The silent film era was a time of great innovation and creativity in the realm of special effects. In the absence of sound, filmmakers had to rely on visual tricks and optical illusions to create the illusion of movement, action, and drama. This led to the development of a wide range of techniques, many of which are still used in filmmaking today.

One of the most basic special effects used in silent films was the split screen. This technique involved filming two different scenes simultaneously and then editing them together so that they appeared to be happening at the same time. This was often used to create the illusion of a character being in two places at once, or to show two different events happening simultaneously.

Another common special effect was the dissolve. This technique involved gradually fading one scene out while simultaneously fading another scene in. This was used to create the illusion of a transition between two different locations or time periods.

The matte shot was another popular special effect. This technique involved filming a scene in front of a black background, and then painting or drawing a new background onto the negative. This allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character or object being in a different location than they actually were.

The rear projection was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to project a background image onto a screen behind the actors. This was used to create the illusion of a character being in a different location, such as a forest or a city street.

The traveling matte was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character moving through a different background. This was done by filming the character against a black background, and then using a matte to cut out the character from the negative. The matte was then used to combine the character with a different background image.

The stop-motion animation was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of movement by photographing a subject one frame at a time. This was often used to create animated cartoons, but it could also be used to create special effects in live-action films.

The glass shot was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character looking through a window or a door. This was done by filming the scene through a glass pane, and then adding the background image in post-production.

The pyrotechnics were a special effect that involved the use of explosives to create realistic fire, smoke, and explosions. This was often used in war films and action films to create the illusion of danger and excitement.

The miniatures were a special effect that involved the use of small-scale models to represent larger objects. This was often used in science fiction films and fantasy films to create the illusion of alien planets or other imaginary worlds.

The rear projection was a special effect that involved projecting a background image onto a screen behind the actors. This was used to create the illusion of a character being in a different location, such as a forest or a city street.

The traveling matte was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character moving through a different background. This was done by filming the character against a black background, and then using a matte to cut out the character from the negative. The matte was then used to combine the character with a different background image.

The go-motion animation was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of movement by photographing a subject one frame at a time. This was often used to create animated cartoons, but it could also be used to create special effects in live-action films.

The Schüfftan process was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character being inside a miniature set. This was done by projecting an image of the miniature set onto a screen behind the actors. The actors were then filmed in front of the screen, and the resulting image created the illusion that they were inside the miniature set.

The sky replacement was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to change the background of a scene. This was done by filming the scene against a blue screen, and then replacing the blue screen with a different background image in post-production.

The chroma key was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to combine two different images into one. This was done by filming the foreground image against a green screen, and then removing the green screen from the negative. The foreground image was then combined with a background image in post-production.

The wire-work was a special effect that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of a character flying or jumping through the air. This was done by attaching wires to the actors and then pulling them through the air. The wires were then removed from the film in post-production.

The optical printer was a device that allowed filmmakers to combine multiple images into one. This was used to create special effects such as dissolves, fades, and split screens.

The multi-plane camera was a device that allowed filmmakers to create the illusion of depth in a scene. This was done by photographing the scene from multiple angles and then combining the images

As you can see there was different techniques