The Key Elements of Film Form
The Key Elements of Film Form
Key Elements of Film Form in Silent Cinema
Mise-en-scène
- Mise-en-scène represents everything that appears before the camera and its arrangement—compositions, sets, props, actors, costumes, and lighting.
- Playwrights and filmmakers manipulated mise-en-scène to support the narrative and evoke emotions.
- In silent cinema, the elements of mise-en-scène played a critical role in delivering the story, often using exaggerated and stylised visuals due to absence of spoken dialogue.
Cinematography
- Cinematography is the technical aspect of filmmaking, encompassing camera movement, lens choices, framing, scale, and lighting.
- Cinematographers of silent films often made use of innovative techniques such as German Expressionist cinema’s distorted sets and lighting to communicate a mood.
- The shot length and positioning, or shot scale, was carefully considered to impact the overall visual narrative.
Editing
- Editing is the process of selecting and joining individual shots together to create a cinematic whole.
- Pioneers like Sergei Eisenstein and D.W. Griffith introduced revolutionary editing techniques, exploiting the possibilities of the camera to present multiple angles and scales.
- Continuity editing, that aims at narrating the story by smooth transition from shot to shot, emerged during the silent era.
Sound
- Despite its name, silent cinema was rarely silent. Musical scores, played live in cinemas, were vital for enhancing mood and guiding audience reaction.
- Sound effects, performed live or on early sound discs, could hint at offscreen presence or action, hence playing a significant auditory role despite lack of dialogue.
Performance
- Performance in silent cinema often necessitated exaggerated gestures and expressions to compensate for the lack of speech.
- Certain actors developed recognisable styles, contributing to the formation of star system. For example, Charlie Chaplin’s physical comedy and Lillian Gish’s dramatic facial expressions.