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Early 20Th Century Abstract Cinema Immersive 1 Vol 16 Issue 6 – 7 “RAUMLICHTMUSIK” - produce abstract imagery and screened engineers…it was fantastic. It was a EARLY 20TH CENTURY this in their multiple projector shows giant apparatus, which was played by ABSTRACT CINEMA (and later completed films). Fischinger him and his many assistants. He built in IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENTS and Belson continued to extend the a special film projector for my films, and Cindy Keefer, Center for Visual Music, boundaries of cinema, projection, that topped everything. Zeiss Ikon in Los Angeles, CA. Email: audience interaction and their own Dresden helped him…it cost unheard of <[email protected]>. consciousness throughout their careers. sums of money and was shown in all the Fischinger (1900-1967) was the most opera houses of Europe…At that time, important and influential filmmaker in Zeiss Ikon developed the unique and Abstract visual music, producing over 50 films wonderful planetarium projectors. For Filmmakers Oskar Fischinger and Jordan Belson created cinematic multimedia experiments from and 800 paintings. He’s recognized as that reason, and also because of the 1926 to 1959; three of these events are predecessors the father of Visual Music, the publicity connected with it, they were to immersive environments: (A) Beginning in 1926, grandfather of music videos, and the very much interested in László’s Fischinger's multiple projector shows combining abstract films, colored light projections, and painted great-grandfather of motion graphics. Spectrum-Piano [Farblichtklavier] and at slides; (B) Fischinger's 1944 (unrealized) concept His films influenced generations of that time they put everything at his for a dome theatre with center film projectors filling the sphere, creating "endless space without filmmakers, animators and artists, even disposal that he could possibly ask for perspective" and (c) Belson and Henry Jacobs’ continuing today. [1].” 1950s Vortex Concerts at Morrison Planetarium, Fischinger began his animated film Rebay in turn discussed various utilizing multiple projectors and 38 speakers, with “no separation of audience and stage or screen; the experiments in Germany c. 1920, concepts of “expanded cinema,” color entire domed area becomes a living theater of sound inventing apparatus like a Wax Slicing organs and what we today would call and light." machine to produce unique abstract immersive cinema with Moholy-Nagy, imagery. Beginning in Munich in March Charles Dockum, Norman McLaren and Keywords: 1926, Fischinger and Hungarian other artists whom the Museum Vortex Concerts, Oskar Fischinger, Jordan Belson, composer Alexander László created sponsored, and thus appears to have been Raumlichtmusik, Expanded Cinema, Morrison Planetarium, Farblichtmusik,Visual Music. Farblichtmusik multiple projector, a link between Fischinger’s 1920s multiple screen performances, multiple projector work and its influence The origins of immersive media combining Fischinger’s abstract 35mm on later filmmakers. environments, multiple-projector films with projected colored lights from In 1926, a “Colorlight Dome” was Expanded Cinema performances and László’s color organ piano, and painted constructed for Farblichtmusik 1960s psychedelic Light Shows can be glass slides. Music varied from László’s performances at the Gesolei festival. A traced to the early experiments of film own compositions to Chopin, press review in the Westphalian artists Oskar Fischinger and Jordan Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. Three reels Landeszeitung described the changing Belson. of Fischinger’s abstract animation were light effects in the “Farblichtdome:” These filmmakers expanded their used in these performances. rising light effects for a Scriabin score, work outside the rectangular film frame László had begun the Farblichtmusik bright red then yellow then harsh green and beyond traditional screens, using shows in 1925, though without films or colors, then blue circles and spirals. Dr. multiple cinematic projections far slides. Fischinger later discussed their Jörg Jewanski explained, “From May to surpassing anything previously joint performances and László’s October 1926, a huge exhibition took attempted. They covered rooms and machinery with curator Hilla Rebay of place in Düsseldorf, Germany, named domes and planetariums with abstract The Museum of Non-Objective Painting 'Gesolei'. Nearly 7,500,000 people imagery, creating sophisticated illusions in New York. “László’s machine was a visited 174 exhibition houses. In No. 78 and combining cinema with other art technical marvel…built for him by one 'Light technique,' László performed his forms to create a greater experience. of the best and most imaginative Farblichtmusik: 8-10 performances Fig. 1. Images from Fischinger's 1920s multiple projector performances. (©Fischinger Trust, courtesy Center for Visual Music.) Both built machines and devices to Page 1 of 5 Leonardo Electronic Almanac Vol 16 Issue 6 – 7 Last updated on 30 September 2009 every day, altogether 1200 describing his three projector film show, extensively with Fischinger, seeking his performances, shown to more than his sliced film technique [wax advice. 40,000 people…László started his experiments footage], and his “original In 1944, Fischinger proposed building performances at the 'Gesolei' on May 22, art vision which can only be expressed a dome theatre in the new Museum: “I but first without Fischinger's films, through film.” would like to suggest to you a bigger because there were problems with the Film historian Dr. William Moritz theatre – half spherical – like a big fire brigade (nitrate films were later interviewed László, who confirmed planetarium. The Machines in the flammable and needed special he’d seen Oskar’s solo show in Munich Center. The spheric projection-surface of permission, which they didn't have) [2].” called R-1, Formspiel, using five 35mm a planetarium, produces a perfectly clear A July 1926 review by critic Rudolf film projectors and slide projectors with feeling of endless space, similar to the Schneider discussed Fischinger’s ‘wax painted glass slides. Moritz wrote: feeling which produces the star-lit- experiments’ footage used in a [Fischinger] “prepared his own multiple heaven at night. It is a cosmic-feeling of Farblichtmusik performance: projector shows (including some of the endless endless space without “Fischinger’s idea and invention is a imagery from the László shows) with perspective. Images projected in such a great advance.” The review described three side-by-side images cast with three sphere become far distant. some of his other film images: “snakes, 35mm projectors, slides to frame the The people (a few hundred) are fog, balls, rings…fantasy,” and noted triptych, and at climactic moments, two sitting in a big circle around the that Fischinger was working on a film additional projectors which overlapped projection machines. The Sound comes performance called Fieber. Schneider the basic triptych with further color (ideal) also from the center like the mentioned this new art “that Fischinger effects…Oskar used all three systems for lightbeams of the projectors, and light calls Raumlichtkunst…” [3]. colorizing (tinting, toning and hand- and soundwaves strike the Sphere and László was not generous in giving coloring) to give a wider variety of are there reflected to the people” [8]. Fischinger credit for his work, and it colors” [6]. Fischinger also suggested the appears the press gave more praise to Working with Fischinger’s films audience should recline on their backs, Fischinger’s films than László’s music. decades later, Moritz found material looking up at his abstract films The two parted ways later in 1926. labeled “R-1, Formspiel” which he projected onto the dome. Fischinger began performing his own believed was from the multiple projector Unfortunately, this dome theatre was independent multiple projector shows shows. In 1993 with support from the not built. Fischinger’s relationship called Fieber, Vakuum, Macht, and R-1 Deutsches Filmmuseum, he produced an with Rebay ended c. 1947, and her Formspiel. From press reviews and anamorphic triple panel recreation film position at the museum concluded Fischinger’s notes, we now understand with some of this footage, optically soon after. Fischinger found little these as attempts to create some of the printed onto a single strand of 35mm support in America for his film work very first cinematic immersive film [7]. after this. Among his later environments. No records have been found of experiments were a 3-D stereo film, a Fischinger described his performances of these shows by series of stereo paintings, and the “Raumlichtmusik” concept; he believed Fischinger after the late 1920s, though Lumigraph. all the arts would merge in this new art. single reels of these films were shown in In the late 1940s Fischinger invented He wrote of “Eine neue Kunst: Europe in the early 1930s. the Lumigraph, his mechanical color- Raumlichtmusik” [The new art: Room or light performance instrument, which he Space, of Light and Music]: “Of this Art Endless Space Without performed in completely darkened rooms everything is new and yet ancient in its Perspective to a variety of music. Though he played laws and forms. Plastic – Dance – Fischinger became successful in Europe it only a few times publicly in Los Painting – Music become one. The with his abstract animated films, his Angeles and San Francisco, many guests Master of the new Art forms poetical popular series of Studies, and his famous at Fischinger’s home enjoyed work in four dimensions…Cinema
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