The Coming of Sound in Film1926-1931

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Quick Timeline of Early Sound: All early systems required Edison’s phonograph

Rough synchronization was possible in 1889 with Edison. In 1900 three different inventors had figured out how to synchronize phonograph records to

projected film strips. Between 1903 to 1908 Oskar Messter produced short synchronized musical scores to all of his

short films. Sound on film system introduced by Eugene Lauste in 1910 which became basis of RCA photo

phone (one of 2 major sound on film systems adopted by Hollywood) Sound on film system called Tri-Ergon came shortly after and helped by adding a flywheel

mechanism with sprockets to keep the film strip moving at the correct speed. This was bought by Fox in 1927.

Lee de Forest was the last sound on film system inventor and he solved the problem of amplification by adding an audion tube. His system was for sale by 1922.

Technological Problems

No matter what was tried there were three major issues: Synchronizing sound and image Amplifying the sound for a large audience Trying to figure out how the different formats would work together especially since the

longest phonograph cylinder was 4 minutes (the disc was still just 5 minutes) and the feature length film was obviously longer (since sound was recorded onto a disc or cylinder and image was recorded onto a film strip).

The latter was the most difficult to solve even automatic changers did not help because synchronization was a bigger issue then.

Does anyone know the solution?

Sound on Film System: copy down bold It was reasoned at this point that the massive problems of synchronization encountered

in the disc systems could be solved by recording the sound on the same strip of film as the images.

This could be done by converting sound waves into patterns of light and shade. This was actually understood for years but it was Eugene Augustin Lauste (former mechanical assistant to W.K.L. Dickson) in 1910 who was the first to actually do it. He named his process Photocinematophone which later became the basis for RCA Photophone (one of the two major sound systems adopted by Hollywood).

Then three German inventors patented the Tri-Ergon system which used a photoelectric cell to convert sound waves into electric impulses and then that into light waves that were recorded onto a film strip. They also added a special mechanism with sprockets to make sure the film went through the projector at just the right speed so the sound was not distorted. This flywheel mechanism was heavily patented so all other manufacturers had to pay Tri-Ergon royalties. Tri-Ergon eventually sold its American rights to William Fox of Fox Film Corporation in 1927 (this was later ruled illegal in 1935 by the U.S. Supreme Court but oh well). Tri-Ergon sold its other rights to some other guys.

Now to the problem of amplification. Dr. Lee de Forest was another inventor with another sound on film system which solved that problem. He patented the Audion 3-Electrode Amplifier. An audion tube was found necessary for amplification in all future sound systems. By 1922 it was ready to go.

Who wants sound though?

Lee de Forest tried and tried to get Hollywood producers to buy his system but they did not want to spend their money to convert their entire system of production and distribution to sound.

So, in 1927 the film industry was facing some difficulties. People were aware that sound was possible but money was in the way. It was a studio that wasn’t the biggest or the best that decided to take a chance on talking pictures. All of the other studios refused. In fact this studio was one for the poor and middle class and it was an ideal for them to have the same sounds in the smaller and bigger theaters alike (an orchestra or whatnot no matter how rich the theater).

In 1926, one studio bought Vitaphone, a sound-on-disc system (developed by AT&T). In 1926 this studio put out a film called Don Juan starring John Barrymore. It had a

recorded score. Does anyone know which one?

What Changed?

The answer is Warner Brothers. Does anyone know the name of the film that changed everyone’s minds about

converting to sound?Sound Movie Timeline: Don Juan (1926) was the first sound film: only a musical score. There’s the film that changed everyone’s minds about the conversion (see next slide) The Lights of New York (1928)

The Jazz Singer

The Jazz Singer is considered the first talkie (not all-talkie). It has a musical score plus dialogue and singing. It’s not actually the first all-talkie because there are some ‘silent’ parts. It would have taken much longer and more money to make it an all-talkie. The film industry overall hoped that the film would not succeed and that people would forget about sound. They knew that the amount of money it would take could actually end the film industry itself.

The Jazz Singer made over 3.5 million the day of its premiere worldwide. This one film though showed the rest of the film industry that sound films were here to stay and would be successful.

By the way, since most theaters were not equipped for sound, they had to put out an all silent version as well.

The Conversion

Problems with conversion: New sound stages would have to be built, all theaters would have to be re-wired, and

all new sound equipment, etc. would be expensive. Actors and actresses that had the star power to get audiences watching could be

ruined since these actors/actresses were not trained to speak, only to mime. Microphones to record well and not record all sounds. Lighting was a problem because the lights made a buzzing noise. The estimate to convert was 50 million. Studios had to borrow the money from Wall

Street. What do you think happened money-wise?

The Big Five Agreement

1927- 5 studios signed an agreement to convert everything to sound. It was MGM, Famous Players Lasky (later Paramount), First National Universal, and PDC later

merged with Pathe, and Warner Bros. It ended up costing over 300 million but everyone was mostly converted by 1929 before the

stock market crash. They agreed to use the sound on film system (over the sound on disc system). The sound on

disc system was great for a while before sound on film became standard. The introduction to sound enabled Hollywood to survive the Great Depression. If Warner Bros.

and Fox had not been daring then sound would not have been possible for another ten years due to the stock market crash.

Note: Fox Movietone News created the first newsreels where they recorded real events/speeches etc. to be played for theaters.

Solutions to Technological Issues

Ice box – cameras were placed inside so microphones couldn't catch the noise of cameras. They were sound proof. This meant that cameras could not move much. They were hot and stuffy actually.

Later they made the Blimp in 1931 so camera mobility improved. The blimp wrapped around camera so you could move the camera and still not hear camera noise.

Microphones- they had non-selective omni-directional mics which picked up all sound within a certain range. Microphone later made directional to pick up certain sounds in smaller range.

Later Boom microphones mounted on booms and suspended near actors to allow actors to be mobile 

Standard speed- 24 frames/second became standard so that the sound would not be distorted. Lighting issue - had to switch to tungsten incandescent lighting from arc lighting because they

were quieter to avoid being picked up by microphones.

Creative Problems

Did anyone see any creative problems with the way sound in film started out? Many early filmmakers saw the issues that would happen if we went to sound: that we

would go back to the way film began. Static camera. Static actors/actresses. Image and sound matching perfectly all the time. Just talking heads. These issues were solved as time went on but just like when film first began,

filmmakers had to explore and get used to the new technology and it set us back creatively until everyone got used to it.

By 1931 everyone was converted and a lot of the creative issues had been worked out. But film is always continuing to achieve new creative limits.

Additional Sound Terms

Sound debate: What is more important in film, the sound or the image? Use of sound was debated as well. The only thing about sound to add to the image is in counterpoint to it. That’s

one thought on it. A more complex, well-done film will make use of asynchronous or contrapuntal sound: sounds that do not

correspond directly with the image or even work in counterpoint to the image (things not happening image-wise but sound-wise). Look for sounds that do not belong.

Off-screen space: While everything you see is on-screen, with sound filmmakers can make use of off-screen space by putting sounds there of things that you can hear but not see (this can also be done with point of view shots).

Dubbing or post-synchronization was used to record sounds later than the image was filmed. This could be done to make sure the sound is perfect. It’s still used all of the time today. Started in 1929.

Sound bridge: using sound at cuts/transitions between shots to bridge the shots. The most cinematic sound track is a combination of different kinds of sounds both synchronous and

asynchronous.

Introduction of Color

Hand tinting possible early on Pathe color stencil process in 1905 Stencils were cut to have certain areas colored in one of six standard colors. 2 and 3 color lithography was also used. Technicolor corporation started in 1915. A prismatic beam splitter produced separate red and

green exposures in camera and super imposed them in projection. But only one film was made this way (The Gulf Between). They abandoned the additive system for a subtractive one. in 1922, they patented a beam-splitting camera to produce 2 separate negatives that were printed separately as positives on Kodak stock. They were then chemically treated to remove silver and form transparent "relief images" of exposed gelatin, dyed red-orange on one print and green on the other. Finally the two were cemented base to base for projection. It was a great success. The Toll of the Sea was the first to be made with this subtractive system.

Technicolor

It was popular at first but people became dissatisfied. Colors were not very accurate. The process was also extremely expensive. Also, arc lighting was required by Technicolor but they were expensive and loud so tungsten incandescent lighting became the norm.

3 color system in 1932 improved the process. It required a special and expensive camera. 

In 1941they introduced the Technicolor Mono pack film stock. It was multilayered and was able to directly record color on to the stock.

By 1950s color was common

The Studio System

It was a large scale method of making films that began around 1910s through the 1960s

The independents that were founded after the Motion Picture Patents Company was destroyed headed for monopolistic control over production, distribution and exhibition of films. Using illegal and legal means they succeeded.

We’ll talk more about this in a future powerpoint.

Information from A History of Narrative Film by David A. Cook