From Silents to Studio Golden Ages

Part 1: Explore how the introduction of sound has affected the film industry.

The first sound films were introduced in around 1900 which would soon rise to commercial success in the ensuing years. With the introduction of sound, there were many setbacks as well. Technology, primarily was inadequate because of the newness of sound. Sound was underdeveloped and as seen with the SoD system, or "sound on disc", the recordings were inadequate because the voices were distorted and would not sound in real life, which some would say took away from the effect of film. Nonetheless, the introduction of sound captivated audiences and brought a new dimension to the film industry. During the development stage of sound, recorders were not as portable as today and so they needed to stay static, out of the audiences' eyes such as in a plant at the center of a table which people would lean into to deliver their lines. These early sound films are referred to as "talkies" which were exclusively shorts. The first full length feature film, The Jazz Singer, was a major hit and set a standard for what film would soon become.

Behind the scenes of the early film ages caused many problems for the crew. One example is the bands that would play music throughout films previously. With the introduction of sound recording, the bands only needed to play once and that was it. This affected their paychecks substantially. Also, the need for actors who could deliver lines were also being looked for. Previously, the actors only needed the filmic image. Now, they needed to voice too, which was problematic for foreign actors, who had accents. Many stars were unable to strive in the film business and had to leave. The pacing of film was also affected. Actors would walk for long times until they were in the proximity of a mic that could pick up their voices because recorders were static. Most important is the restrictions on the camera. Cameras needed to be enclosed in a "box" that was sound proof so the camera was not longer as free as before.


Part 2: Pros and Cons of Studio Years

studio set 

Hollywood

The studio system had three parts: production, distribution, and exhibition. Even today, there are reminiscence to the studio system including 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Warner Bros., and Universal. Movies would be produced once a month under the studio system and it was centered around Hollywood (1920-1960). In order to produce films at this rate, each person had a role from production to post production. The studio years are named after the location of which the films were filmed at this time period. There was no "on location" filming during the studio years. Instead, sets would be built in "studios" that would look like the location that was needed to be filmed. Additionally, another effect of the studio years was how it affected actors. Actors were bound to studios through contracts and were only able to act for that studio. The actors had restrictions and it prevented them from moving from studio to studio and looking for better paying roles. Also, as a result of this a "star system" was created, which allowed audiences to recognize actors associated to a studio. They became known for certain roles and built iconography. The Studio system was important for the development of the Golden Age which ultimately is a success.