CFP: Silent Film Sound: History, Theory and Practice, Kiel, Feb 2013

Silent film sound: history, theory and practice

Friday 22 – Saturday 23 February 2013

Christian Albrechts University Kiel, Germany

in collaboration with Kiel Society for Film Music Research

We are pleased to invite proposals for papers in the broad theme “Silent film sound: history, theory
and practice”, to be presented at a conference of the same name on February 22 - 23 at the Christian
Albrechts University Kiel.

We aim to gather scholars from various disciplines, to discuss and reflect on current and historical
approaches to the study of sound and music and moving images. We particularly encourage both
musicologists and film scholars to participate in the debate surrounding this topic, in order to
benefit from each other's perspectives and to challenge prevailing views and methodologies in this
thriving field.

Ultimately, we aim to strengthen the European and international research network concerned with
the variety of sound and musical practices in silent film accompaniment. We also want to discuss
contemporary practices of silent film accompaniment and explicitly invite musical practitioners to
share and discuss their experiences with us.
Papers may address repertories or issues relating to one of the following areas (or others related to
the conference theme):

Film narrator/lecturer
Sound effects in silent film exhibition
Relationship of cinema with antecedent theatrical forms like Vaudeville and Variety
Relationship with theater music, opera and musical theater in general
Early film and the music recording and publishing industry
Singers in cinema
National and regional idiosyncrasies of silent film sound
Gender aspects in production, performance and reception
National Identity in musical forms (community singing)
Diegetic Music in Silent Cinema
Silent film and popular music/jazz: improvised or compiled (structural and formal issues)
Mechanical Music
Opera films, music films
Early transmedial star systems
Historical discourse about music in cinemas
Issues of research, teaching and knowledge transfer
Contemporary practices of silent film accompaniment
Experimental silent film and its accompaniment

Proposals (max. 350 words) for 25-minute presentations should be sent to Claus Tieber
(claus.tieber at univie.ac.at), no later than October 15, 2012. Please include a short biography, all
current contact information (name, e-mail, phone number, affiliation) and specific AV
requirements.

We plan to publish a book based on the refereed proceedings.