How to add sound to amateur films (1954)

silence. Somebody will titter at the wrong place, and the mood of the audience will then cease to follow the film. But if you provide even quiet music, the titter will not be heard and if you choose the music with care, you can rely on its keeping the audience in a receptive mood. Music for Atmosphere The provision of such music, often called mood music, can transform a silent film from an artificial monstrosity to an artistic masterpiece. You may not consider your own films potential masterpieces, but mood music can nevertheless improve them immensely. Landscapes which are disappointingly monotonous when seen in silence become charged with atmosphere when accompanied by the right music. Continuity of sound can mask poor continuity of picture. Where you failed to prepare pictorially for a dramatic sequence, it can often be ushered in by music which is subtly menacing. In short, your old films will appear twice as good with mood music. And what of your new films ? Will music still be required when you have learnt from the mistakes you made in your earlier efforts ? It will always help. And if you shoot your film with a certain piece in mind, there is a wealth of new fields for you to explore. You will not be the first to provide a visual interpretation of "Rustle of Spring". But you may be the first to visualise a Bach Fugue in terms of the everyday round of a housewife. With a little care, you can edit your film to fit a gramophone record as accurately as if the music had been written for the film. Commentaries and Effects Nor are you confined to the use of commercial gramophone records. You can now make, or have made, recordings of your voice or almost any sounds you require. It is thus a relatively simple matter to record a commentary for your holiday film, pointing the shots with interest, humour and 8