TC #18 - Ben Model (Modern Times)

Silent films were never truly silent: vaudeville acts, narrators, and of course, musical accompanists filled the air with sounds. Ben Model continues that tradition by performing musical accompaniments to both canonical and rare silent films throughout the nation, as well as curating and preserving films himself. Ben takes Peter through his strange path to the unique position, including his "Three Godfathers" who influenced him, and then explains the nuts and bolts of how to actually create music for a film with none at all. They discuss his techniques he learned from improvisation, the task of collecting and searching out rare and missing works, and the pains and pleasures of the analog to digital switch. Finally, Ben explains to Peter some of the hidden secrets behind Charlie Chaplin's masterwork Modern Times, including how under-cranking the film is the trick to star's balletic work.

0:00-1:02 Opening
2:07 -6:56 Establishing Shots - Delmer Daves / Trivia Round / Donations
7:44-1:08:45 Deep Focus - Ben Model
1:09:54-1:30:33 Double Exposure - Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin)
1:30:35-1:32:34 Close / Outtake