Film Theory and Silent Film

As a student in film school, one of the most popular subjects was film theory, which is an analytic study of film as a language. Film theory has many different forms to its approach over the years, yet I've always found the more experiential style to be most rewarding.

In film school, I had to read all the classics, including Bazin's What is Cinema?, Eisenstein's Film Form and Film Sense and Hitchcock/Truffaut, the definitive series of interviews between filmmakers Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut. These books and the numerous films I had a chance to see, gave me great insight as to how films are made and what filmmakers are actually trying to convey.

It's not entirely easy to break down a film's many levels. In some cases you have to watch a film several times to get the gist of what's being expressed. Much of the technique focuses on lighting, composition and especially editing. In my film theory classes, we'd watch a film and then a specific scene would be shown on an analytic projector. For example, my professor spent almost an hour breaking down each individual shot of the shower scene in Psycho, so that we could understand the impact of rapid cuts and short shots and how they comprise a gripping sequence that 50 years later is still studied so meticulously.

Some film schools incorporate a form of anthropology and psychoanalysis in their film theory, which wasn't what I was exposed to. Instead, it was more about the film itself and the use of technique to create mood and feeling. It also provided a great opportunity to see films that I had never had a chance to see before, including the work of Stan Brakhage, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Jean Cocteau, and Dziga Vertov among many others.

This kind of experience was very beneficial to my film school education, as it influenced my approach to filmmaking. Much of this derives from narrative theory, yet in film, the use of images alone can tell a story, for example the early silent films, some of which used intertitles to show dialog.

Silent films are important to a film school education and in film theory as well. Until the advent of sound, all there was were silent films. Yet where some students may find silent films dry and boring, there's a wealth of cinematic knowledge contained therein to explore.

There were many films in the silent era that didn't use intertitles and were equally successful in creating mood and in telling a story, such as Dimitri Kirsanoff's Menilmontant (1926) in which a brutal axe murder occurs in the film's opening minutes. There's no blood, no severed limbs, just a quick succession of shots that are tightly assembled to create a sense of terror. And also F.W. Murnau's The Last Laugh (1924), which tells the melodramatic tale of a beloved hotel doorman who is demoted to a washroom attendant, again without the use of any intertitles. Most of Murnau's films including his take on the Dracula legend, Nosferatu (1922), were some of the most impressive silent films ever made in terms of their use of expressionist elements, which unlike many silent films, haven't aged at all.

Most film schools and especially film theory can provide a greater understanding of silent films and how they tell a story. Sometimes the silent can be a bit daunting to sit through, but they make for a rewarding experience and are crucial to any film education.

How To Enhance Your Home Movies With Simple Sound Techniques

Foley is the process of capturing realistic sounds with props to replace or enhance existing sounds in film, television, or radio. The technique was introduced around 85 years ago and is named after its originator, Jack Foley.

When a film is recorded, it's usually only actors' voices that are captured. Post-filming, sounds that weren't picked up by the cameras, such as footsteps or a key unlocking a door, are enhanced with Foley, in sync with the recorded footage.

There are three main categories of Foley:

'Feet' involves capturing and syncing the sound of actors' footsteps 'Cloth' deals with the sound of actors' clothing as they move 'Props' refers to other sounds, such as pulling keys out of a pocket. This article covers five simple Foley techniques that are easy to create and record, and will enhance your home movies.

Rain

The sound of rainfall can evoke feelings of sadness, but it can also add to a sense of hope such as rain preceding sunshine breaking out. Recording rainfall may seem easy, but it's quite difficult to do it well; pouring water from a watering can won't be as realistic as it could be. Instead, try the Foley technique of dropping grains of rice onto tin foil. The greater the distance from which you release the grains, the more prominent the sound will be.

Snow

When you think of winter scenes in movies, you think of snow. And you can recreate the sound of walking in it with a simple Foley technique which is ideal for footage you shot around Christmas.

It's important to create the feel of a cold, crisp climate, rather than a grey, sludgy one. Achieving this with actual snow can be very difficult, but there's another white substance that can produce the same effect.

Simply put some flour into a cotton bag and squeeze it in sync with the footsteps in your recorded footage. This creates a crunch, which reflects walking in fresh winter snow.

Heartbeat

The sound of a heartbeat has been used successfully for many years to either create a sense of fear or to build tension. You can achieve the very same effect in your home movies with Foley methods. For example, if you've recorded a relative in a game of sport, the sound of a heartbeat coupled with a close-up just before the deciding kick of the game can greatly enhance tension and anticipation.

And there are a couple of ways you can do this. Either screw up a damp flannel or cloth and sharply stretch it with two hands, or simply press the sides of a large plastic container or bin, in and out.

Footsteps

Movies you've recorded often show someone walking and, depending on the surface, the sound of footsteps will create a sense of reality in the scene.

Your camera or smartphone is unlikely to pick up the sound of those footsteps, but the Foley process makes it easy to reproduce. All you need is a section of wood, marble of whatever the relevant surface is made from, and a pair of suitable shoes.

Put the shoes on your hands or feet and sync the footsteps in time with your footage. Consider the effect you want to create; for example, someone walking on marble in a large room requires an echoed effect to convey the open space.

Ocean

If you've captured footage at the beach, Foley can recreate the sound of the ocean which will greatly enhance your movies. For example, the lilting, soothing sound of waves rippling onto the shore can evoke a relaxing, placid feel.

You can replicate this by pouring a fizzy drink on to a hard surface such as tarmac. Be sure not to pour from too great a height because you don't want to capture the sound of the drink actually hitting the floor. And similarly, don't pour with the bottle held at 180 degrees which only creates an unrealistic glugging sound.

The best use of Foley goes unnoticed by the audience When produced and applied successfully, Foley sounds can add to the atmosphere of a scene, while appearing unmistakably realistic to the audience.