Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Silent Movie Right after G. I. Joe

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Posted by Ralph Martin (Member # 4876) on 08-09-2009, 01:26 AM:

Hi All,

Some may remember me - I’m the music director of Vacaville Christian High School. Last year you all were a huge help in providing me with advice about screening the silent movie, Wings right before Batman: The Dark Knight in a 16-plex theater with a live orchestra.

Since I was asked by so many nice people on this forum to check in from time to time I thought I would let you know what’s happening.

This Tuesday and Wednesday, August 12 and 13 we are screening another silent film in the same theater. This time it’s Lotte Reiniger’s Prince Achmed. It’s the first known surviving full-length animated feature and was done in silhouette with tinted frames. I got the 35mm print from Milestone Films (very nice people) and got hold of the original score from its release premier in 1926!

It’s a beautiful, clean print and I’m excited about presenting it in a modern theater. We follow the new G.I. Joe movie on the same screen :-)

The musical score was in terrible shape as it had to be completely re-edited for synchronization but thanks to you screening the actual print will not be a problem. I kept the aperture plate and lens from last year’s Wings screening.

Well thanks again.

For those who are interested - I’ll let you know how it goes :-)

Ralph

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-09-2009, 03:53 AM:

I didn't see your posts last year Ralph. But just out of curiosity have these prints been modified with extra frames or does the projector in that auditorium have a variable speed motor to normalize the action on the screen? I'd been interested in knowing how it goes.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 08-09-2009, 06:46 AM:

Hello Ralph,

Welcome back and thanks for your report and update.

I had a class in animation with Lotte Reiniger in the mid 1950s. She was very feeble at that time but shared her techniques with us. We each made a 5 minute short and the results were shown at the end of our class along with her "Prince Achmed" film.

The technique is to cut figures of flat sheet lead and then join them with brads like used to keep paper sheets together. The process is very time consuming as each frame is photographed individually and all of the figures are moved slightly between each frame. Her work is very precise and on screen it looks much like an Oriental shadow play.

Great work it is that you are doing. Best wishes for continued success.

KEN

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-09-2009, 10:26 AM:

I'd just like to add that if everyone in the biz was as nice as Dennis and Amy at Milestone, it would be a whole lot better world for film.

Posted by John Hawkinson (Member # 1135) on 08-09-2009, 05:30 PM:

Here's a link to Ralph's post from last year about Wings.

--jhawk

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-09-2009, 05:49 PM:

quote: Kenneth Wuepper
I had a class in animation with Lotte Reiniger in the mid 1950s. She was very feeble at that time but shared her techniques with us. We each made a 5 minute short and the results were shown at the end of our class along with her "Prince Achmed" film.

I've got a 35mm print of one of her films, though the first few seconds are missing. Along with all the other remaining films in my collection it will be going soon. Most has already gone during the last few years; I've only got about 30 shorts left on 16 and 35mm.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 08-09-2009, 08:24 PM:

quote: Ralph Martin
it’s Lotte Reiniger’s "Prince Achmed"

(on a side note: one should find the DVD of this movie, either by NetFlix or store rental .. quite an interesting film...) -Monte

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 08-10-2009, 08:12 AM:

Ralph,

How many shows did you do for last year's film, and how many people did you get in? Since you say a plate had to be cut I asume that this is a venue which doesn't normally show silent film.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 08-10-2009, 09:27 AM:

I ran a print of "Prince Achmed" with a live orchestera
at at an event last year. (probably the same print)

I'd only seen short clips of the movie it on the "Arts"
channel, and had always wanted to see the whole thing.

I'm glad I finally got the opportunity, even with
having to deal with doing change-overs, etc. ..

It's quite a movie and I'm still in awe of what she
was able to do with animated flat paper cut-outs.

The fine details in character and the fluidness of
animation must have taken great effort & planning to
achieve. It's truly a unique, rare work of film art.
It's a shame this film isn't better known.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 08-10-2009, 11:20 AM:

Jim,

The figures are made of sheet lead. That way they are easier to control under the camera. Paper would drift about on the animation stand and make the motion very unpredictable.

KEN

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 08-11-2009, 10:36 AM:

Thanks, Ken. Using fine lead sheets makes a lot
more sense than paper. But it makes me even more
impressed at the fine details she was able to
achieve, such as the lace in the Prince's
garments and in the trees, and buildings, etc.

Posted by Ralph Martin (Member # 4876) on 08-13-2009, 03:04 AM:

Hello all,

Thanks for all the well-wishes :-)
We just had our first of two performances. We sold the house (321 tickets).

Thursday is the second and final performance.

Here is our local paper’s article. The picture is from the run-through rehearsal with the print at the movie theater. I like the picture but the house light were on so the screen looks dark. The actual presentation is much brighter and no obstruction from the orchestra save a small soft glow from the stand lights that actually gives it a Fantasia-Like look.

http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_13043451

Robert: This is a modern 16-plex theater. I had to file an aperture plate and purchase a lens for the full-frame film for last year’s screening of Wings. All is at 24 frames per second and the print is plattered – with permission from Milestone.

I was afraid that the film would run too fast as I had heard that maybe the movie should be run at 22fps. But the speed was just fine – the same as the milestone dvd. I don’t know if it was adjusted to run at 24fps but I doubt it.

Stephen: We did two performances last year with great results I don’t recall the numbers but they were very good. Last nights screening was a no-more-tickets-to-sell night. If I recall I think it happened at Wings as well. The community really gets behind stuff like this.

This is our 3rd silent movie. the first one was Metropolis. That one was a sond academy 35mm print from Kino (also very nice people), We just turned off the soundtrack.

Posted by Robert E. Allen (Member # 1351) on 08-14-2009, 03:36 AM:

Hi Ralph:

If the screen action was normal and the machine was running at 24fps then the distributor had frames added, probably when it was prepared for DVD, which slowed the original 18fps down. Thanks, you answered the question whether you knew it or not.

Posted by Ralph Martin (Member # 4876) on 08-15-2009, 01:27 PM:

Robert, you're probably right - especially if it was made to run at 18fps (I had heard 22fps). The music was spot-on in terms of speed. Any faster and the musical score wouldn't have made any sense.