Silence is golden

Shhh!

Never has the phrase "silence is golden" been so true than at the Bo'ness Silent Film Festival, which wraps up this evening after three days of movies and events. I was treated to a great programme of silent celebrations in an even greater location; the Hippodrome is Scotland's oldest fully functioning cinema and is quite a sight to behold, with beautiful architectural details and an electric atmosphere to match. It was renovated a few years ago and now basks in renewed glory that harks back to its hey-day in the early years of the 20th century.

I have to admit, I'd never have thought that a fabulous little festival embracing silent film would be tucked away on the cusp of the Forth estuary, but film-goers from all over Scotland were treated to just that. I didn't manage to see the full programme as I completely neglected Sunday's line-up, but never the less I was treated to Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and Clara Bow amongst others.

The tenuous link to advertising

So what did I learn from this brilliant little oasis of film that I can shoehorn into some kind of advertising-related blog post? Err. Well. I think that what I've learned isn't really specific to advertising, but more to creativity in general.

Perhaps the most important thing is that if you're a creative person and if you want to write well or art direct beautifully for advertising then you should be watching silent films. Silent cinema is where it all began, so the artistry and skill you'd use for making ads today can all be traced all the way back to the days when film was in its infancy. The physicality and the visual elements of the silent era are refreshing and don't rely on gimmicks or technology to get meaning across.

If you want to see the idea in all its naked glory then watch some silent film. It's creativity in its rawest form and something we should all embrace. Sometimes we should be looking back to look forward.

And now to provide some creative stuff

So for those advertising types (or regular types who made better career choices) with no exposure to silent cinema, here's a couple of links to really famous silent films that you can watch online. If you can get them in the cinema even better:

Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip To The Moon) - 1902
The Great Train Robbery - 1903
Broken Blossoms (1919)
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1920)
Metropolis (1927)  

And for those who'd like to investigate more about silent film, the cinema and Scotland:

The Scottish Screen Archive collection 
Scottish Cinemas and Theatres Project

One more thing

The weekend's festivities were excellent and were supported by a variety of funders who helped make it happen. We hear about the death of creativity in Scotland, the exodus of talent and the desert of opportunities in this country, but if more festivals and celebrations of the creative can be given the green light in the future then maybe this talk of decline can be reversed. Isn't it time that more events of this calibre were given the opportunity to shine?

If the Bo'ness Silent Film Festival has piqued your interest in all things pre-sound, then have a look at the various articles on Reel Scotland, along with interviews and videos from the event. You'll get a better flavour of the festival over there than here.

Oh, and cheers for some of the photos, Falkirk Council.