Making A Silent Movie?

[Semiazas]

I have an idea for a movie, I'm wondering if I should make it a silent one or not, I'm also curious to what people think of silent films.
I'll probably use soundtrack even if there is no dialouge.

The short is called Memento Mori
It follows a man called Adam through a short phase of his life, there are two other characters, Death & The Siren.
It will largely be shot in B&W apart from any scenes with the Siren in because she's symbolic of his life and dreams.
Essentially, he sees death in his mirror behind him one morning and is, as you would be, taken back in fear and becomes paranoid that his time will come.
He often sees death in his dreams and is wondering if he's going mad.
At some point, he sees the Siren, who may or may not be a figment of his imagination, but shes seems to bring him back to world, hence scenes with her being in colour.
At some point, as his dreams of death become more intense, he sees her less and begins to lose hope.
At the end of the short, he will wake from a dream of the Siren being taken by Death, when he does this, Death takes Adam into his embrace and he silently dies, the image of the Siren still in his mind.

Thoughts?

 

[directorik]

All silent movies have a soundtrack.

I have seen this movie dozens of times. I have
made that movie. I think most beginning filmmakers
do a variation of that story. It's a good one.

I say go for it!

 

[Alcove Audio]

So called "silent" films were never silent. There was, of course, a score and it was usually written specifically for the film, although many of those scores have been lost forever.

Let's set the stage a little more; going to a movie was not just going to a movie, it was in the nature of a community event, and it was often accompanied by performers, not quite Vaudeville, but some variety acts. So in many theatres there was a piano or organ, sometimes a small ensemble to play the score. In the bigger cities orchestras of various sizes were used; and in the major cities - New York, Boston, Phillie, etc. - a full orchestra was used. In the theatres of those major cities there would also be a crew of between eight and 12 (sometimes as many as 20) people behind the screen performing sound effects.

In Japan there were Benshi performers - a single person who would stand beside the screen and lip sync all of the dialog and perform sound effects. Some of the Benshi performers were quite famous, and audiences would go to see the Benshi performer no matter what film was being shown.

So don't be afraid of including LOTS of sound.

 

[Semiazas]

All silent movies have a soundtrack.

I have seen this movie dozens of times. I have
made that movie. I think most beginning filmmakers
do a variation of that story. It's a good one.

I say go for it!

I'm glad you like it, I have a rough order of scenes in my head.

1 opening titles
2 Adam wakes up, sees Death in mirror
3 Images of Adam's life, should be bland and dull
4 Adam meets the Siren
5 Adam's life, more vivid and optimistic, visions of Siren,
6 Siren begins to disappear
7 Adam's life becomes more bland, dreams of Death
8 Adam meets Death outside of dreams
9 The Siren comes to Adam in a dream
10 Adam dreams of the Siren meeting Death and dying
11 Adam wakes up and sees Death.
12 Adam falls into Death's embrace, dying silently.
13 End credits/closing titles