Motion Picture News (Sept-Oct 1916)

September 30, 1916 ACCESSORY NEWS SECTION 2089 Edited by Ernst Lux This department is maintained for the exhibitor s assistance with a view of suggesting proper musical illustrations for current photo plays. MOTION PICTURE NEWS will be pleased to help solve any difficulties the exhibitors may have with their musical programs. All communications should be addressed to the Music and the Picture Department. Synchronizing and Timing of Picture Music The Tenn " Synchronization " in Picture Music Has Become Twisted into Many Meanings — The True and Most Important Musical Synchronism to Screen Action Is the Obtaining and Maintaining of Positive Musical Temperaments Which Are in Accord with Screen Action THE term " synchronization " in picture music seems to have been twisted into all manner of meanings. Some think that when certain dances on the screen or titular screen suggestions are followed by musical mimicry, that they have thereby accomplished the most important in picture synchronism. This is but the smallest part and assuredly the most simple of all the requirements in picture playing. The true and most important musical synchronism to screen action is the obtaining and maintaining of positive musical temperaments which are in accord with the screen action. The last study taken up by all musical students is the learning of the effects of musical numbers, having diffeernt tempos, upon the human temperament. The reason for this being the student's last course is found in the fact that to be capable of knowing the above to be true, he must first be the master of every other requirement necessary to a successful musical career, if he would be capable of such an inspiration as would be necessary to understandingly determine this fact. That human beings, as well as all endowed with animal life, do respond temperamentally to music of all different types was scientifically proven by a professor in Harvard University some years ago. It is proven to the picture musician each and every day. When you play a popular one-step, the element that dances can't keep their feet still and when you play a slow number suggesting pathos, that person who has cultivated a benevolent fullness of heart can't restrain his or her tears. Patron Feels Cheated If There's No " Sob " Music A few years back if you played any sad music in the picture theatre you were thrown out bodily. I know what I am talking about because I was thrown out myself. To-day the average picture theatre patron who does not feel the pangs of sorrow at least once during a photoplay performance is positive that he has seen a poor show and that he did not get his money's worth. In other words, the entire facts are just reversed to day from what they were a few years back and this evolution of Picture Music was brought about by what I maintain to be the true meaning of musical synchronization in picture playing. It is not a difficult task in looking at a picture to note the points where someone may be dancing a waltz or one-step, etc., and set a proper number to such a scene. This does not require the efforts of advanced musical ability and can as a matter of fact be done hy a layman. The most important is temperamental synchronization. By temperamental synchronization is meant that at such points whereat the stage director of the screen action is trying to develop a certain sympathy for an individual character, the music at that time must synchronize and be of such tonal color as to influence the audience and create among them a temperamental feeling which will lay greater stress on the director's efforts and assist, by the maintaining of a temperamental mood, thereby inspiring the audience to that sympathetic feeling which will make the director's efforts worth while. I only cite one instance whereat a certain sympathy is to be maintained to a pathetic scene created. Nevertheless, the ad vanced scenario writer and director creates aversions and many other temperamental moods on the screen by prior action development. It is just as essential to follow these, for every temperamental change requires music of an entirely different character. This is what musical synchronization to pictures should really mean and will mean in the future when picture music becomes a matter of fact. Timing of Reels Has Nothing to Do with Musical Synchronism Another mistaken idea of synchronism is found in the much spoken of timing of music. Musical synchronism has nothing whatever to do with timing of reels and the sooner we all realize this the better it will be for picture music and all concerned. As long as six years ago I started to time music to reels and reels to music. I fought with every operator I ever came in contact with ; I had machines taken apart and put together again ; I had everything oiled and then oiled some more, and in fact made everybody about me as miserable as I could, trying to make them do the next to impossible. The final result was that I could not hope for anything better in projection than averagely good results as regards the time of running a thousand feet of film. The final solution was that the operator and the orchestral leader became co-operative and everything else was left to more or less good luck. After failing in my researches along this line there was but one other ecourse left and that was Picture Music. If we could not perfect the timing of the reels there was only one other thing to do, namely, the collecting of music suitable for picture work. Picture Music has consequently been my hobby and I have tormented publishers for years about it, and at this time I can see a realization of my ideas. Timing of reels is again greatly counteracted by theatre requirements which can seldom be overcome by the musician. The way to overcome this timing of reel proposition is in educating the musician or leader to the point of fitting his music, which is not a difficult task when he has the proper music in front of him. Term "Cue Sheet" Belittles the Work Knowing the above facts to be as here stated, it has always seemed to me that the term " cue sheet " belittles the work of setting music to pictures. A cue sheet means really nothing for if the temperamental possibilities of the music necessary to a picture are not properly plotted, what good are cues after all? Every separate requirement of any theatrical performance, whetlaer playing permanently in one theatre or on the road, is a plot and some of the most difficult shows that travel are put on in small towns with very little or no rehearsal by the use of these plots, and I dare say that 90 per cent, of pictures will be put on some day by the use of plots. Five years ago when I started to play to pictures with an augmented orchestra they called me crazy, but I note that now they are " all doing it."