A Comparative Study Of Visual And Sound Technologies In Early Chinese And Indonesian Films (1922-1941

Although many agree that “silent film was never silent”,the basis for many of these opinions is whether or not the practical sound effects are used,such as accompaniment music.While in fact,even without practical sound effects and accompanying sound,silent films have an acoustic element that comes from the image itself and can give the impression of a diegesis sound present on the screen,this effect is referred to as visual sound.Visual sound has a strong narrative element and can help the audience understand the story,and can be formed through several imagery cinematic methods,such as shot composition or the movements of the actors who give rhythm to the scenes in the film.This element can be experienced through synaesthesia,which is a perceptual phenomenon caused by stimulation of one sense unintentionally triggering another sense.Because of financial and technical reasons,until the late of 1930 s China was still experiment with silent films.Even at the earliest era,Chinese films already had high standard of creativity and style,this is proven by the way of they use various technique to depict sound on the screen.In Chinese silent films,various techniques are used to give the audience the impression of a diegesis sound.One of the most common are shots where the characters interact with the inanimate object that is the source of the sound,this shot is also often followed by a reaction shot,which is a shot that contains the reaction of the character who hears the sound produced in the film.Variations in shot sizes are also used to indicate the intensity of the sound impression.In some films,visual sound effects are produced by bringing the sound source closer to the screen.Another technique used is with various editing techniques,such as cross-cutting technique to depict several scenes happening at the same time,or using continuity editing technique to emphasize the character’s movements.Visual sound effects are also found in partial-sound films that have used practical sound effects in several parts,such as character dialogue,singing voices or on objects that are moved by characters in the film.These practical voices also help clarify the impression of sound produced in the silent parts of the film.On the other hand,the silent part of the film also places an emphasis on practical sound effects in the scene.Long before cinema were the dominant form of entertainment,ethnic Chinese were already active in the world of performance in the Dutch East Indies(Now Indonesia).Ethnic Chinese also provide financial support,and popularize various performing arts such as Wayang Wong or Komedie Stamboel as public entertainment.These various performances became the roots of Indonesian films which began in 1926.They were one of the leaders in the import market in Indonesia at the time,offering films that suit the tastes of all walks of life.Ethnic Chinese combine narratives drawn from their local culture and their own culture,to attract the attention of audiences from all ethnic groups.Since then,ethnic Chinese have continued to contribute and build technical and financial foundations in the early era of the Indonesian film industry.This thesis tries to examine a bit of history and explore the filmmaking styles of Chinese and Indonesian films,to find out if there are influences,differences and similarities from a visual perspective to each other,especially in the visual sound aspect.