This is my second post so pardon my lack of experience. I don't have a camera, but I'm taking film classes and I'm eager to learn. My question is: how difficult would it be to make a silent film with today's technology? Also, what type of camera would be required or effects? I've been interested in this style for quite some time and am planning my final project. Ideally, I would like to make a silent black and white film.
recreating silent films
- Thread starter Sylvie
- Start date
Silent film is nice and easy 
. The camera will naturally record sound but you can remove all of it once you bring it in to edit. Not hard at all. What do you plan on using to edit? This is assuming you are shooting video. With film it's even easier. Just load and shoot - no sound recorded. Getting a black and white image is also easy to do digitally. You will want to lower the "Saturation" until you get a B&W image.
. The camera will naturally record sound but you can remove all of it once you bring it in to edit. Not hard at all. What do you plan on using to edit? This is assuming you are shooting video. With film it's even easier. Just load and shoot - no sound recorded. Getting a black and white image is also easy to do digitally. You will want to lower the "Saturation" until you get a B&W image.
There are many filters out there bundled with editing software to give your video a "film" look. Are you going for an old film look?
Sylvie said:
...well, it won't do as much, but it can mimick film or give a film like appearance. If everyone could do film, they would. Digital video gives people like you and me an affordable way of telling their stories.
If you are going to do a silent film, I would think that you really have to be good at expressing yourself visually. That doesn't mean just showing an event. It means being able to effectively use cut away shots, effectively move your story along without slowing it down. That's not always easy to do, but I would think you have an idea of how you want things to go. The idea is interesting... good luck with it...
--spinner
Last edited:
spinner said:
That's not necessarily true.. Some people prefer digital even though they COULD do film... (think Rodriguez & Lucas)
In essence though, Spinner is right.. Film has its advantages and digital has its advantages. Ultimately it's about what is affordable and best suited for the film (or taste of the people in charge..)
You might have good luck with an old super-8 camera shooting on black & white reversal, and then capturing for digital editing by projecting onto a wall and taping it with a digital camera. That would definately give it an old film look. (Flickery and whatnot) at 18 frames per second you get about 3.5min per roll of super8 and can get triX from kodak for about $10-12/roll. And if you make use of the instructions HailtotheKing posted, you should be able to get each roll developed on the cheap.
Will Vincent said:That's not necessarily true.. Some people prefer digital even though they COULD do film... (think Rodriguez & Lucas)
...forgive my blanket statement.
There was a discussion on just this subject somewhere else on the board a while back. My OBSERVATION has been that film is still the preferred format. I don't know from Rodriguez or Lucas, though Lucas can do WHATEVER he wants. It also appears that the doors are open for digital video because the quality of that which is offered has improved so much that it would be a shame to turn your nose up at something great just because it wasn't shot on film.
...and for the record, I will be doing my project on Mini DV...
--spinner
I am in the production stage of a short shot on 16mm reversal that will emulate 20's silent era comedies. I will TK to Mini-DV and I'm debating whether I will physically shoot the cards with the film or do them in post.
Now that is to make it look authentic, shooting on real film and all. But you could just as easily shoot in digital and convert in post to B&W (EASY). The only issues are you need a good accompaning score of some type. A pre 1924 recording could work if you can find it, or you might post in our sub forums looking for a composer.
To be honest, I don't know that much about low end NLE's but I think Windows Movie Maker or whatever comes with a mac ought tp allow you to do everything you need. I work right now only in Vegas 6.
By the way, its too bad you are not a premiere member. Our founder, indietalk, has posted his silent B&W (with a splash of color in a couple of scenes) here http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=6870 . He shot his on 16mm as well in the 90's. It won several fests.
Todays technology of digital however makes all of this much easier. Sure you wont get the true 100% emulation that shooting on real film will give you, but its like this:
Shoot on Mini-DV, capture the footage in whatever program you want to use. Apply a B&W filter or just kill the saturation. Edit together normally. Have someone compose a score or add it yourself if you have one picked out. Render.
Now that is to make it look authentic, shooting on real film and all. But you could just as easily shoot in digital and convert in post to B&W (EASY). The only issues are you need a good accompaning score of some type. A pre 1924 recording could work if you can find it, or you might post in our sub forums looking for a composer.
To be honest, I don't know that much about low end NLE's but I think Windows Movie Maker or whatever comes with a mac ought tp allow you to do everything you need. I work right now only in Vegas 6.
By the way, its too bad you are not a premiere member. Our founder, indietalk, has posted his silent B&W (with a splash of color in a couple of scenes) here http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=6870 . He shot his on 16mm as well in the 90's. It won several fests.
Todays technology of digital however makes all of this much easier. Sure you wont get the true 100% emulation that shooting on real film will give you, but its like this:
Shoot on Mini-DV, capture the footage in whatever program you want to use. Apply a B&W filter or just kill the saturation. Edit together normally. Have someone compose a score or add it yourself if you have one picked out. Render.
Last edited:
Personally, I like silent film. Dialogue often gets in the way of the story. I made a silent film on miniDV, converted it to B/W, and used a NLE to add music. The local response has been quite positive. Granted, it's not like the silent films of the '20s but the idea is there. I also have a 16mm Bolex and I plan to shoot short, silent films with that. I want to be able to tell a story without dialogue because, as has been mentioned, film is a visual medium. (Not that sound isn't important!)
Anyway, I'm glad to see that people still respect silent film. And my silent film collection continues to grow...
Anyway, I'm glad to see that people still respect silent film. And my silent film collection continues to grow...
ShadowDragon said:
Just because a film has no dialogue doesn't mean it has to be silent. "the triplets of belleville" had little to no dialogue yet had some amazing songs and music.
"Tuvulu" is another great example of a nearly dialogueless film. And even the one or two lines that are in the film really aren't neccessary, shown by the fact that subtitles weren't added to help us one languagers. Now that I am thinking about it I think I need to see this one again. The cinematography is amazing.
I just say this to point out that silent doesn't have to mean an emulation of early 20th century silent film.