A silent film is 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.
The idea of combining motion pictures with recorded sound is nearly as old as film itself,
but because of the technical challenges involved, synchronized dialogue was only made
practical in the late 1920s with the perfection of the Audio Amplifier Tube and the
introduction of the Vitaphone system.
 Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and
nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister
studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last
major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one which was
widely used and commercially successful.
 Intertitles

Because silent films had no synchronized sound

for dialogue, onscreen intertitles were used to
narrate story points, present key dialogue and
sometimes even comment on the action for the
cinema audience.
Intertitles
 Live music and sound
Showings of silent films almost always featured live music, starting with the
pianist at the first public projection of movies by the Lumiere Brothers on
December 28, 1895 in Paris. From the beginning, music was recognized as
essential, contributing to the atmosphere and giving the audience vital
emotional cues. (Musicians sometimes played on film sets during shooting
for similar reasons.) Small town and neighborhood movie theatres usually
had a pianist.
 Acting techniques

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. Much silent film acting is apt to strike
modern-day audiences as simplistic or campy.
 Acting techniques

The melodramatic acting style was in some cases a habit actors transferred from their former
stage experience. The pervading presence of stage actors in film was the cause of this outburst
from director Marshall Neilan in 1917: "The sooner the stage people who have come into pictures get
out, the better for the pictures."
 Acting techniques

In other cases, directors such as John Griffith Wray required their actors to deliver larger-than-life
expressions for emphasis.
 Projection Speed
Until the standardization of projection speeds to 24 frames per second (fps) for sound films
between 1926 and 1930, silent films were shot at variable speeds (or "frame rates") anywhere from
12 to 26 fps, depending on the year and studio.

"Standard silent film speed" is often said to be 16 fps as a result of the Lumiere brothers'
Cinématographe (film camera and projector), but industry practice varied considerably; there was
no actual standard. Cameramen of the era insisted that their cranking technique was exactly 16 fps,
but modern examination of the films shows this to be in error, that they often cranked faster. Unless
carefully shown at their intended speeds silent films can appear unnaturally fast or slow. However,
some scenes were intentionally undercranked during shooting to accelerate the action—
particularly for comedies and action films.
Mostly known silent film actor:

Charlie Chaplin
He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, "The Tramp", and
is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film
industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the
Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both
adulation and controversy.

Charlie Chaplin made 81 films in his lifetime.

He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, "The Tramp", and
is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film
industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the
Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both
adulation and controversy.

Charlie Chaplin made 81 films in his lifetime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-Y45rcGX3s
And as he said..
 Task – On Weebly

1. Complete Silent Film Worksheet and add to Weebly

2. Find a popular silent film (mid-1890s to late 1920s) and describe why you
think it was popular in it’s time.
References

Wikipedia
Google images