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Author Topic: Will Silent Movies make a comeback?
Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted November 14, 2011 07:17 PM      Profile for Thomas Dafnides     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Check this out...its even rumored to be a contender for the best picture oscar.. THE ARTIST is a silent movie.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1810224313/trailer

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted November 15, 2011 07:54 AM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes, some theatres have already been dewired in anticipation.

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Bart Smith
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 228
From: Hackney, London
Registered: Feb 2007


 - posted November 15, 2011 08:37 AM      Profile for Bart Smith   Author's Homepage   Email Bart Smith   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
As Marcel Marceau said in Silent Movie - "Non!"

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www.bluecinetech.co.uk

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Allan Broadfield
Master Film Handler

Posts: 452
From: Bromley, Kent
Registered: Nov 2010


 - posted November 15, 2011 09:11 AM      Profile for Allan Broadfield   Author's Homepage   Email Allan Broadfield   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
That's excellent, Michael!

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Michael O'Regan
Film God

Posts: 3085
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Oct 2007


 - posted November 15, 2011 09:29 AM      Profile for Michael O'Regan   Email Michael O'Regan   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It may sound the death knell for many a star of the talking screen when their lack of acting ability will become obvious.

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Dino Everette
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1535
From: Long Beach, CA USA
Registered: Dec 2008


 - posted November 16, 2011 12:42 AM      Profile for Dino Everette     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Let's face it these days its more likely they'd take away the visuals than the sound. But hey...The artist is at least a start, unless it is just no dialogue but still plenty of "SWOOSH" "CRAAACK" and explosions. They've tried this before, Remember Ray Milland in The THIEF?

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"You're too Far Out Miss Lawrence"

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Claus Harding
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1149
From: Washington DC
Registered: Oct 2006


 - posted November 16, 2011 12:07 PM      Profile for Claus Harding   Email Claus Harding   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
...I can just see the look on the faces of the popcorn kids when the manager instructs them:
"Remember to keep the cranking speed consistent, and don't forget to trim the carbon arcs..." [Razz] [Big Grin] [Big Grin]

Claus.

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"Why are there shots of deserts in a scene that's supposed to take place in Belgium during the winter?" (Review of 'Battle of the Bulge'.)

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted November 16, 2011 12:45 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've always believed that a silent movie could actually make it today, with a score of course.

In fact, a wrote a full script for a silent movie. It's a murder thriller entitled, "Silenced" ...

As they used to put it, a "deaf and dumb" woman, who makes her living online, accidentally gets off her city bus at the wrong stop and witnesses a man killing a woman.

From this point on the woman is pursued by the man, who eventually catches her, but she escapes and thinks at first that she's killed him but is so soft hearted, that she goes back to see if he is dead. he isn't, and she nurses him back to health, only to find that he is deaf as well!

She falls in love with him over the second act of the picture, but the man is hiding something, (and I won't tell you what! haha! Thats just so that, though I've given enough of the plot to even start a good script, you won't have the hell of a surprise ending that my script has!) It's very "Hitch-Cockian"!

The neat thing is that for subtitles, we simply read what is typed on her screen or what she writes on her pad in public, and of course a good rousing score with four string quartets with grinding cellos going mad at parts! Yes, I even have most of the score written.

It was one of my dream films to make, on super 16 scope, (as I wanted it to have a realistic gritty feel), and I bet it would do quite well!

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Pasquale DAlessio
Film God

Posts: 3523
From: Bristol,RI, USA
Registered: May 2010


 - posted November 16, 2011 04:02 PM      Profile for Pasquale DAlessio     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
OZ

I like it. Git er done!

Pat

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted November 17, 2011 06:42 PM      Profile for Thomas Dafnides     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Osi,
Your script sounds fascinating. I can appreciate the work it takes to visualize a silent movie into a written script. What was the catalyst for this story concept?

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted November 18, 2011 12:48 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
A great love for just how much more craft would have to go into a silent movie. Dialogue can actually be a "crutch" in a modern movie, so easily thrown about ...

... but to be able to convey everything through movement, expression and a great musical score, that is another whole level of production entirely. The film that is taking off rather well at the moment is "aping" a classical silent film (taking place in that time), which actually was a wise move, as people tend to associate silent films with that era ...

My script takes place today, which is another whole ballgame.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted November 18, 2011 07:40 PM      Profile for Thomas Dafnides     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I agree, yours sounds much more ambitious in concept.
Remember DR ZHIVAGO? For me , the memorable scenes were all silent with music filling the void of sound.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005


 - posted November 19, 2011 12:46 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I like the thought of using silence in films.

There is a moment I've written into a script I wrote enetitled "The Bridge". It's a western that takes place during the civil war. In fact, at the beginning of the film, there would be a generous tip of the hat to Sergio Leone, as the whole idea springs from that wonderful sequence with the North and South fighting over a brige.

The plot ...

North and South are fighting for the bridge. As was often the case, two brothers are fighting on opposite sides, (though they don't know it at the moment). One general is regretting even being there and secretly wants to blow thew bridge, while the other general is maniacal and will take the bridge at all costs.

During all the fighting, (many bloody battles with various slow motiuon and such photography, no lack of graphic violence here)
the "good general" gets mortally wounded, and sends the brother out to dynamite the bridge, so he can hear it go up before he dies. This is to happen at night.

Meanwhile, the other brother decides the same damned thing after witnessing a horror of his own ...

With use of CGI and extreme slow motion, his best friend gets shot and as he twists upright before starting to fall, a cannonball splits him completely in two before before landing and blowing up a short distance behind his best friend.

The music?

The violence builds to a crescendo of ear shattering sound of screaming and cannons and gunfire. Suddenly, all is silent as we witness a a number of cuts back and forth, as the best friend is severed in two and still frame shots of the brother, wide eyed, his face covered in spattered blood, from different angles.

There is only a few seconds of complete silence, as then the same clamor of sound begins to fade back in.

Just the thought of this moment of silence and the impact has always fascinated me and I'd love to see it come to pass.

Oh, by the way, the captian under the maniacal general finally shoots the general and both sides end up, of course leaving the site, the bridge blown to smithereens.

Anyhow, another great script from a guy with great ideas who can't get them made.

Oh well, we can always settle for whatever mediorcre remake is foisted on us these days.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Thomas Dafnides
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: St. Louis, Missouri USA
Registered: Dec 2009


 - posted November 21, 2011 07:08 PM      Profile for Thomas Dafnides     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
There are websites that market screenplays...you advertise the screenplay with a synopsis of the story...the websites cater to those in film industry looking for new material.
A producer who may think your idea has commercial possibilities would then request to see the entire screenplay.

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