Blackmail, directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1929, was one of the first hybrid silent/sound films and an early example of film noir and murder mystery movies. It was originally intended to be silent but was converted during production to include some sound elements like dialogue and music. Hitchcock skillfully incorporated sound into the film without letting it hamper the visual storytelling. Though the sound technology was still limited, Hitchcock used it creatively to add literal meaning and impact. Blackmail helped establish conventions for using sound in movies going forward.

1. Scene Analysis Over History-
Murder Mystery Movies
First Movie: Blackmail
(Alfred Hitchcock)

2. The film was intended as a silent but was converted into sound by
strategic additions, including spoken dialogue, the murder victim’s
piano-playing, with many others. One of the first Murder Mystery
movies.
Blackmail is a one of the first hybrid of silent and sound film. Having
occasional silent sequences and some with additional sound on top.
Also being a Film Noir with elements from Jack the Ripper, containing
gothic horror.
Despite being and experiment of using sound and dialogue together
Alfred Hitchcock didn’t let the sound hamper the movies dialogue
more than necessary.
The greatest aspect of this movie that in an era where there is
limitations in technological advances, Hitchcock use sounds and
music with literal meaning , despite the sounds having static in the
filming and sound.

3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3sOL_30nbw
The convention of this scene is the struggle of Alice who’s being raped by the actor, so to save herself, she
stabs the actor (killing him). She leaves the body behind while trying erase possible clues to her being with
the actor before his death.
The technical code are applied in this shot an example of this movie was the zoom in on Alice’s face too
emphasis her shock of what she has done, showing her become scared. An example of using a symbolic
code in the scene where Alice covers her name on the painting, showing that she’s thinking of covering up her
involvement with the dead man.
In the beginning, an establishing shot is used to show the surroundings of the characters. Also to give the
audience a feel of how the screen direction works; showing us where the characters are.
Continuity is shown by the maintenance of the 180 degree rule. Keeping the eye line of the characters,
confirming that they are facing each other in the scene direction.
Shot reverse shot is applied to show who the character is talking to. This is emphasized by the dialogue inter-
titles shown on screen, to show who’s talking and highlighting the crucial dialogue being said in the scene.
There are a lot of close up shots from the camera, to indicate the emotion of the character. It’s also used on
the possible evidence of the murder, for example the name on the painting.
After starting production the British International pictures turning it into a sound film while filming. Both films
where released together sound and silent. While the silent one went to theaters with no sound equipment.