Niko Smith
Pronouns: He, Him
Research Mentor(s): Matthew Solomon
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Film, Television, and Media / LSA
Program:
Authors:
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster:
Abstract
The era of the American silent film is largely a lost one: more than 80% of the feature films made before 1929, many of them including the performances of people of color, have been destroyed or otherwise lost. Through the use of a variety of multimedia technologies and art forms including filmmaking, music, and dance performance, as well as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and 3D modeling, we are working towards a multifaceted reimagining of the lost silent film “The Big City” from 1928. To authentically research and recreate this film, we have cataloged and analyzed hundreds of phonograph cylinders from the time period of the film, at the University of Michigan’s Stearns Musical instrument collection. Furthermore, we have retrieved all of the original production stills that exist from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library. Using these stills, we are collaborating with students enrolled in a FEAST course to create a 3D model of a setting from the film in virtual reality, as well as recreating the music for “The Black Bottom,” for which this setting was named. Through all of our work, we have created a new way of engaging with the lost silent film “The Big City” in VR and we are continuing to create more avenues through which to experience this film.
