Acting in a Silent Movie
Silent movie actors had to be versatile and imaginative; the actors would have to tell the audience about their emotions and thoughts through their actions -- not through spoken word.
The nature of the character would be defined by…
- clothing
- their actions, such as walking, moving, looking around
- facial makeup and hair style
- facial expression
ACTIVITY 1: CHARACTER PORTRAYAL
As a group or class, watch a silent movie together. Or, visit the website, silent-movies.com, at http://silent-movies.com/ and browse through the site, selecting quick-time clips to view short excerpts from the movies.
As you watch the move or clip, consider the following questions:
- what kind of character is this? (Hero? Heroine? Villain? Accomplice?)
- what emotions or thoughts might this character be presenting?
- what does their clothing tell you about them and their role in the film?
ACTIVITY 2: LIFE AND TIMES OF AN ACTRESS/DIRECTOR
Visit the CBC website to learn more about the life of a Canadian actress, Mary Pickford.
http://archives.radio-canada.ca/400d.asp?id=1-68-658-3655-10
ACTIVITY 3: MAKING YOUR OWN SILENT MOVIE
Review your script; beside each scene, describe emotions or attitudes you want the actors to exhibit. Include descriptive words so that the actors will know what to do.
For example:
"Dolly enters the room happily, smiling and fiddling with her hair. She looks out the window, as if expecting to see someone."
or
"The hobo creeps stealthily along the sidewalk, looking over his shoulder. He is downcast and suspicious-looking."
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