SILENT FILMSilent film was never truly silent. You always had a piano player or an orchestra, plus a lecturer.

WHERE FILM BEGAN• The first film camera was made in 1889 by Laurie Heise and William

Dickson. They worked for Thomas Edison.• The second film camera was much better and it was created by the

Lumiere Brothers in France. It was called the cinematographe where we get our word for cinematography.

• In the beginning, they just filmed whatever was around or set some stuff up to film. Films were made of one static shot.

• Then they started adding more shots and angles. They even added in stories.

SILENT FILM PROGRESSION• It took until 1915 before we’d have a well-made feature length film.

Before that, films were under a half an hour. The biggest crossroads of silent film were the following events:• When stories were first being added.• When theaters were closed in 1908 because they were filthy and only the

lower class was attending. Film might have ended there.• When D.W. Griffith (the father of narrative film) showed how to reach the

middle and upper classes with great stories with morals to them (plus great film technique).

• When sound and color were attainable in 1926.

THE SILENT ERA: 1889-1926• So, for the first 37 years of film, all of the amazing innovations that we

still have today were created. • Filmmakers figured out how to delight audiences without communicating

audibly. • They created special effects, film acting, story structure, suspense,

cinematography, editing, and without silent film we would not have film.• So, for our next project, you will have to use tools to communicate

without any dialogue or sound effects. You can only add music.