Music For Digital Media-Week 1

Cymatics:

The word ‘Cymatic’, invented by Swiss scientist: Hans Jenny, comes from the Greek word ‘Kyma’ meaning 'Wave'.
The interest in, or use of, Cymatics can be traced back thousands of years to tribes who would sprinkle grains onto the skin of their drums for divine purposes, however, Robert Hooke (1635-1703) created one of the earliest records (after Galileo) of Cymatics. Hooke devised an apparatus in 1680 consisting of a glass plate covered with flour that he ran a violin bow along, creating nodal patterns.
Cymatics are the earliest form of visualised sound and created a stepping stone to technology such as Optical Sound Recording.

The process of Optical Sound Recording:



This video extract (from the film: Sound Recording and Reproduction, produced by: Erpi Classroom Films Inc.) demonstrates the early technology of sound art on film. The different light variations on the Sound Track create different wave forms on the Sound Track area: Variable Density, Bilateral Variable Area, and Unilateral Area. This Sound Track is then placed on the photographic film, so, the final film tape not only contains the photograph of the action to be seen on the motion picture, but also the photographic record of the sound created through the Optical Sound Recording process. The sound 'Negative' (film/tape) is placed on the picture Negative to create a combined Positive film:



Case Study: Modern Times (1936), Charlie Chaplin

“Unemployment is the vital question … Machinery should benefit mankind. It should not spell tragedy and throw it out of work.”
-Charles Chaplin



Modern Times shows Charlie Chaplin’s character struggling to survive in a modern industrial society. Modern Times marked the last screen appearance of the Little Tramp: Chaplin’s loveable character which had brought Chaplin world fame. This satirical comedy addresses the aftermath of America’s Great Depression; when mass unemployment coincided with the rise of industrial automation.

By the time Modern Times was released, talking pictures (also known as ‘Talkies’) had been established for almost a decade. This ‘silent’ comedy marks the transition between the two film eras; containing a number of recorded sound effects, an orchestral soundtrack and Chaplin sings on screen for the first time.

David Raksin (1912-2004):

Well known for his theme to the film Laura (1944); one of David Raksin’s earliest film assignments was to assist Charles Chaplin in the composition of the score to Modern Times.