Category: Podcast
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Episode 63 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 63 Show Notes: Scoring Decisions and Transitions Ben continues exploring the various techniques and shadings of the matter of scoring the action going on inside a character’s head in silent film. Ben discusses his busy schedule this spring, which kept him away from some of the long-term schedules (Accidentally Preserved Volume 5, Episode 100…
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ep. 63: Scoring Decisions and Transitions
In this episode: Ben recaps his month’s activities in March 2024, talks about the subtleties of underscoring dramatic moments when a main character thinks through an important decision, a creative way to invent main themes for a program of 7 animated shorts, accompanying a 1914 “Italian Diva” melodrama, and picking up on something about the…
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Episode 62 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 62 Show Notes: “Round-up of January 2024 shows, and more” Theme & Introductions Introduction Live Performances of Improvised Scores The Importance of Experiencing Silent Films presented with Live Music Silent Film Comedian Marcel Perez Intermission – Home Video activities From Kino-Lorber Vitagraph Comedies From Classic Flix: Silent Our Gang Comedies Silent Films at MoMA…
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ep. 62: accompanying a Mary Pickford film on campus, Marcel Perez at the Silent Clowns, Monta Bell at MoMA, and more
In this episode: Ben accompanies Tom Mix in “Sky High” at the Library of Congress, adapting for organ some themes he originally composed for piano; Ben and Kerr discuss the importance of seeing silents with live music, and how a film may play one way when watched alone and completely differently at a show; Ben…
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Episode 61 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 61 Show Notes: “Improvising Themes for Re-Use and Development” Theme & Introductions Ben and Kerr discuss the dearth of holiday movies from the Silent Era Ben talks about recording the new Podcast Theme on a grand piano at MOMA. Playing for THE BIG PARADE at the Elmont Memorial Library, introduced by Philip Harwood A’…
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ep. 61: Improvising Themes for Re-Use and Development
In this episode: Ben shares his experiences accompanying the silent era blockbuster “The Big Parade”, the rare Italian film “A’ Santanotte”, Laurel & Hardy shorts, and others; he and Kerr discuss the practices of creating leitmotifs on the fly during a show, and then repeating them later in the film’s score; there’s some deep info…
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Episode 60 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 60 Show Notes: “Music on the Road: Late Summer – Autumn 2023” Ben demonstrates contrasting styles and instrument sounds for shows of The Loves of Casanova (1927), Safety Last (1923), Second Fiddle (1923). Theme & Introductions MoMA in August “Safety Last” in the Adirondacks “Second Fiddle” at Capitolfest Other Projects: “The Mark of Zorro”…
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ep. 60: Music on the Road: Late Summer – Autumn 2023
In this episode: accompanying several films at MoMA in August of new restorations and a series of early color process silents; audience response difference between San Francisco Silent Film Festival and MoMA screening, and how this affected Ben’s score in NYC; Ben talks about pivoting when presented before a show with a change of running…
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Episode 59 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast
Episode 59 Show Notes: “The Dog Days are here (July), but maybe not in San Francisco” Undercrank Productions’ 10th Anniversary Accompanying Edward Everett Horton shorts at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival New Tom Mix restorations released in July from Undercrank Prods Thoughts on bringing a music light to shows, and about climbing the Bolton…
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ep. 59: San Francisco Silent Film Fest, Undercrank’s 10th Anniversary, Tom Mix, and More
In this episode: Ben talks about preparing for his performance at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, his first time at the fest; his Undercrank Productions home video label celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023; Ben talks about the two newly restored Tom Mix silent films that were released by Undercrank on Blu-ray in July;…