Audio and Color in Films

     

Audio in Films

   In the early years of film, the way to synchronize audio and video were not discovered yet. That is why the first films were actually silent films. Good synchronization of audio and sound was difficult to do, especially because this technique was new and it affected the quality of the film if not done properly. They encountered many volume and recording problems, finding the most effective way to join audio and video to create a sound film. Being large and noisy, the first recording gear presented a huge problem to movie-makers. The first sound films were mostly static because actors needed to basically talk towards a static microphone, affecting the overall quality and effect of the movie. Also, there were other problems, like the simple fact that actors had voices that did not match their character and appearance. This affected the movie and the creation of the movie by a large amount. Some even had to use other people's voices in order to make the film acceptable and successful. These and other simple difficulties were encountered by producers and directors in those early years.

   However, they began to discover new and effective ways to record sound, like placing the microphone on a stick and maintain it out of the camera's view. As time passed and new ways of recording were discovered and applied, short sound films began to be released. These were known as "talking pictures" or "talkies". This was a great innovation at the time, since most movies back then only included music and camera effects (video). Seeing a film were someone talks to you on that time was a real shocking experience, a start of a new era of film. 

The Jazz Singer

   The first full-length film released as a talkie was The Jazz Singer on 1927, produced by Warner Bros. Including synchronized dialogue (audio and video), this new sound film began the era of the talkies and the end of the silent film times. Becoming well-known throughout the world, The Jazz Singer was recorded and made using a Vitaphone, a incredible audio technology device made by the Warner Brothers themselves. This innovative sound film became the model for all the other sound films that were presented after. Becoming a world-wide sensation, sound films ultimately ended the era of silent films. 

   As sound films continued to be made, new techniques were used with audio to intensify the movie and affect the audience in a wider range. From division between sounds actually taking place in the story to opera music, these new combinations and ideas gave the film more emotion, intensity and connection with the spectators. Other effects, like adding the sound of a heartbeat in a tragic or dramatic scene, arose more emotions and feelings in the audience, actually making a connection with the characters and events of the story. Real-life sounds, like the splashing of rain, the powerful strike of a thunder and many mare were introduced and included in these innovative sound films. These new techniques and effects lead to more, resulting in all the audio technologies and uses that can be found in movies in the XXI century.

^ The Jazz Singer - Mammy (Al Jolson) ^

^ More of The Jazz Singer ^

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The Wizard of Oz

   Color in Films

   Films were first created black and white. In addition to being silent, films in the early years did not appear with colors, only black and white. After some time, some shots were hand-painted to create new and innovative effects in silent films. They also film-tinted some movies because the color was a crucial aspect and component of the entire story, like in The Phantom of the Opera. Many films introduced this technique, which proved to be effective in changing the intensity and perception of the movie, but it took time and still needed more coloring technologies. This all changed when technicolor was was created in 1916. It is a color motion picture procedure where three different strips of color were used and, when combined together through processing (the colors with different intensities and magnification), they produced the desired colors. These basic colors were red, green and blue (RGB). Even though the technology was expensive and required large amounts of light, it revolutionized color film history. However, even though color motion picture films were the new sensation, black and white films were still made (even today).

    One of the most fantastic and well-known color films was The Wizard of Oz, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1939. Because of its use of technicolor technology, this film is widely known today. The most part of the film is in color, except for the beginning at the end (and the credits), where the story appears in sepia. This film was actually made to promote the use of colors, especially in film (with also a commercial purpose). The whole concept of the story is that Oz is like the representation of a rainbow, with its numerous display of colors. With the use of the RGB color technology, The Wizard of Oz was the starting point of all technicolor films. In addition to the use of color, this film also promoted the people that planned to go to the city, which usually ended in worse conditions, stayed in their homes. 

^ The Wizard of Oz (1939) original trailer ^

^ We can see the change from sepia to technicolor. ^

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   As we can see, the integration of sound and color to films revolutionized film history and tradition. From silent films to sound films and from black/white films to technicolor films, we can agree that the use of new technology has changed the world of motion pictures in a significant way. These changes had made films more interactive with the audience, connect the audience with even more senses than the eye (hearing), and has made emotions and feeling arise more effectively. The integration of audio and color in films truly created and were the base of the film making of today.

Have a good night!

Sincerely,

Michelle