Anybody want to make some titles?

I'm thinking about the possibility of recreating Keystone's original titles for 'Face On The Barroom Floor.' I don't see why one couldn't just use 16mm negative film (the same way the original guys did) and splice it directly into a print.

It would be relatively easy to make the title cards, but I don't have a 16mm camera (much less the knowledge of how to use it) to do the actual photography.

Anyone out there inspired?

Doug,

Im curious about your desire to do this. Why do you want to recreate titles? And more specifically why from 'Face On Baroom Floor?

I edited together the Official Films edition of 'Barroom Floor' with the W.H. Productions (titled 'Ham Artist'. Of these, the Official Films issue has much more footage at the end - but has been greatly re-edited, while 'Ham Artist' has more frame and a shot that 'Barroom Floor' omits - as well as the original text of the titles (remade).

I figured that since I've gone to all the trouble of re-editing the film, I might as well go to a bit *more* trouble and re-create the original Keystone titles. Besides, the W.H. Production titles go by too quickly to allow you to comfortably read them, and I need to come up with a title for the 'in the park' coda.

Interesting. I'm guessing there aren't any prints of the full film around? Otherwise, you wouldn't be trying to do this? If this is so...how are you going to know what the original Keystone titles were?...and what they said?

Doug,

Hello. I cannot remember who but there is someone at the silent films newsgroup who is involved with making titles for restoring films. A while ago he posted something about the fonts.

Perhaps he can identify the font used in one of the original cards and let you know.

I would like to see how your project turns out. Keep us posted.

Darren Nemeth

Owner of 'Giant Squid Audio Lab' - Specialists in durable, high fidelity Binaural / Stereo and Mono miniature microphones for discriminating DAT and Mini Disc recording enthusiasts.

As far as I know, not - conflating the W.H. Productions and Official Films version is the only way I know to get the longest version (and BOTH of them have shots out of order).

W.H. Productions' reissues seem to retain the wording of the original Keystone titles. In the case of 'Barroom Floor' it's even more obvious, since the titles are simply excerpts from the poem that the film is parodying.

The only title that's missing is the final one, which I believe would have come before the final 'in the park' scene where Charlie sees his now hen-pecked rival, old girlfriend, and flock of children. Official's title 'One Month Later' is obviously inappropriate, and the W.H. version does not include this part of the film at all.

Personally, I'm leaning towards 'The Final Stanza'