Well, this is fun! I don’t know about you, but I love to absorb little factoids about the day-to-day motion picture business so How to Film Moving Pictures in the 1910’s is right up my alley!
(Thanks to Darren Nemeth for providing a review copy. All images courtesy of the author.)
This 226-page book is a collection of assorted literature on the making and exhibiting of films during the mid-1910s with commentary by the author. If this sounds nerdy, let me assure you that it is!
In addition to practical reasons for basic elements of silent film (title cards were often white letters on a black background to minimize flicker, film stock cost 3 3/4 cents per foot), we also learn about an early sound experiment (a phonograph connected to a projector), and the prices of various movie theater basics (tickets cost $5.89 per 100,000 or $7.95 with the name of the town and theater printed on them). I confess I am a vintage price nerd and kept my inflation calculator open the entire time. ($1 in 1915 is worth about $25 today.)
This book is fun to just leaf through and it can be a great conversation starter with your nerdier friends. (Who doesn’t want to know about the chemical makeup of red film tinting?) Come on, you know this speaks to your little film geek heart.
I had a grand time and will surely refer to it often when reviewing films of the period.
Availability: You can order a copy from the Giant Squid Audio Lab Company (they accept payment via PayPal). There’s a generous pre-sale discount being offered through August 26, 2018.
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Movies Silently 
that sounds fascinating, actually.
It’s good stuff 🙂
I ordered and paid for the hardback edition of this book and wrote to the author telling him I would be glad to review the book when I got it but a few hours later PayPal returned my with no explanation from them or the author.
I’m afraid you’ll have to take that up with either the seller or PayPal, I am just providing a link.
Hi, Fritzi! Thanks for a fine website, even if it is expensive to drop in here. For an instance, I just ordered this book, How to Film Movies in the 1910’s. It will go well with the movies I buy after reading your reviews. Thanks again!
Mwahahaha! My evil plan is succeeding!
Dang it, you did it again. Sucked me into buying another book.
Seriously, this looks just fascinating, and just what I love to read.
Evil laugh! Evil laugh!