Technological Development in Film History - Essay Example

? Technological Development in Film History - The Impact of Sound on Film Form Technological Development in Film History - The Impact of Sound on Film Form Technological innovation dictates film form. This statement is true in view of the film industry today and in retrospect what it used to be at the onset of film form in the late 19th century. Film form has in all aspects changed from what it used to be in the beginning. The transformation in film form stems from technological innovation and development in changing all original aspects of film form to what it is today (Livingston & Plantinga, 2012). Film form has been changed by technological development in areas such as colour, viewing modes, recording, film genre, narrative, aesthetics, as well as sound. Sound is one of the inputs that are mostly taken for granted when people are watching a film. The truth is an era in which films were silent before innovation of sound existed. These were known as silent films, which did not have any synchronized sound, recorded and no dialogue that was spoken. These films used title cards, mime, and muted gestures to entertain the audiences (O'brien, 2005). The thought of combining the motion pictures with recording of sound is almost as old as invention of film form itself. However, this idea was not crystallized into synchronized dialogue until the late 1920’s due to the technological challenges that were involved (Chion & Gorbman et al., 1994). Introduction of the system known as Vitaphone and perfection of the amplifier tube known as audion were among the first archaic technologies to pave way for modern day sound in film. Sound films were the motion pictures which sound had been synchronized with picture. Edison conceived the synchronization of the visual medium and a phonograph he invented would make sound film. This was around the year 1885 more than thirty years before commercial feasibility of sound film. There were several problems to be overcome by inventors and entrepreneurs before actualization and acceptance of sound into film form (Livingston &Plantinga, 2012). Silent film lovers were perhaps content with silent movies because they were always accompanied with some kind of music and the presence of narration seemed to augur well with the small town folk. Another obstacle was the fact that by the 1920s the industry of silent film was the mainstay of film form in the aspects of film writing, photography, music and acting. Technologically, there was difficulty in matching sound and the visuals such as was audible to all in the audience. Synchronization of looks (of the actors) and their voices was also important in giving sound film acceptance (O'brien, 2005). These problems were namely synchronization as well as amplification. These difficulties facing silent screenwriters in finding the right balance between dialogue and action were gradually overcome in order to make the film going experience more fulfilling than it had been before (Livingston &Plantinga, 2012). The first of the sound films to incorporate synchronized sound were known as talkies or talking pictures and included only effects and music with the first film to feature as a talkie was “The Jazz Singer” in the month of October 1927 by Warner Bros (Chion &Gorbman et al., 1994). However, this was replaced by sound on film, which also triumphed over sound on disc still in the era between 1914 and early 1930s (from conception to early perfection) Sound on film was one of the revolutions in the film form industry ensured more synchronization between sound and actions thus improving the quality of film viewing. Among the first impacts of sound technology on film form were the negative consequences such as the complexity and difficulty in production occasioned by introduction of live recording of sound. The cameras were very noisy and needed a soundproofed cabinet as a way of isolating the loud noise of the equipment from the voices of the actors this limited the movement of the camera (O'brien, 2005). Another technological aspect of film influenced by sound in the history of film form was the standardization of speed for the projector and camera for proper recording as well as playback of sound. Before advent of sound, silent films were hurriedly recorded to shorten film-running time and to also squeeze in some extra shows as only actions mattered. However, this changed with the onset of sound in film with strict standards in frame rate having to be set so as to enhance audibility (Chion & Gorbman et al., 1994). Another impact of the advent of sound is that it necessitated the departure of film form from noisy arc lights, which were used in the process of filming in studio interiors to the quiet incandescent illumination. This led to a switch to more costly film stock whose sensitivity helped to deliver superior images in quality of tone and enabled the film directors to shoot the movie scenes at levels of light lower than could be possibly done previously. Technological improvements in sound between 1932 and 1935 led to invention of directional microphones, reduction of ground noise, extension of the volume range, as well as increase of frequency range used in film recording (O'brien, 2005). Such technical advances influenced the aesthetic opportunities in film form industry by increasing recording fidelity, and heightening the possibilities of dramatizing loudness, pitch, and vocal timbre. As opposed to the silent film era, introduction of sound in film form (mainly the music) was important in setting the mood of the viewers. It is the sound of human voices that really expresses the emotion desired be it fear, anger, joy, apprehension, or even sadness. Sound (in this case music) helps to tell the story through addition of extra punch to visual images. Music in itself conveys the message and can propel the viewers to a different time zone either past or future. Dialogue is used in telling the story to the audience (O'brien, 2005). Sound on screen helped to give voice to the characters and amplification of sounds made by the objects in the story. Sound actually livened the film giving it an extra level of reality, emotion, texture, and credibility to a particular scene. Music was also important in the actualization of dramatic effects of an action in the film. The advent of sound in film form made it play an equal role to the visuals and not just as side-aid. Sound helped film directors to use the films from the early 1920s to tell stories about places and people as well as to cue in events and objects that were not within the frame. In this sense, it was necessary to consider the place of sound during pre-production and not post production, playing an important role in how film directors shoot films from the early 1900s to date. Sound technology made significant impact in early film form industry as early as late 1929 where Hollywood was nearly made up of talkie films only. Other places like China and Japan waited until the mid-1930s in order to get sound technology. Although the transition was a difficult one, with many stage writers, performers, and directors being unable to adjust to the changes in technology thus finding their careers greatly curtailed and some ended, there was greater positive impact of sound technology in film form. In real sense, the comedies were then able to move from just slapstick to more witty dialogue. Horror movies had tension incorporated into them from outside of the frame, action sets were able to have huge explosion sounds and drama was all the more intensified. The technological revolution of sound and sound effects in the film form industry from the perspective of pioneering sound editors served three functions or had three profound impacts. First, sound was employed to stimulate reality (Chion & Gorbman et al., 1994). However, minute a detail this seems, there was a notable difference between the silent films and the talkies all the way to sound on film. Reality of sound serves as a tool so compelling to the viewer that it can bring correlation between fiction and real life in film form. An example is the compelling sounds of intergalactic battles or high-speed travelling spaceships in all space operas from as early as the 1930s creation of Buck Rogers (Chion & Gorbman et al., 1994). Gun action in the early classical cowboy movies and westerners started sounding real and made for quite juicy viewing. In addition, the great Hollywood musicals of the 1930s brought appeal to the stars who were themselves not the real musicians. Another impact of sound on film form as stipulated by sound editors was the addition or creation of some things off scene that were not actually there. This was realized in provision of sound effects to create some advanced the visual scenes (O'brien, 2005). This feature gave film directors the chance to add some sounds that could not be available easily as ambient noises by dubbing them onto the visuals. The Foley artist is used to match the type of sound, which the maker of the film wants as the film rolls on the screen, to the image that is projected (Livingston and Plantinga, 2012). This invention included but not limited to, clopping of horses into the distance, roaring of crowds, and echo effects. The third impact as stipulated by early sound directors was the creation of moods in the film forms. The background of a movie could have some sound, which can be matched to the scene that is taking place. Sound was also seen as an important element in introducing the plot and creating intrigue in the film form. Therefore, it is true from the above examination of the impact of sound in film form that technological innovation dictates film form. References Livingston, P. and Plantinga, C. 2012. The Routledge companion to philosophy and film. [New York?]: Taylor & Francis Chion, M., Gorbman, C. and Murch, W. 1994. Audio-vision. New York: Columbia University Press O'brien, C. 2005. Cinema's conversion to sound. Bloomington: Indiana University Press Read More