Classical Hollywood Cinema

Classical Hollywood Cinema is the time period of the film industry that began with the movie release of “The Birth of a Nation.” It incorporates both the Silent Era and Studio Era of filmmaking. Unique to Classical Cinema, the mode of production during this timeframe encouraged film directors to view their work from the perspective of an employee of the studios rather than as auteurists who exercised creative control over their works with an individual film style. The Classical Cinema time period ended in the 1960s when the motion picture industry ushered in a new Post-Classical film style by auteurist film directors with the release of “Bonnie and Clyde” (1967) as well as other landmark films of that decade.

Silent Era

The Silent Era is commonly referred to as the “Age of the Silver Screen” from 1917 to 1928. During this time period, there was no sound or synchronized speech accompanying the character’s images being projected on the movie screen. To accommodate for the lack of sound, on-screen captions were utilized to emphasize important points and dialogue in the story. Oftentimes, the projection of silent films onto the big screen was accompanied by live instrumental music (pianist, organist, or even a large orchestra). The standard stylistic elements fundamental to classical Hollywood silent filmmaking were implemented through the Silent Era’s Director-Unit System. This system of filmmaking included a fully integrated work force with a set of employees that had precise areas of responsibility under the leadership of the film director. Read the rest of this entry »