# Chess

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/

- Kind: Educational
- Year: 1965
- Runtime: 5 min
- By: Thomas G. Smith
- Genres: Education, Music
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/ThomasSmithChess)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Kids profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/ThomasSmithChess?play=1)