[Dixielandjazz] FW: Film Music from the 20's

[Jim Kashishian]

Randy posed some interesting questions about musicians playing along with
films being shown.  I'm looking forward to hearing comments from others,
although I have little knowledge of the subject myself.

I do know something of the other side of the coin which is recording music
live for a film. When I first started working as a session musician in
Madrid in the late 1960's, we recorded for film with a full orchestra and
with the film running on a full size screen in the recording studio.  It was
interesting to see how the music supported the scene, or was not
particularly important to a scene, and we would have to hurry up or slow
down to fit the music in a scene.  I recall once a trumpeter saying he had
played a wrong note in a piece.  The conductor noted that it was drowned out
anyway by a passing train!  

Later, click tracks were used to sync music with film, and we worked only
with the click click in your earphone, and not with the full orchestra, as
bits & pieces could be recorded on their own. All tempos, etc., were all
sorted out before going into the studio. Somewhat less romantic (&
artistic), but with greater savings to the pocketbook of the producers.
That meant less musicians being used, of course. 

Jim Kash