Silent Cinema and the Transition to Sound
The MacRobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling
23rd-24th May 2016
Colloquium
CALL FOR PAPERS

The transition from silent to synchronised sound cinema in Britain between 1927 and 1933 was a period which changed British cinema as both industry and art form forever, but which has largely been overlooked by cinema historians.

This colloquium will examine the arrival of sound across the industry in terms of economics, employment, technology and infrastructure, as well as the shift in film form and style including its impact on production, distribution, exhibition, reception and critique. We invite papers from a range of disciplines that help to advance our understanding of the film industry during this tumultuous period when studios and cinemas were forced to re-equip and reinvest, when stars and creative personnel faced considerable turmoil and when British cinema's relationship with non-Anglophone countries, particularly in Europe, was to change forever.

We welcome papers which consider the period in relation to cinema markets at home and abroad. We also invite papers that consider the role of music and sound in early cinema, before the period of transition to sound.

The colloquium is part of the AHRC funded project on British Silent Cinema and the Transition to sound (a collaborative project between De Montfort University and the University of Stirling). The colloquium will provide the opportunity to present some of the Scottish findings as well as solicit new research in the field.
In partnership with the BFI and Scottish Screen Archive, there will be screenings of a number of rare films across the two days, including The Loves of Robert Burns (Herbert Wilcox, 1930).
Possible topics include:
- technology and industry
- economics
- personnel
- film form, style and the impact of new production processes
- exhibition, reception, cinema-going and audiences
- cinema markets
- the transitional period's impact and legacy
- music and sound in early cinema

Confirmed Keynotes:
Rick Altman, Emeritus Professor of Cinema and Comparative Literature, University of Iowa

Laraine Porter, School of Media and Communication, De Montfort University, Principal Investigator for the AHRC project, British Silent Cinema and the Transition to Sound

Paper Proposal Deadline: 11th January 2016
Please submit all proposals to sarah.neely@stir.ac.uk

Guidelines for submission of proposals

Individual Papers: Please provide an abstract of no more than 250 words, your name and institutional affiliation (if any)
Pre-Constituted Panel Proposals: Panels should consist of no more than four papers. In addition to the abstracts for each paper, please send a title as well as a 200 word description of the rationale for the overall panel.

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