Marlene Weisman‘s current graphic design practice largely specializes in silent film–related projects. The former SNL designer says it’s nice to have clients who are film historians and preservationists, cinema professors, and film archivists. “Better still,” she says, “They’re all very enthusiastic about the contemporary look I give to their assignments. I avoid anything that smacks of tired, old-timey ‘silent film cliche’ choices—e.g., I avoid using stuff like the time-worn Broadway font … as well as Dover generic ‘flapper’ and Art Deco–motif clip art.”
Instead, her influences include Pushpin Studios (“Glaser is my guru”), ’60s psychedelia, Russian Constructivism, Pop Art, among other inspirations. Weisman is aiming for a colorful, modern, refreshed take—the antithesis of everyone’s black-and-white conception when they think silent film.
Some of her assignments are particularly challenging, she notes, “when I encounter projects where source visuals are limited to just one or two—or what I’m provided to work with from the historians is of very poor low-res quality.” Since next Monday is annually considered “Silent Movie Day” and I’m quite fond of this kind of pastiche, I asked her to detail more about her instinctive style (below).
How did this project come into being?
It began over 25 years ago (just after my graphic designer gig at “SNL”), when about six New York–based silent film enthusiasts found community by staging local DIY screenings of silent films we loved. Several impressive projects grew from that, which today are making important contributions to film preservation.
First came the The Silent Clowns Films Series, which has now been running in New York City since 1997, moving to larger venues as its audience grew. Screenings began at a small comedy space on the Upper West Side—and soon graduated to cultural institutions like the NY Historical and Lincoln Center’s Library of the Performing Arts. The SCFS series was granted nonprofit status, and its current home is the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre at Symphony Space. And recently, the SCFS branched out to brownstone Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill Cinema.
My job is to visualize the series through a graphic design sensibility that’s fun and modern. Promoting silent film screenings to contemporary audiences is a challenge, but my goal has always been to give a “Hey, this looks fun!” vibe to every print promo piece and get people thinking “maybe I’ll give silent film a try.”
There are DVDs, CDs, books and live performance—who are the promoters behind this wealth of cinematic history?
MoMA’s longtime resident film accompanist, Ben Model, helms the series and plays to these films as they’re being shown on a big screen. The audience loves being immersed in this experience, and knows each show is unique because Ben improvises his playing during every screening. At the Q&A afterward, Ben and fellow historian Steve Massa share their encyclopedic knowledge of film history. (They’ve both been invited by MoMA curator Dave Kerr to program film series at MoMA’s T1 & T2 theaters.)
As Model and Massa’s ongoing involvement with MoMA and various film archives grew, so did my projects. Ben founded Undercrank Productions to restore, distribute and compose scores—releasing rare and overlooked silent gems in tandem with archives in the US (Library of Congress) and abroad. He makes these films accessible to the public on DVD and Blu-ray. (The name Undercrank pays homage to the silent film cameramen, who had to regulate film speeds by their rhythmic hand-cranking motions. I learned this while designing the logo.) And Steve has published several definitive books on silent era subjects.
Inspired by Ben’s success with Undercrank Productions, former Library of Congress curator Rob Stone restarted his publishing company Split Reel. I’ve designed many of the book covers on his “esoteric of cinema” roster, as well as his physical digital media he’s been adding to accompany the books. My challenge is to translate “esoteric” into sellable book covers.
As a film archivist and historian, Stone works closely with both Model and Massa, and founded the acclaimed “Mostly Lost”—a mega event where the world’s film archivists gather in person to identify silent film fragments submitted from archives all over the world. Open to the public, it’s a part Dada, part United Nations, part film fan convention. (On hold since the pandemic, Stone hopes to revive it soon.)
As the “in-house” designer for these wonderful film historians, I’m fortunate to play an important role in a parade of film-related projects. My assignments include work for physical media (DVDs and Blu-rays), wrap packaging, book cover design, promo graphics (print and for the website), program notes for Silent Clowns shows, print ads and logos.
Is it the nostalgia that’s in the air?
Absolutely … it feels like we’re careening down a cultural cliff to who knows where. But hey, silent era filmmaking was definitely the start of an American artform that tells stories—so maybe it can be a new way for us to collectively share something? To laugh or cry together? People would be surprised how edgy and surreal some silent films are. (Although it’s clear that some are far from politically correct today.)
What is the response from the public to this neo-vintage visual stimuli?
Well, as far as my graphic design work, my clients are pleased with how I’ve merged vintage looks with a modern sensibility. They feel it provides their films with a strong personality and distinguishes their projects with a professional touch. Ben, Steve and Rob are very pleased with sales results of their releases. For my part, I’m very gratified when fans of my work stop me at screenings to compliment my work.
Regarding today’s response to silent films, the audience is definitely growing, perhaps given a push from 2011’s The Artist. There’s so much wonderful stuff to rediscover about this genre. It’s an escape from today’s noisy and swirling moving camera angles, CGI overload, and rehashed fare. In fact, Ben Model has recently published a fascinating book, The Silent Film Universe, that speaks to how our brains experience silent film differently. (I enjoyed designing that cover!)
Personally, I’m drawn to the richness of silent film, the storytelling that unfolds the way it does, and how my own brain “sees” it. I love the way the actors move in an out of the frame—like a painting—in many of the films. And nothing can beat the elaborate visual gags of Buster Keaton or Harold Lloyd. They’re pure genius!
Do you ever get tired of working with the old-time material?
Well, it does have its challenges! Some films are barely extant, so the source material I’m given may be barely usable for print. So I have to be creative and figure out how to anchor the design with a compelling lead visual—or feature a strong typeface as the best solution.
And hey, though I love this niche area, designing a cover for a contemporary novel would be a nice change one day.
What’s next on your trip down memory-heritage lane?
Good question—so many projects and so little time!
Next project for Undercrank Productions is for a Marion Davies’ film The Cardboard Lover, and the Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Drew book cover design for Split Reel.
As far as my own projects, I’m hoping to finish a visual memoir that would document my wild times as a New York City graphic designer—sharing my experiences in the downtown ’80s indie music scene to my years as an in-house graphic designer for “SNL” and “Late Night.”
The post The Daily Heller: A New Old Approach to Vintage Films and Music appeared first on PRINT Magazine.