Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study
1313 Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90028
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10:30-12:15pm 3 Stations of Activities
12:30pm-1:00pm Lunch
1pm – 1:30pm Presentation in the Linwood Dunn Theater with composer, Michael Giacchino
1:30pm – 2pm Screening of “Looney Tunes,” 35mm
Families with children ages 7-13 were invited to attend a special Family Day at the Academy. Gathering at the Pickford Center, families learned about the history and technology of sound and the moving image, and their parallel roles in storytelling through hands-on activities.
In our first station, they explored the early days of broadcast radio storytelling and the development of film talkies (films synchronized with sound). There were opportunities to operate authentic sound-effect equipment and become "foley artists” themselves as they created their own sound to picture using a variety of surprising materials.
In our second station, children became “mini-Archivists” by learning the basics of the film medium through the handling of film strips, learning to inspect their technical and content attributes, making film tear repairs through the hands-on use of film equipment and the usage of a 35mm optical sound reader to playback photochemical film soundtracks.
Our third station allowed families to experience the thrill of sound to image in all its glory with the Academy’s restored 1917 Fotoplayer. Families had a chance to see and hear the incredible sound effects and musical accompaniments of the Fotoplayer while watching early silent films projected overhead.
After a complimentary boxed lunch, families were into our Linwood Dunn Theater for a theatrical experience of sound and moving images. Film composer Michael Giacchino (The Incredibles, Inside Out, Zootopia) demonstrated how music impacts the emotional landscape of the moving images. Families witnessed – in real time – how different musical choices influence how they experience a scene. We ended the day with some classic shorts, to experience sound to picture with a whole new sense of appreciation.
This program was made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
