BLOG QUESTION ADV: THE FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF SILENT FILMS IN COLOR

1. Why do you think modern-day people perceive early film as ONLY black and white? What do you think has led to this perception? How do you think color was perceived by audiences back in the dawn of cinema?

I believe modern-day people only perceive early film as black and white because many of the popular films during that time are currently shown in black and white, due to them not being properly preserved. Because of this, many people believe that older films were only shown in black and white. I also believe there's a lack of history being taught about filmmaking in the older days, and many people aren't aware of processes like tinting/toning, or they don't know the technical names for them. I believe color wasn't perceived realistically by the people watching films, but it probably did add a nice touch and emphasized certain scenes. Paired with live music and sfx, color can be used to influence the audiences' emotions.