All posts by Chaz DeSimone

A Trip to the Moon Tribute

A Trip to the MoonA Trip to the Moon is one of many innovative films by the French illusionist and film director George Méliès who inspired several  milestones in cinematography:

♦  Special effects and science fiction in film
♦  Google’s first-ever virtual reality Google Doodle, “Back to the Moon”
♦  Professor Rinaudo’s passion for 35mm silent films

Méliès pioneered numerous technical and narrative film techniques in the early days of cinema, primarily in the use of special effects and creation of some of the earliest films of the science fiction genre. More about George Méliès on Wikepedia.

In case you missed the Doodle (which replaced the Google logo on its home page) watch it here. It’s quite entertaining. Even more amazing is the VR experience where you can move around the room or the scene. Here’s how:

VR experience

If you watch it on a phone or tablet you can move the scene around by moving the device around. On a monitor, click on the upper left circle (arrow 1), then click and move the cursor over the scene (arrow 2). Go full screen if you want an immersive experience. You will be able to move around the scene—top, left, behind, up and down! (Joe can’t do that with his hand-crank projector.)

HOW MELIES DID IT

Here’s a fascinating page about Google’s tribute to George Méliès, how the Google Doodle was created with many fantastic video examples, and an in-depth story about the illusionist and filmmaker.
Here’s an excellent documentary on YouTube narrated by Mark Oughton and showing many of his most impressive scenes.

ORIGINAL 1902 FILM

Have you seen the original 1902 film? It’s on YouTube with fitting music. Notice how crystal clear the film is.

If you want to see the film in all its sharpness and black-and-white glory, hand-cranked at the perfect speed for each scene, attend a showing by Professor Rinaudo who owns a pristine print. Speaking of which…

A Trip to the Moon launches Joe’s passion for 35mm (still silent, of course)

Joe Rinaudo, who had been collecting 16mm silent films since his teenage years, had just finished restoring his 1909 Powers Cameragraph Model 6 Motion Picture Machine, when he was asked by his friend, mentor, and fellow film collector David Shepard (read Joe’s tribute) to hand-crank two shows at the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, with Bob Mitchell playing the music for the film. This would be for the 100th anniversary of George Melies’ A Trip To The Moon. In turn, David presented Joe with a gift: a pristine print of the film. That was Joe’s very first 35mm silent film, inspiring his passion for collecting, restoring, advising, lecturing, and hand-cranking silent films in the 35mm format…and creating the Silent Cinema Society whose mission is to Preserve Silent Cinema Art and Technology.


“My friends, I address you all tonight as you truly are; wizards, mermaids, travelers, adventurers, magicians… Come and dream with me.”
—Georges Méliès

 


 

 

 

 

Happy NATIONAL JOE DAY, Professor!

March 27 is officially

NATIONAL JOE DAY

according to National Day Calendar

It is most apropos that the founder of Silent Cinema Society is named Joe, for that was ranked as one of the most popular names during the silent cinema years. 

Celebrate National Joe Day by having a cup of “joe” with all of your friends named Joe, Jo, Joette, Joey, Joseph, Josephine, Johanna, Joann, Jodie or any variant of the name Joe every year on March 27th, National Joe Day.

Happy National Joe Day, Professor Rinaudo! 

There are over 1,200 national days. Don’t miss a single one. Celebrate Every Day with National Day Calendar!

 

Guns n’ Roses n’ Rinaudo on the Fotoplayer

When Joe Rinaudo restored his Model 20 Fotoplayer over three decades ago, he never intended to play classic rock & roll on it. But the people of YouTube made sure he did. Here is one of the cleverist, perfectly timed dubs you’ll ever see and hear and LOL to. (Don’t be fooled—this is not the Huell Howser segment you saw on TV.)

89-Guns-&-RosesHere’s a poster series for anyone who is in tune with ampersands, brand names with ampersands, or Guns & Roses with an ampersand instead of their official n’ (which should really be ‘n’). AmperArt is created by Chaz DeSimone, who also restores title cards for Joe’s silent films.

If you prefer a poster with Laurel & Hardy, click here.