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For Austrian pianist, Gerhard Gruber, motion and emotion are two words in the English language that resonate with him most.
The 65-year-old pianist will bring these two elements together at the fourth instalment of Hobart's Silent Film Festival hosted by the State Cinema over the weekend.
Mr Gruber, who has been a composer and accompanist for silent films for more than 25 years, said playing alongside a movie with no sound is a "very intimate, ever-changing and dynamic experience" for all involved.
"People don't know what they're expecting, but when they've seen a silent film they usually say 'it's great' and they always come back for more," he said.
As a trained music teacher, Mr Gruber explained it isn't just the action on the screen he draws inspiration from, but also the emotion of the audience.
He said he does not use sheet music or go in with a pre-conceived idea of what he will play.
"It's different every time. I never prepare with my instrument. I might watch the movie beforehand but I never play alongside it until the night," he said.
As a result, "though the movie is always the same, the feeling of the evening changes every time".
Although silent films remain a niche industry, having provided accompaniment to over 600 movies, Mr Gruber said there was still an audience — and interest from a younger crowd.
"People are hungry for these movies ... I have recognised a younger generation have become more interested, I believe this is because silent films are true cinema," he said.
According to Mr Gruber, silent films have played an important role in history, and were used as escapism in the 1920s and just after World War I.
"After the invention of talking movies, a lot of people lost their jobs," he said.
The days of crowded cinemas of up to 6,000 people may have disappeared, but Mr Gruber said he still believed "there is still a place for the few of us left in the industry".
"I would probably never stop unless I fall down from my piano chair and die," he laughed.
The State Cinema's Festival and Events manager, Melinda Scott, said she was excited for the renaissance of the cinema's former glory.
"The cinema is over 100 years old, so we used to screen films like this a long, long, time ago. We're trying to bring them back to the original auditorium they were played in," she said.
The Silent Film Festival will start on Thursday, with five sessions ending on Sunday, February 26.
In commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Hobart's Town Hall, Ms Scott said the final session would be screened there.
"Before there was a purpose built cinema in Hobart, the Town Hall was used for screenings around the 1900s," she said.
Topics: arts-and-entertainment, music, hobart-7000