Author: Ben Model
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Ben Model: Film Preservationist?
I am flattered when I read comments in social media or in people’s blog posts mentioning me as a film preservationist. It’s an honorable and lofty title, and there’s something beyond modesty that makes me think “Aww, no, no…you’re too kind”. Because, after all, what I’m doing is producing and releasing films for the home…
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A Thank-You Note For Undercrank’s 10th Anniversary
The month-long sale on Undercrank Productions Blu-rays and DVDs is over now, and I am grateful to everyone who bought any of our releases. The celebration of Undercrank’s 10th anniversary was a two-fold opportunity to thank and to serve silent film fans. From the beginning my idea was to find a way to get films…
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Episode 58 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 58 Show Notes: “Potato salad…!” Recording scores for streaming and home video is different from a live performance Sign up for Ben’s regular email here to keep up with all his activities.
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ep. 58: “Potato Salad”, TCM Classic Film Festival, Ernie Kovacs, Undercrank Prods 10th Anniversary
In this episode: Ben talks about doing double-duty as both silent film accompanist and Blu-ray producer-distributor; Ben talks about accompanying “Clash of the Wolves” starring Rin-Tin-Tin at the TCM Classic Film Festival and the differences between this performance and the one of recording a score for this film, along; Kerr and Ben talk about the…
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Raymond Griffith: Ready To Launch
Today I made one last trip to my local post office, bringing the last batch of backer copies to the USPS. In late March 2022, I launched a Kickstarter for a new Blu-ray/DVD project, Raymond Griffith: The Silk Hat Comedian. The project funded in a few hours, finishing up with a total of 536 classic…
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Buster Keaton kinescope from 1950
A rare kinescope of an early television talk show was posted recently. The reason a friend sent me the link, I’m quite sure, is that this 15-minute program manages cover two very important things for me: silent film accompaniment and Buster Keaton. The year was 1950, and Buster appears on an episode of The Faye…
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Flu epidemic silent film from 1919
In February, I was a a guest speaker-accompanist at Antonia Lant’s silent film course at NYU’s Cinema Studies program. One of the films I played for was a 1919 two-reel educational film made in England called Dr. Wise on Influenza. Dr. Wise on Influenza (1919) is an unusual film, as it’s only one I’ve encountered…
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Episode 57 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 57 Show Notes: Recording silent film scores for Tom Mix and Rin Tin Tin Recording scores for streaming and home video is different from a live performance Recording accompaniments for Tom Mix films Tom Mix in Sky High (1922) Discussion of how few Mix films survive, and how few silent Westerns get programmed or…
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ep. 57: Recording silent film scores for Tom Mix and Rin Tin Tin
In this episode: Ben and Kerr discyss about Ben’s process for creating and recording silent film scores for home-video releases, and how it differs from scoring a silent in performance. Ben talks about composing by using the start-stop possibilities of recording in place of traditional notation, as well as using underscoring to help audiences register…
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Episode 56 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 56 Show Notes: Music for unconventional silent films and other purposes Replacing the podcast’s Theme Song: The Unknown: Ernie Kovacs and Haydn (not) Keeping the Combatants clear in Wings Recent and upcoming silent film shows: Sign up for Ben’s emails here.