Silence may be golden, but in filmmaking terms it’s also REALLY challenging, as CAT’s Professional Filmmaking students found out.

While silence may be golden, it also presents a significant challenge in filmmaking, as CAT’s Professional Filmmaking students discovered firsthand.

As part of their ‘Cinematography and Production’ course, the Q4 Professional Filmmaking students were given the task of writing and producing a short silent film. 

While silent films were once the norm in cinema, the advent of sound and the ability to add dialogue largely changed the way films were structured, shot and performed. Since none of us were around when silent films were the only offering, it required that our students rethink the way they normally approach things.

Fortunately, our students approached the challenge undeterred.

Titled The Last Game, the film was shot on location at Kelowna’s Lombardi Park, pushing students to hone their filmmaking skills. 

We were fortunate enough to sit down with producer Ivo Kulas and director Brooke Hoglin to learn more about the project. Here’s some of what he had to share with us.

“The primary reason to do a silent film was to really focus more on the cinematography. There’s no dialogue driving the film, so you really have to be on point with how you’re shooting, what you’re shooting and the angles to tell the story,” explains Kalus. ”It’s really nuanced based acting as well, so you really need to be sure your actors are correct. We found our main actor Riley E. Buckley through Shine agency and Theresa May booking. Unfortunately, our second actor ended up falling through, so we had to use one of our other classmates – who was also called Riley.”

No doubt that was a bit confusing on set.

“We called them Riley One and Riley Two,” laughs Ivo.

“The concept for ‘The Last Game’ focuses on two businessmen who play baseball after work, and it brings back memories of their last game, and it reunites them after not having seen each other for years,” says Hoglin, who also wrote the script.

The primary reason to do a silent film was to really focus more on the cinematography. There’s no dialogue driving the film, so you really have to be on point with how you’re shooting, what you’re shooting and the angles to tell the story.

The team for ‘The Last Game’ was made up of seven students. Production roles were decided by working to optimize each individual’s interests and abilities.

Ivo Kulas

The team for ‘The Last Game’ was made up of seven students. Production roles were decided by working to optimize each individual’s interests and abilities.

‘It was obvious that Brooke was going to direct it, as she wrote a fantastic script and everyone was very excited to film it,” explains Kulas. “We all like to play to our strengths. We know that certain individuals excel at working behind the camera, so we tried to get our best camera ops in those positions.

“Connor Moldenhauer, Cam Morrison and Jack Yule-Smith ran the cameras. We also had two ‘Directors of Photography’. Due to the fact we really were striving for good cinematics, we wanted two hands on deck for that, which were Jessica Lowe and Corman Haimer. They co-DOP’ed it, working with lighting, and making sure the cameras are all set up nicely. We had Bransen MacDonald running our location audio. Obviously, there was no dialogue, but it can’t just be silent – there need to be noises going on, and he did a fantastic job of getting what we needed. It was good to have everyone working towards their strengths on the project, and we think it came out pretty nicely.”

Teamwork is always challenging, especially so on a film set where time is money and every second counts. Luckily the students had other projects under their belts and were used to working together.

“We usually work well together. We have been doing a lot of rigorous teamwork together over the last couple of terms, so we are good at flowing with each other,” explains Ivo.

“That being said, there were times it would get a little bit rambunctious on set,” he adds. “We only had one day to shoot, so we definitely had to refocus when that happened so we didn’t waste any time. For me, one of the biggest takeaways was learning about what the best-sized crew is for whatever I’m working on.”

“The most challenging thing for me was getting the exact shots I wanted. I wrote the script and made the storyboard, so it was about getting that on camera,” says Hoglin. “And directing other people was challenging too. It was a great learning experience. The main thing I took away was that no matter how you direct, there are always things you can’t control. Also, it was a smaller production so we probably could have gotten by with a smaller crew.”

“Sometimes there were too many cooks in the kitchen,” laughs Ivo. “It was great when we were carrying things but there were times it did become a distraction.”

It was a great learning experience. The main thing I took away was that no matter how you direct, there are always things you can’t control.”

Brooke Hoglin

Both Kulas and Hoglin agree the project was a great learning experience, but not without its issues.

“The most challenging thing for me was trying to get the ballpark booked. It was like jumping through hoops to get that done,” says Ivo. “Also, managing the actors schedules, and making sure we were all on the same page can be a little bit frustrating, but that’s just how it goes. Having our one actor flake out on us one day before shooting was quite frustrating. But you just have to refocus and remember everyone is here to get the thing done. We all want to produce quality content so you just have to move past the issues, find ways around things and just keep working. Riley Gaboury did a great job stepping up at the last minute. It’s always fun when you are on set with actors, and it’s a real thing you are trying to make.”

Frequently Asked Questions about Silent Films

1. What defines a silent film?
A silent film is a movie without synchronized recorded sound, particularly spoken dialogue. Instead, it relies on visual storytelling, intertitles, and often live or recorded musical accompaniment.

2. What are the key challenges in creating a silent film?
Silent filmmaking requires a strong emphasis on visual storytelling, expressive acting, and effective use of intertitles to convey dialogue and narrative elements without sound.

3. Why is music important in silent films?
Music enhances the emotional impact, sets the tone, and helps guide the audience through the story in the absence of spoken dialogue or sound effects.

4. How has silent filmmaking influenced modern cinema?
Silent film techniques, like visual storytelling and expressive cinematography, continue to influence modern filmmakers, proving essential in genres like visual comedy and action sequences.

5. How is acting different in silent films compared to sound films?
In silent films, actors rely heavily on exaggerated facial expressions and physical gestures to convey emotions and story elements, compensating for the lack of spoken dialogue.

Are you passionate about acting and the filmmaking industry? Discover why College for the Arts and Technology is a top destination for Acting for Film and TV courses and our Professional Filmmaking Program, and how we can help you thrive in your dream career!

If you’re curious to know more, fill out our online inquiry form and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!