The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model - ep 57: Recording scores for Tom Mix + Rin Tin Tin

In this episode: Ben and Kerr discuss 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 certain kinds of transitions or to grasp subtleties in the mood or intent of certain kinds of scenes. Recording examples includes segments from Tom Mix in “The Best Bad Man”, recently restored by the Museum of Modern Art,; Tom Mix in “Sky High”; newly restored by Undercrank Productions; and “Clash of the Wolves” starring Rin Tin Tin, newly restored by Kino Lorber, aired on TCM and also presented at the TCM Classic Film Festival.
Show notes for episode 57 can be found at www.silentfilm...
Ben Model's website: www.silentfilm...
The Silent Film Music Podcast with Ben Model - it’s the podcast that takes you inside the mind of someone as they prepare for, perform, and reflect upon performances of live musical accompaniments to silent films. Hosted by renowned silent film accompanist and historian Ben Model, along with co-host Kerr Lockhart, each episode includes discussion on the silent film composer-musician’s process, approach toward the films, practice in performance, and on silent film history. Ben and Kerr cover a range of topics unique to the perspective of someone creating a live score to help an audience enter the world of the film, and include excerpts of live musical scores Ben has performed at shows on piano and theatre or pipe organ.

[@4bobbyt]

Fascinating and incredibly educational. Awesome, in the proper sense of the word. Hope we can all see the Tom Mix film in due course, especially with the appearance of Clara Bow before she became "It".

[@silentfilmmusic]

Glad you enjoyed the episode and all that's in it. Yes, here's hoping MoMA is able to make these films available in one way or another. My Tom Mix restorations will be out this summer.

[@holden190]

What’s with all the little kids laughing in the background?

[@holden190]

Really annoying