composer by occupation and have been so exclusively since 1976. Whatever I produce is original with me. I own the copyrights. If it is broadcast or otherwise performed, I collect the royalties. In some instances, I offer very generous terms to a producer if it will result in substantial exposure or publicity or widespread broadcast. That's how it works for me.

Other "professional silent film accompanists" often just get a flat fee and retain no rights at all. They call their works "compilations" which they often are. Others just take a couple hundred bucks (at best) and are happy to make that for the time it takes to create the score.

Still others produce scores to promote their own work and the films become secondary to the music. While I find this somewhat short-sighted, I am also in the position of having to answer to archives and clients who are very much concerned with the historic value of the films and want to see them scored with music that is appropriate to the period of the film and consistent with the onscreen story and locales. I'm not necessarily against more modern scores for silents and recently scored Hitchcock's first film effort which will be available on the web in a few weeks (I'll be sure to post a link here). That score is both contemporary and steeped in tradition and (hopefully) never overtakes the film or denigrates the intent of the filmmaker. It was recorded at a MOTUNation member's DP studio in LA and edited in my DP studio in Burbank.

I might have seen that one before. ...
Anyway, I imagine you'll have fun with that project... It relates to my sensibilities as a jazz musician.

Indeed, improv plays a large roll not only in scoring silent films, but in everything I write. It's my discovery process.

You probably haven't seen that film before as it was thought lost until about 2 years ago when it was found in New Zealand. It was only recently restored and repatriated and this is the first public screening since it was first released.

And yes, I absolutely have a blast with these scores.

[SixStringGeek]

That was very interesting. I had no idea. Thanks.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Any time. ☺ There is a rich history of music for silent film and an interesting bunch of characters involved in that area currently.