MUAR 211 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Warner Bros., Max Steiner, Theatre Organ
20 Feb 2018
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Document Summary
The birth of cinema took place in paris in the 1890s, beginning with the short films of louis and. Because of technological limitations, films of the 1890s were under a minute long and until 1927 motion pictures were produced without sound. This period is commonly called the silent era of film. To enhance the viewers" experience, silent films were commonly accompanied by live musicians in an orchestra, a theatre organ, and sometimes sound effects and even commentary spoken by a showman or projectionist. In 1926 warner brothers studios invented the vitaphone system, capable of synchronizing recorded music (at that time, a phonograph) with action on film reels. From this point to the present, film producers have hired composers to arrange or create music that intensifies the experience of film viewing. One particularly noteworthy early composer of sophisticated film music is max steiner.
