silent films

A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films

for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, mime and tittle cards.

The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself, but because of the

technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made practical in the late 1920s with the perfection of the Audio Amplifier Tube and the introduction of the

Vitaphone system.

After the release of the Jazz Sier in 1927, "talkies" became more and more commonplace. Within a decade, popular

widespread production of silent films had ceased.

Intertitles

As motion pictures eventually increased in length, a replacement was needed for the in-

house interpreter who would explain parts of the film.

Intertitles

Because silent films had no synchronized sound for dialogue, onscreen intertitles were used to narrate story points, present key dialogue and sometimes even comment on the action for the

cinema audience.

Intertitles

Showings of silent films almost always featured live music, starting with the pianist at the first

public projection of movies by the Lumiere Brothers on December 28, 1895 in Paris. From

the beginning, music was recognized as essential, contributing to the atmosphere and

giving the audience vital emotional cues. (Musicians sometimes played on film sets during

shooting for similar reasons.) Small town and neighborhood movie theatres usually had a

pianist.

Live music and sound

Acting techniques

Silent film actors emphasized body language and facial expression so that the audience could better understand what an actor was feeling and portraying on screen. Much silent film

acting is apt to strike modern-day audiences as simplistic or campy.

Acting techniques

The melodramatic acting style was in some cases a habit actors transferred from their former stage experience. The pervading presence of stage actors in film was the cause of

this outburst from director Marshall Neilan in 1917: "The sooner the stage people who have come into pictures get out,

the better for the pictures."

Acting techniques

In other cases, directors such as John Griffith Wray required their actors to deliver larger-than-life expressions for

emphasis.

Projection Speed

Until the standardization of the projection speed of 24 frames per second (fps) for sound films between 1926 and 1930, silent films were shot at

variable speeds (or "frame rates") anywhere from 12 to 26 fps, depending on the year and studio. "Standard silent film speed" is often said to be 16 fps as

a result of the Lumiere brothers' Cinématographe, but industry practice varied considerably; there was no actual standard. Cameramen of the era

insisted that their cranking technique was exactly 16 fps, but modern examination of the films shows this to be in error, that they often cranked

faster. Unless carefully shown at their intended speeds silent films can appear unnaturally fast or slow. However, some scenes were intentionally

unercranked during shooting to accelerate the action—particularly for comedies and action films.

Projection Speed

Until the standardization of the projection speed of 24 frames per second (fps) for sound films between 1926 and 1930, silent films were shot at

variable speeds (or "frame rates") anywhere from 12 to 26 fps, depending on the year and studio. "Standard silent film speed" is often said to be 16 fps as

a result of the Lumiere brothers' Cinématographe, but industry practice varied considerably; there was no actual standard. Cameramen of the era

insisted that their cranking technique was exactly 16 fps, but modern examination of the films shows this to be in error, that they often cranked

faster. Unless carefully shown at their intended speeds silent films can appear unnaturally fast or slow. However, some scenes were intentionally

unercranked during shooting to accelerate the action—particularly for comedies and action films.

Mostly known silent films' actor:

Charlie Chaplin

And as he said..

References

WikipediaGoogle images

Created by:

Eugenia D. G3