The Audio Described Films of Edison Motion Pictures
Silent film classics described for the first time
Fall 2024
Students enrolled in Matt Lauterbach's Fall 2024 Accessible Cinema course at DePaul University described three early silent films by Edison Motion Pictures. A public screening took place virtually on November 18, and the students received valuable feedback from Lee Pugsley and Alex Howard of The Dark Room podcast.
Collectively, students described The Great Train Robbery, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Frankenstein.
A public screening took place virtually on November 18, and the students received valuable feedback from Alex Howard and Lee Pugsley of The Dark Room.
(with audio description and closed captioning)
Caption: A sepia-toned black-and-white still frame from the 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery. This scene is famous for being an early example of direct address, or “breaking the fourth wall,” in which a character seems to interact with the audience.
Image description: A man dressed as a cowboy wears a wide-brimmed hat and a bandana around his neck. He has a stern expression and a thick mustache and is aiming a revolver directly at the camera, creating a dramatic and confrontational effect.
(Excerpt from student Audio Description): “The final dead robber stares into us against a black background, determination in his cold, dead eyes. Drawing his pistol, he takes aim at us. Out of bullets, he tries in vain to shoot twice more. He continues to stare.”