Oskar Fischinger: Ten Films is the first DVD in a series from CVM
Produced by Center for Visual Music
Curated by CVM.
Produced in association with The Elfriede Fischinger Trust and Jack Rutberg Fine Arts.
Authoring: Ellsworth Productions, New York
Sleeve Design: elle + elle, Los Angeles
Technical notes
Technical Services were provided by Chace Productions, Cinetech, Film Technology Company Inc., Foto-Kem, Laser Pacific, Point 360, Technicolor Creative Services Hollywood/Complete Post.
The DVD is standard definition, NTSC, region free. High definition transfers for the DVD were encoded to MPEG-2. Several of the early films are SD transfers supervised by William Moritz (Spiritual Constructions, Walking from Munich to Berlin).
Wax Experiments was transferred at 18 fps. The Berlin Studio 'Home Movies' were telecined to HD at both 24fps and 12fps. Upon comparison it was decided to use the 12fps version for this disc.
Extensive digital audio restoration was done by CVM for each of the sound films on this DVD. "No-noise" digital processing was used. Artifacts introduced by deterioration of original elements were removed (pops, clicks, hiss). CVM extends special thanks to Robert Heiber, Ron Bonk and Brian San Marco at Chace Productions.
The previous work to preserve a number of films by Oskar Fischinger was generously supported by Sony Pictures Entertainment and The Film Foundation; preservation work was done by the Academy Film Archive on some of the films in 1998-2000: Study nr 6, Kreise, American March, Motion Painting. The films Study nr. 7, Allegretto, and Radio Dynamics are newly preserved by CVM. The preservation of Study nr. 7 by CVM from nitrate material was made possible in association with Cinémathèque québécoise and The Fischinger Archive. Earlier preservation work by The Fischinger Archive was made possible with the support of Deutsches Filmmuseum, Cinémathèque québécoise and Pacific Film Archive.
Curatorial notes
Fischinger's silent films and early experiments on the DVD are presented silent. The film Spiritual Constructions is presented silent, as there is no record of Fischinger planning music for this film. For decades this film was in distribution with a Bowles track chosen by William Moritz which he synched to the film, however this was Moritz and Elfriede Fischinger's decision, not Oskar's.
Similarly, Moritz had selected a replacement recording for distribution prints and videos of Motion Painting No. 1 (actually 2 different recordings, with the 1st and 2nd sections edited together), possibly due to the deterioration of Fischinger's original audio materials. The tempo of Moritz's replacement recordings is much faster than Fischinger's original choice. We have returned as close to the source of the recording used by Fischinger as was possible for this DVD, adjusting to match Fischinger's original work.
The date used for Wax Experiments on the DVD, 1921-1926, is derived from Moritz's research (including his filmography in Optical Poetry, p. 197). The handwritten title card on the film with other dates, believed to have been made by Elfriede Fischinger for rental 16mm prints, was however left on the film, as it has been attached to rental prints and thus the 'known version' for decades. Several of Fischinger's other films today also contain handmade title cards done by Elfriede, sometimes in collaboration with Moritz.
Special Thanks
CVM extends very special thanks to Barbara Fischinger, Michael Friend, John Canemaker, Joe Kennedy, Jerry Beck, Karl Cohen, Leonard Maltin, Jonathan Rosenbaum and Goethe-Institut Los Angeles.
CVM acknowledges the indispensible contributions of Elfriede Fischinger and William Moritz to the preservation of Oskar's films and legacy.
Purchasing the DVD
Buy online through CVM order page, or by phone: 213-683-1514, through our downtown Los Angeles office.
Also available in Europe at HEEZA, Paris; EYE Film/Netherlands Filmmuseum, Amsterdam; Walther Koenig Bookshop, Cologne, Germany.
Press Kit
www.centerforvisualmusic.org/DVDPress.htm
Films and Photographs © Elfriede Fischinger Trust 1921-2011, all rights reserved
DVD © Center for Visual Music, 2006
Licensed for private home use only, all other rights reserved. Limited educational license is granted through purchase at the Institutional Rate. Public Performance Rights are not included.