Silent films were movies produced between 1894 and the late 1920s that had no synchronized recorded sound or spoken dialogue. Intertitles were used to convey context and dialogue. Silent films appealed to both the working class as they were accessible without reading, and the middle class as novels were adapted into films. As technology advanced, the film industry consolidated in Hollywood. German Expressionist films of 1919-1933 used experimental techniques to convey emotion through sets and acting.

1. The Silent Era and German
Expressionism

2. What is a silent film??
“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 title
cards.” – Wikipedia
This era lasted from 1894 to about 1920, before the technology for synchronised
dialogue was available
They were simplistic and usually only lasted a few seconds
Onscreen intertitles (or “titles”) were used for narration, present key dialogue
and comment on the action for the cinema audience, often featuring illustrations
or abstract decoration.

3. Social impact
Silent films appealed to mass audiences of the illiterate
working-class as no words were used to tell the stories within
them.
In 1900 it became more of a middle-class pastime as films
based on bourgeoisie novels became popular, and these
appealed the middle class values.
Up until 1914, the USA, Italy and France were home to the
biggest film industries, but after Italy and France were
devastated in WWII, America took advantage and began
patenting the technology for filmmaking.

4. Actors were expected to perform their
own stunts – studios would save money
by hiring willing actors rather than an
actor and a stunt double
The Hollywood industry was born when
production companies moved to Los
Angeles between 1907-1913
As early films didn’t have sound,
musicians would provide the music as the
film played – depending on the size of
the theatre
Brazil would show “operettas” with live
singers and in Japan films played with an
orchestra and narrator in the background
Buster Keaton

5. German Expressionism
This refers to a series of silent films influenced by the art movements
of expressionism and constructivism. German filmmakers working for
the Berlin-based mega-studio Ufa created a series of films from 1919–
1933, until Hitler came to power.
These films sought to express their characters through
mise-en-scene as well as melodramatic gestures and movement.
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. As a result, silent films acting is often seen
by modern-day audiences as simplistic or “campy”.

6. Some clips…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2SKWSOdGM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65rGf2swdtU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSKARzn9-mw

7. Sources -
http://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2015/sep/07/silent-era-film-stars-risked-their-lives-doing-film-
stunts
http://sparkcharts.sparknotes.com/film/film/section4.php
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_film