Chess

About

A personal experimental stop motion film made by educational filmmaker, Thomas G. Smith. About the film, Tom wrote the following in the third person: "Chess (1964) was an experimental, stop-motion film shot using a spring-wound, 16mm Bolex, while Smith was in the Air Force (1962/1965). He had just played in an armed forces chess tournament. Though good enough to advance to the finals, he was in over his head and soundly beaten by a Marine Colonel in the Armed Forces Worldwide Chess Tournament. When he returned to his home base, Smith put his used camera to a test; filming, one frame at a time, making the chess pieces slide across the board. He had no script or plan when he started improving as he went. This resulted in a film with no sound. Two years later, while recording the improvised music track for “Food From the Sun,” Smith asked the musicians to take a crack at the chess film. They agreed and recorded the track in one take. Though primitive, “Chess” shows what can be done with no budget but a lot of improvisation. Much recognition must be paid to those who provided the sound/music. Alas, they did not get a screen credit and nearly 50 years later remain unknown."

Addition note from The Academic Film Archive of North America director Geoff Alexander: the soundtrack bears the earmark of the well-known Chicago avant-garde jazz group AACM http://aacmchicago.org/

Human-made No record of this work says a model made it. What this means.

Archive

Internet Archive, in Academic films

Licence or status

The Internet Archive states none for this item.

Credit

Thomas G. Smith

Who can watch

The archive gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Kids profiles and older, judged from its collection and subjects. How films are placed