Silent Movies

1. Silent Movies (Shhhhhh! They’re silent.)

2. A silent film is… • A film with no accompanying, synchronized recorded spoken dialogue. • A film that carries a universal language, in part because the message is mostly carried by the action. • Often accompanied by music, which was originally played live at the theatre.

3. A silent film is… • Silent because of the technical challenges involved, most films were silent before the late 1920s. • The silent film era is sometimes referred to as the "Age of the Silver Screen".

4. Intertitles • Intertitles (also called Titles) were used to: • narrate story points, • present key dialogue and • comment on the action for the cinema audience.

5. Intertitles • The title writer became a key professional in silent film • Intertitles often became graphic elements themselves, featuring illustrations or abstract decorations.

6. Live music and sound • Showings of silent films almost always featured live music. • Music was essential for atmosphere and to give the audience vital emotional cues (musicians sometimes played on film sets during shooting for similar reasons). • Music was “improvised” at first, but later films would arrive with sheet music and “cue sheets” to help the musicians.

7. Live music and sound • Small town and neighborhood movie theaters usually had a pianist. • Large city theaters tended to have organists or entire orchestras. • Massive theatrical organs such as the famous "mighty Wurlitzer" could simulate some orchestral sounds along with a number of sound effects.

8. Acting techniques • Relied heavily on body language and facial expressions • Stage actors were used to “overacting”, but some directors discouraged it.

9. Projection Speed • Most silent films were shot at slower speeds (or "frame rates") than sound films, • 16 to 23 frames per second rather than 24 frames per second. • Some scenes were intentionally undercranked during shooting in order to speed up the action, particularly in the case of slapstick comedies.

10. Projection Speed • Projectionists frequently showed silent films at speeds which were slightly faster than the rate at which they were shot. • The projection of a nitrate base 35mm film at a slow speed carried a considerable risk of fire from the heat of the projection bulb on the film.

11. Projection Speed • Projectionists would receive instructions from the distributors as to how fast particular reels or scenes should be projected on the musical director's cue sheet. • Theaters also sometimes varied their projection speeds to fit more showings into a day.

12. Plots • Tended to be easy to tell • Focused on recognizable themes (love, rejection, greed, peril, wealth and poverty, etc. • Generally focused on the protagonist, making it easier to follow.

13. Settings • Varied with the needs of the stories • Could be elaborate and futuristic (Metropolis) or simple (The Great Train Robbery)