Welcome aboard to the Filmmakers Express, we're arriving at our next stop, the 1910s and 20s! Today we are going to be discussing a transformative era in filmmaking that laid the foundation for much of modern cinema. This time period was full of experimentation in the film world that was able to shift the narratives surrounding filmmaking and change the way stories were told on camera. Films became larger in production and the plots became far more complex than the earlier film years we’ve discussed. This era marked the beginning of the rise of Hollywood and made massive changes in the industry. We will be looking at silent films from the 1910s and the birth of sound in the 20s; covering some popular films we all know and love!
Films had already been around for a while but it was during the 1910s that film evolved into a more sophisticated art format. Silent films took over in the industry, they relied heavily on visual storytelling and the music made for the film. Without dialogue, they were left with some text on the screen to provide further context to the film while the actors were tasked with using just facial expressions and body movement to express the story. In this time we see the rise of major actors like Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and Fatty Arbuckle who are still global icons in the film industry. A film that I find particularly interesting is Traffic in Souls (1913) dir. George Loane Tucker. This is a crime fiction film, but imagine having to convey that with only body movement, no words. This film relies heavily on facial expressions to convey fear or discomfort. Along with that, the music composed by Philip Carli plays a huge role in setting the emotions in with the audience; making the viewer feel that sort of fear you would think in a modern-day crime film.
As we move forward in time we start to see the birth of sound and the end of the silent era. This was a revolutionary time in the film industry when there was the introduction of synchronized sound. As they called them in the 20s. “talkies” were the films that emerged that were able to synchronize scenes with dialogue, music and the actual acting going on in the films. This led to a forever change in cinema and allowed films to connect more with their audience. Films like The Jazz Singer (1927) dir. Alan Crosland and The Wizard of Oz (1939) dir. Victor Fleming and King Vidor. These are some of the most popular and remain relevant today. Now the actors who relied so heavily on expressive emotions and movement were able to master the type of acting we see more in modern media, vocal acting.
To conclude, filmmaking between the 1910s and 20s was a time of massive change in this art form. Filmmakers were able to push narratives and learn more techniques in their field to create more sophisticated films. The evolution from silent film to synchronized sound remains a period where the most transformation happened and it is what changed the way people view films. These films laid the foundation for modern cinema and shaped the way we experience visual storytelling, today. I leave you with two recommendations, Traffic in Souls (1913) dir. George Loane Tucker and The Wizard of Oz (1939) dir. Victor Fleming and King Vidor, watch these films and let us know what you think!
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