We live in a country where movies aren’t just a form of entertainment but a major part of our lives. We plan the films we want to watch, much in advance and actually care about our movie stars’ lives. Yet, while the larger-than-life scale of the movies is fascinating, there are certain things we never question. Why is there an intermission in Indian films? “What happens to the outfits actors wear after the movie is over? Certain things are intriguing but seldom do we find answers to those queries.
One of those things is the term ‘Silver Screen’. We use it often but do you know why?
It is frequently used while referring to the movie screen. It sure sounds impactful when talking about the magnanimous scale of most movies but why do we say silver and not gold or even platinum for that matter?
The term ‘Silver Screen’ first originated in the early 1900s. Back then, the films were projected on big screens and the surface that was used for projecting them wasn’t just a plain surface.
The films were projected on a highly reflective surface which was embedded with actual silver.
The films were shot in black and white and to enhance the luminosity, silver screens were used. In various cases, the fabric used to be painted with silver colour or silver dust was sprinkled on it.
Over the years, the usage of the silver screen decreased because it provided a narrower viewing angle and with advancement in technology, better options were available to screen films. But the term ‘Silver Screen’ stuck around and is used till date.