Snap, Crackle and Pop (CC4)

Mr. Toastmaster.
Ladies and Gentlemen.

The first silent movie started with snap, crackle and a very loong silence. A silence of under a minute.
Without sound how are we supposed to know when to be scared?
Without sound how are we supposed to know when the great white shark is close?

The silent movie era was roughly between the years 1920 - 1929. The pre-dialogue era. A black and white movie with or without sound, some sound effects and sometimes piano accompaniment.
* Charlie Chaplin in "City Lights" screened with sound effects.
* "Earth", a carnal drama about birth and death was popular. How, I wonder, does one hear a murder without a scream? Imagine a death without wailing.
* Orson Welles's "The General" was an hilarious comedy but imagine a "slap" without a sound and you try and loud with out making a sound.
* Mention "The passion of Joan of Arc" and a picture is formed of a blazing pire but without sound seems to lose it's heat.
A solo pianist was often employed and a good one would be able to synchronize a crashing chord with the jalopy falling off the edge of a steep cliff. Harpo Marx had the shortest career as a solo pianist for silent movies. He lasted all of 2 weeks with his 2 songs. He would rotate through the pieces, one, a waltz, throughout the movie. Slowing down at sad parts, speeding up for action. Louder for anger and softer for romance. A good band would supply music appropriate for tension, romance and thrills. The percussionist had a "toy counter" to create effects of gunshots and church bells. A sharp pluck on the high string of a harp could create an icy backdrop and a strum on the Cello, a macabre and gloomy feel.

The first popular technicolor movie was in 1939. The Wizard of Oz was the latest and the first success story. A 3-strip movie where 3 films were played through the camera at the same time. One held all the Red, another the green and another the blue color. The camera was large, loud and expensive. Gone with the wind another and better so for how does one blush in black and white?

Do you remember the home movies in the 60's? The huge projector with the massive reels of film. There again the loading and "lights!" and snap, crackle and heaven......a full length color film in the comfort of your own home. The whirring and clicking throughout was ignored and at some stage the film would burn and flap around on the reel. After splicing and taping, which we called "interval", the movie would continue......and we had popcorn.

The drive-in in those years, with the undulating tarred mounds and sound poles is almost forgotten. The smell of boerewors and boiled eggs in a car full of kids.

In around 2002 Imax the surround sound mega movie came to South Africa. The first Imax was screened in the Japanese '70's expo. We first saw Apolla 13 and Star Wars in this way and the aim was to see more, hear more and feel more. The screen is 4500 times bigger than the average tv, 8 storeys high with 16 amplifiers and 44 speakers.

By 2006 the cinemas were replacing film reel with digital and in 2007 3D was screened by SterKinekor. The biggest was the epic movie Avatar. 3D motion picture enhanced the illusion of depth perception and an arm reaching out would seem to "grab" you.

In 2016 I saw the very amazing and latest in viewing pleasure "Star Wars- reawakening of the Force" in Imax 3D. Battlestar Galactica came so close that I had to shift away. The droids passed so close to the side of my head, I could almost feel my hair move. The battleships flew right over and I had to duck.

....but wait there's more. Coming to us in time and already in the USA is 4Dx with "environmental effects" like seat motion, wind, fog and rain. You will also be able to smell the roses and the bagels.

Now we will be able to See more, hear more, feel more and smell more with every snap, every crack, every pin drop and every pop.