In the previous two posts we looked at what I consider to be some of the basic components of the visual aesthetics of films from the silent era: the use of orthochromatic film, their use of color, the artifacts of rack and tank processing, and the flexibility of shooting and projection speed. But the way […]
rack and tank film processing Another visual quality characteristic of the silent era you might notice is a pulsating in the image. The blacks do not stay at a constant level, but in a continual, subtle fluctuation. For most of the silent era, motion picture film, camera negative as well as positive prints, were processed by hand via
The basic visual aesthetics of the silent era pt. 2: lab work and speed Read More »
If you are new to films from the silent era, you may have noticed a distinctive look to the image, or depending on what you’ve seen, even thought the films look bad due to early technology being primitive and incapable of any level of quality. There are numerous reasons why films from the silent era
The basic visual aesthetics of the silent era pt. 1: ortho film and color Read More »