Workshop: The 20th Century Silent Smash

Name: Workshop: The 20th Century Silent Smash
Released: 2026-04-26
Duration: 6 h 30 min

The early twentieth century saw the rise of silent film. Without the ability to record audio, music often had to take the place of diegetic sound, with dialogue having to be supplied by title cards. But how did they make these title cards? What if you can't fit everything you want to say in a single frame? And most importantly: how do you choose the right font?? Join the Olympia Film Society, The Sherwood Press, and Community Print for a multi-part single-day workshop: The 20th Century Silent Smash. Participants can expect to get an all-day workout, both mental and physical. We will learn the history of silent films and typesetting for this art form, then come up with our own title cards for a new silent short specifically made for this workshop. Later in the day we will get hands on, setting type with what we've created, and finally printing these title cards on a Vandercook press. Each participant will go home with prints, knowledge of a lost craft, and messy, inky hands. The resulting film will be screened days later at the Olympia Film Festival. WORKSHOP SCHEDULE 10am-12pm: Meet at Community Print. Jonah Barnett and Alissa Tu will deliver a lecture about silent film and the history of typefaces and letterpress in this medium. A rough cut of a new silent film will be screened to the workshop participants. Everyone will then brainstorm and finalize the three pieces of dialogue that play in the film. Ray Zill and Kelsey Smith of Community Print will be there to assist with technical needs. 12pm-1:15pm: Break for lunch. 1:30pm-6:30pm: Meet at Sherwood Press. Participants will meet Jami Heinricher. In groups of two, participants will learn to set type, and collectively will print the three title cards they came up with that morning at CP. At the end, these title cards will be placed into the film, with the resulting work being screened at OFS days later. Instructors Jonah Barnett (they/them) is an art archivist, author, ex-filmmaker, and multimedia artist living in Olympia, WA. A lifelong storyteller, Jonah's work ranges from feature films, web series, books, plays, and a radio drama or two. Aside from their own creative practice, Jonah has helped strengthen the arts ecosystem throughout the South Sound Region. They once worked as OFS's marketing director, one-hundred years ago. Now they help manage the State Art Collection for the Washington State Arts Commission's Art in Public Places Program (mouthful!). They are also on the Community Print board and are part of the queer cohort for Window Seat Media's Pride Storytelling Project. They're everywhere. You cannot escape them!! Jonah’s film work has been featured at Northwest Film Forum, the Grand Cinema, the Trans Stellar Film Festival, and maybe even the Capitol Theater two or ten times. Alissa Tu (she/her) is a Vietnamese American writer from Olympia, Washington but lives in San Diego, California. With a love for Asian cinema, she has been a Film Festival Programmer for the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF) since 2022. Her work as a programmer has expanded to include being SDAFF's Production Coordinator and Pacific Arts Movement's Grant Writer from January 2024 to February 2026. Jami Heinricher (she/her) is the owner/operator of The Sherwood Press in Olympia, Washington, an historic letterpress and design studio founded in 1940. She volunteered from 1989 to 2003, assuming ownership upon her predecessor Jocelyn Dohm's death. In addition to designing and printing countless letterpress projects for thirty-five years, Jami has been active in brand development and rebrands for numerous small businesses. Jami has taught letterpress at The Sherwood Press and hosted numerous interns from The Evergreen State College. She has also taught for Partners in Print, Ladies of Letterpress, Arbutus Folk School, and Community Print. She has built a papermaking studio called WIND•EYE Handmade Paper, and has taught papermaking through Arbutus Folk School.PT6H30M2026-04-26

Sponsorships: Sherwood Press

Community Print

Blackhawk Silent Film Type Collection

Workshop: The 20th Century Silent Smash"Workshop: The 20th Century Silent Smash"

Showtimes

April 26, 10:00 am