THE ART OF SILENT FILM

JONATHANEDWARDS · May 9, 2004

Hi ,

i was recently asked to shoot a silent short horror movie and would like to here from anyone that has shot a silent B&W film. a silent 20's movie has a certin charm and charactor to it that i dont think i can replactate its charactor or charm any advice would be nice

especialy from any older cinematographer 's

Thanks

JRE

David Mullen ASC · May 9, 2004

None of us are THAT old...

I assume you're thinking mostly of silent German Expressionism, like "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" or the later Murnau films like "Faust" and "Nosferatu". Or perhaps you're thinking of "Phantom of the Opera".

There have been some music videos lately that have copied that look, even adding a pulsing using digital techniques to simulate uneven development and aging.

1920's films became increasing softer and softer in terms of lens diffusion (usually nets) even though film stocks got sharper and finer-grained (or perhaps because of it.) Lighting became more and more elaborate and baroque. I'd study a few of them for the lighting, particularly Murnau's movies. I'd also look at "Sunrise" even though it is not a horror film.

The sound era "Dracula" (the one with Bela Legosi) almost looks like a 1920's silent film at times; other times it looks a bit crude like an early talkie. More interesting photographically are James Whale's Univeral horror films ("Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein", "Invisible Man".)

Marty Hamrick · May 9, 2004

A lot of the charm from the silent era came out of certain looks,gestures and visual gags that sort of faded a little when sound came in.

I'm primarily a TV news photographer and in the National Press Photographer's Association's workshops I have attended over the years,we have done exercises where we are given story lines and told to shoot no more than 4 minutes of raw silent video to be cut down to one minute.

If something from a particular silent era film touches you,I suggest you analyze what combination of visual elements brought about that feeling.

Marty

Patrick Neary · May 10, 2004

Hi-

You can look at some of Canadian director Guy Maddin's films for inspiration- "The Heart of the World" (on a DVD with "Twilight of the Ice Nymphs") is outrageously fun, and really looks like it could have been shot in the silent days.

GeorgeSelinsky · May 10, 2004

Right now I am trying to create a sequence in my film that has to match the look and feel of one sequence in Eisenstein's "October". I've noticed a few things, first of all the continuity rules back then were different. There are jump cuts and other such things that today we'd find unacceptable, i.e. the 30 degree rule which Eisenstein violates all the time. The style of acting is different, and it's actually pretty interesting (especially when you consider that Eisenstein chose practically all amateurs to play the various roles, hence the authenticity of his film's look. It seems sound really did change a lot.

The uneven development (although I wonder if its not the disintegration of the nitrate stock, as by 1927 I imagine in the USSR they probably used continuous machines) I plan to take care of by developing my own filmstock. Cheaper than sending it tohe lab and asking for normal development. I think that by 1927 there was already panchromatic stock, so I don't plan to use a cyan filter like I originally considered.

Also, it seems that there was no lens wider than 35mm or maybe even 40mm, judging bythe shots (either that, or they didn't use one).

- G.

John Pytlak RIP · May 10, 2004

Other than frame rate, other things that constitute the silent film "look" were the use of blue-sensitive films instead of modern panchromatic films, nonuniformity in film and processing causing a streakiness or blotchiness, halation, lens flare, etc.

Blue sensitive film can be simulated by using a deep blue filter. Kodak introduced panchromatic film in 1922, but ortho and blue sensitive films were used well into the early 30's, especially overseas using other stocks.

Labs can reduce process agitation or you can hand-develop film to get the poor uniformity.

Fog filters can give a close approximation of halation.

Old lenses, or diffusion filters can simulate lens flare.

David Mullen ASC · May 11, 2004

Also, some shots in "Potemkin" are obviously diffused with nets. Look at the harbor scene as the boat passes the dead sailor lying on the docks in a tent.

JONATHANEDWARDS · May 12, 2004

thank you vary much guys , i am impressed with the site i normaily dont get feed back so quick any were else.

iam sorry david i dident mean to affend

i just thought that older the better sorry

i should maby go in to more detail about the project and what i am looking for.

its kind of a cool twised horror short silent film (no talkie talkie ) but with a sound track

it kind of a sycko serial killer type thing that terrorizes a city killing women and at the end we are spost to feel sorry for him but he never gets caught instead he locks him self in to a room in his basement so he will stop

the director has most of his asperations from metroapolis and thinks that the coolest movie ever.

being from winnipeg most of my ideas have come from some of guy maddens movies. and i think his work is the best source of b&W photography to study but i have been watching some of chapline's work but am haveing a hard time finding older silent movies to watch on video or dvd.

i would like to know if anywere else the saddest music in the world is playingin theatres or is it just winnipeg

i have ordered the 3374 kodak 16mm sound stock in witch i plan to shoot with , its pritty scarry stuff

12 ASA, and then pucket hand process it. hopeing that will help not make it look so new, as so much of the stocks that kodak has does. as well counting on my bad chemestery to make it look better

i will soon be testing this stuff and know more about it.

i noticed that George you have a wed page about hand processing have you ever worked with this 3374 stuff .

i am woundering if anybody knows what type of lighting EQ was used in the 20s what did thay have and what did thay not have .

as well been thinking about going with a non sync camera to kind of give it that feel but i my loose my lens slection if i do that.

i am still trying to get around my head how to light for 12 asa

if any one has worked with such a stock even 25 asa i would love to here from you

thanks in advance for you posts

Mister X · May 12, 2004

Some of us are fairly OLD, (at least as tastes go), and do enjoy films made before Hollywood discovered the talkies. Now, it's talk, talk, talk. And, more recently, there are just too many sudden loud noises and musical cues, for me to watch current horror films in the theaters.

Silence can be more than golden; it can help develop suspense, (something lacking in most recent horror films).

For anyone who enjoys Fritz Lang's films, take a good look at M. See how Lang introduces the child murderer thru a series of images and the whistling of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" from Grieg's "Peer Gynt."

A more recent example of showing a horror tale, (with minimal dialog), that I would recommend is the episode of "In a Cup of Tea," from Masaki Kobayashi's KWAIDAN. I think that RINGU, (and THE RING), owes Kobayashi some credit for an idea that was adapted from one of Lafcadio Hearn's tales.

David Mullen ASC · May 12, 2004

B&W sound stock may be too fine-grained and high-contrast for you -- I'd be more likely to try b&w reversal, maybe push-processed, for a lot of contrast, if that's what you wanted. Even Plus-X b&w negative push-processed may be more manageable yet still get you enough contrast.

GeorgeSelinsky · May 12, 2004

i noticed that George you have a wed page about hand processing have you ever worked with this 3374 stuff .

Nope, never have. I think it uses D-97 as a developer, but you might want to try other developers to alter the image quality and speed. It will require some experimentation of course.

- G.