Conventions of Film Noir

These are the key conventions that would be found in Film Noir. Some of these I found by doing research on the internet, but others I found from watching various Film Noir productions.

Cinematography

• Low key lighting
• Filmed in black & white
• Low & high angle shots
• Tilted angle shots (Dutch angle)
• Extreme close-ups
• Shots of the characters reflections or partially obscured 
• Deep focusing 

'Ace' Animatic

Here is our completed animatic of our opening title sequence.

Four areas of making an OTS

1. Health and Safety

• Consider actors H&S
• Location
• Props
• Dress code
• Vision during filming 
• Restriction during motion - tracking & panning
• Risk assessment

2. Ethics

• Right and wrongs VS Responsibilities
• Managing people

3. Certification

• Links to audience
• http://www.bbfc.org.uk

4. Copyright

• You cannot use somebody else's work unless you have permission to do so
• Fair use
• Music must be created by ourselves to be used in our OTS

Opening title sequence planning

Animatic

Our next step was to create a photo animatic of our OTS. For this we took photographs of us acting out the OTS, just like how we decided we wanted it to look in our storyboard. Each photograph is basically a simple recreation of our drawings. We couldn't get each shot perfectly how we wanted it to be but we instead just changed some of the camera angles and lighting to make it work. We also didn't use any props for this as it would be unnecessary and also because we were limited to what we had access to, because we were at school. The photos were then uploaded onto the Mac and were used to create a slideshow using the website 'Slideshare.net'.  

As we only have one camera it is possible for the director to film whilst directing, if this were a larger production there would be several cameras each with its own operator. However, we could always enlist the help of more people (such as people from different groups)to help with filming and therefore mean the actors could be in it rather than having to film it instead. 

One of our next steps before we start filming the opening title sequence is to write the script. We have decided that this will be a group effort rather than one person writing the whole thing. This is much better because we can all make an important individual contribution and also discuss what we do and don't want to be in the script. 

Opening title sequence planning

My group, 'Pulse Productions' includes; me, Cal and Ruby

Producer: 'Pulse Productions'

Director: Cal

Camera operator: Cal

Editor: Elliott

Costume/make up: Ruby

Lighting operator: Elliott

Sound production: Ruby

Special effects: Elliott

Prop manager: Ruby

Casting: Group (Cal, Ruby, Elliott)

Cinematographer: Elliott

Foley artist: Cal and Elliott

Locations: School, Cal's house

Actors: Elliott, Ruby, Cal, James (hopefully)

This list is somewhat accurate, however we will each partake in assisting each other with the creation of our opening title sequence project. 

Storyboard

Our first task was to create a story board which shows the plot of our OTS and also includes the camera angles that we have chosen for each shot. This story board was drawn by hand and also shows annotated notes of what is happening in each individual shot such as the lighting.

Media audiences

Audiences

Active - choosing to get involved and engage with the media     product

Passive - when the decision isn't made to get involved and engaged with the media product   

Traditional - will see a film at the cinema and/or buy it on DVD. But won't stream it online or buy it on Blu-ray.

Preferred -  the target audience whom the product was made for.

Hedonist - taking a risk by watching a new and different film.

post-modern - challenges traditional viewing methods such as with Blu-ray and online streaming.

In his article titled Audiences: Trends, Profiles and Patterns: What People Go to See, Why and How to Reach Them, Pete Buckingham (Head of Distribution and Exhibition, UK Film Council) suggests that age and demographics (education and/or disposable income) influence audience patterns. For example, 40% of cinema audience are aged between 15 to 24. Whereas 20 percent of cinema audiences are over 54s. 38% of cinema audience are aged between 35 to 44s. Buckingham claims that age also influences the frequency of cinema trips which means 60% of heavy cinema goers are aged between 15-35, 50% of medium cinema goers are aged between 25-44 and 32% of light cinema goers are aged 55 plus. And bearing in mind the information on audience demographics, ABC1s form between 60 and 66% of cinema audience.

Genre and Hybrid Genres

Definition of genre

A Category of film which is based upon key elements, style, and conventions that also conforms to a specific target audience. 

A list of different film genres:

• Action 
• Adventure
• Comedy
• Drama
• Documentary
• Horror
• Science Fiction
• War
• Historical/period 
• Musical
• Crime
• Thriller
• Disaster
• Western
• Fantasy
• Romance
• Sport

Conventions of a particular film genre

Science Fiction               

• Technological advancements
• Hero/villain
• External threat
• Usually set in the future
• May not take place on earth
• Usually based on scientific technology or principles
• Could feature a range of different fictitious creatures or aliens
• The plot may evolve around the hero trying to save other people from the dangers of the villain or threat

Horror

• Suspense  
  
• Danger
• Distress
• Death and injury 
• Hero & villain
• A solution to a problem usually undertook by the hero of the film
• Graphic scenes featuring blood and gore, plus other sorts of nasties
• Important iconography, such as weapons (chainsaws, machetes, knives, and sharp pointy gloves) and costumes 
• A location that typically has dark history to it 

Hybrid Genre

A film that features characteristics or elements of two or more different categories of film is known as having a hybrid genre. An example of this is Shaun of the Dead which is a combination of horror and comedy element. The advantage to an audience of a film being a hybrid genre is that it appeals to a larger audience. This is also the reason why most big blockbuster films are a mixture of different genres.

Some examples:

• Horror & Comedy - Shaun of the Dead, Braindead, An American werewolf in London
• Romance & Comedy (Romcom) - Knocked Up, My big fat Greek wedding, There's something about Mary
• Western & Comedy - Blazing Saddles 
• Crime & Thriller - Se7en, The Silence of the Lambs
• Science Fiction & Action - Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Matrix, Aliens, Predator 

Neo Noir

The Red Riding Trilogy

Conventional Noir elements 

• Dark lighting
• The opening scene is a flash forward to the ending 
• Crime related  
• Cigarette smoking and the smoke is used to create effect in conjunction with the lighting
• Iconography-pistol, cigarettes
• Voice-over from the perspective of the anti-hero
• Male detectives
• Music that builds up suspense
• Anti-hero main character 

Unconventional Noir elements 

• Sepia tone
• Set in England 
• Camera angles - intense close ups, panning
• The crime which features in the film is child abduction
• Set in a rural location
• The film is set in the 1970s 
• Acoustic guitar music

Mulholland Drive 

Conventional Noir elements

• Dark colours
• Urban setting
• Hand guns
• Femme Fatale, red lipstick, well dressed
• Men in suits with pistols
• Smoke or mist in the darkness
• Tense music

Unconventional Noir elements 

• Jolly swing music
• Brightly coloured superimposed title sequence
• Modern time setting and location
• Modern vehicles
• Two Femme Fatales as opposed to just one
• No male anti-hero
• High budget special effects
• Set in Los Angeles

Blade Runner

Conventional Noir elements

• Dimly lit setting
• Cigarette smoke 
• Set in an urban location
• Police/crime detectives
• Hand guns
• Flawed anti-hero
• Chiaroscuro lighting
• Femme Fatale
• Rain

Unconventional Noir elements

• Set in the future
• Science Fiction elements
• Electronic music
• Brightly lit areas, billboards, and lights
• Multi racial

Sweded Films

Definition

A Sweded film is a remake of a movie using amateur actors (or people who can't act at all), filmed on an extremely low budget or with no production budget at all and with any special effects being homemade. The idea of a Sweded film is that it isn't perfectly made with lots of detail, but instead just features recreations of key scenes and anything else iconic to the film. A Sweded film is usually between 3-10 minutes in length and quite humorous because you know what the original film is and also because it most likely turns into a spoof.

Another definition of a Sweded film can be found here and also with more information relating to it: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/sweded-films


" Sweded Films are amateur recreations of famous films using limited resources and technology inspired by the 2008 comedy film Be Kind Rewind. The films are typically much shorter in length than their originals and use shoe-string budget props to mimic the source material."

An example of a film that has been 'Sweded':