Audio and visuals

A film score can often make or break the movie-watching experience—the swells or abrupt booms of an orchestra direct you when to feel emotion or when to jump in fear. When it comes to classic silent films, the addition of a score later can create a new experience entirely.

That’s what Baton Rouge Gallery has been doing for more than two decades with its Movies & Music on the Lawn events during the summer months, pairing a local band, musician or DJ with a classic silent film screened on the lawn behind the gallery. “By and large, we’re dealing with a finite pool of films,” gallery director Jason Andreasen says. “So the music side is where we get to introduce new things to it.”

Except that after dipping into the same pool of films year after year, the event gets to explore a new film this month—2011’s Oscar-winning The Artist. Movies & Music alums Captain Green will create an original score to the film May 25. Beginning with that screening, the event will continue with one event at the end of each month through September, featuring films that run the gamut of sci-fi, slapstick and even swashbuckling. With Captain Green, Righteous Buddha and England in 1819 returning to create original scores, this year will also feature newbies Polly Pry and The Breton Sound.

“We leave so much up to the band. I often don’t know what they are going to do, and in some instances, they don’t know,” Andreasen says. “There’s something of an unexpected element to it. You are allowing these musicians to re-contextualize these films how they want to.”

Saturday, May 25: The Artist and Captain Green

Saturday, June 29: The General and Righteous Buddha

Saturday, July 27: The Black Pirate and The Breton Sound

Friday, Aug. 30: Nosferatu and England in 1819

Friday, Sept. 27: IT and Polly Pry

Tickets are $5 to the general public. Be sure to bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket! For more information, go to batonrougegallery.com.