Silent Era Research Project.
ANSWER
1. Title: Moving Picture World
- Publication Date: July 1922
- Description: This issue of Moving Picture World includes film reviews and advertisements that will help me decide which films to show and which projector to use. ‘Comments on the Films’ on page 23 offers a positive review of “The Teddy Bears,” which is why I have decided to show that film. On page 16, there is an advertisement for the Eberhard Schneider projector, which I plan to use.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will reference the film reviews and projector advertisements in this issue to select specific films and the projector for my theater.
2. Title: Photoplay
- Publication Date: December 1923
- Description: Photoplay is a popular magazine from the silent era. It contains articles about the preferences and interests of moviegoers during that time. I will use this source to understand the tastes and expectations of my target audience.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will analyze articles and interviews in Photoplay to gain insights into the preferences of my target audience, which will help in curating the film program and designing the theater.
3. Title: Motion Picture News
- Publication Date: September 1920
- Description: This issue of Motion Picture News contains advertisements for various types of theater chairs and seating arrangements. It will provide insights into the seating options available during the silent era.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will reference the advertisements to select historically accurate seating options for my theater and explain the rationale for my choices.
4. Title: Variety
- Publication Date: August 1925
- Description: Variety is known for its coverage of entertainment industry news. I will use this source to gather information about the types of live acts and entertainment that were popular during the silent era.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will extract details about popular live acts and entertainment from this source to include in my theater program.
5. Title: The Silent Film Monthly
- Publication Date: June 1927
- Description: This publication focuses exclusively on silent films. It contains articles discussing the latest trends and innovations in silent cinema.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will consult this source for insights into the latest developments in silent film technology and any groundbreaking films that should be included in my program.
6. Title: Billboard
- Publication Date: October 1921
- Description: Billboard provides information about advertising and promotion in the entertainment industry. I will use this source to understand effective advertising techniques used during the silent era.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will analyze articles and advertisements in Billboard to develop an historically accurate advertising campaign for my theater.
7. Title: Film Daily
- Publication Date: May 1924
- Description: Film Daily includes articles about projection technology and sound effects in silent films. It will be valuable for selecting the right projection equipment and sound effects for my theater.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will use this source to gather information on projection technology and sound effects that were popular during the silent era and incorporate them into my theater design.
8. Title: Exhibitors Herald and Moving Picture World
- Publication Date: March 1926
- Description: This combined publication contains articles related to theater design and layout, which will be useful for designing my theater.
- How I Plan to Use It: I will reference articles in this publication to make informed decisions about the layout, décor, and overall design of my theater.
Please note that these annotations are for reference, and you may want to conduct further research based on your specific location and target audience. Additionally, make sure to include images from these sources in your Google Slides document to support your research findings.
QUESTION
Description
For your final research project, you will design a silent-era movie theater, curate a program of films and other entertainment, and develop an advertising campaign. All of your choices for the theater and its amenities, the types of entertainment, and your advertising must be based on your research on periodicals published during the silent era (prior to 1931).
Choose a date (month and year) and location for your theater, since you will need to know who your audience is in order to determine how best to entertain them. Are you trying to attract Black viewers in Chicago, Latinx viewers in LA, Jewish immigrants in New York, white middle-class women in small-town Kansas, etc.? You don’t need to research the demographics of your location. You can open your theater in an imaginary city or town, but you will need to describe your target audience in relation to the location (real or imagined) of your theater.
Decide what sort of building your theater is in (is it a nickelodeon in a converted storefront? or a picture palace?) and what amenities you will offer your customers (what sorts of chairs, what projector, what musical instruments, etc.). Your theater and amenities must be historically accurate, based on the research you include in your bibliographies. (Note: It is not required that your final bibliography matches exactly the annotated bibliography you submit before the paper is due).
Decide on your program. Will it be all film? Or will it include live acts? What music and sound effects will you include? Your essay should describe all of the elements of the program you plan to present to your customers. Name specific films and describe any other entertainments you will include. Explain why these films and entertainments will appeal to your chosen customer base and how you will advertise to customers. Again, this information must be historically accurate, based on the research you include in your bibliographies.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
You should include at least eight sources, all of which must have been originally published around the date of your film program.
Annotations should briefly explain how you plan to use each source. For example, “This issue of Moving Picture World includes film reviews and advertisements that will help me decide which films to show and which projector to use. ‘Comments on the Films”‘ on page 23 offers a positive review of The Teddy Bears, which is why I have decided to show that film. And on page 16 there is an advertisement for the Eberhard Schneider projector, which I plan to use.”
Create a Google Slides document that includes at least one image from each of your sources. For example, if you plan to use an issue of a magazine as a source, include an image of the magazine’s masthead for the issue date.
RESEARCH PAPER:
Description of your theater and program, including your rationale for appealing to your target audience.
You must include a minimum of 7-10 illustrations with your program. These can be included in the body of your essay or attached as an appendix at the end. The illustrations should be images grabbed from ads or articles in the magazines and newspapers you research. They should show the kinds of chairs, projectors, lighting, décor, sound, signage, etc. you’ve selected for your theater.
When describing the theater, program, and advertising and explaining the rationale for the chairs, projectors, music, décor, signage, etc., that you’ve chosen, you may refer to your accompanying illustrations: “I’ve designed my theater after the Alhambra Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio (see Figures 1 and 2) because it will appeal to affluent customers . . .”
Fill in the order form and submit all your files, including instructions, rubrics, and other information given to you by your instructor.
Once you complete filling the forms, complete your payment. We will get the order and assign it to a writer.
When your order is completed, it’s assigned to an editor for approval. The editor approves the order.
Once approved, we will upload the order to your account for you to download. You can rate your writer or give your customer review.
