Thursday, 21 January 2010
Preliminary Task
This is our preliminary task for our project, we made it so it stays within the laws of continuity. We have tried to relate it loosely to the style of film we intend to base our film opening around and will no doubt take some of the things we have discovered while filming this and use them in our final video. The quality of this video is quite poor, this is probably due to the file type being changed to one suitable to be uploaded to youtube so it can be shown on here.
Friday, 15 January 2010
Treatment
Our film is to be a film noir style drama based around a central character that has an unhealthy gambling addiction along with a sea of other troubles both at home and work. The opening will depict him entering a poker game with a group of high class individuals where his desperation leads him to lose all the money he bet with which is everything he owns. He is unhappy with his life how it is, it is hinted his wife may be seeing other men and consequently he is hopelessly lusting after the wife of one of the other players. With him loosing it all he has nothing left and the rest of the film centres around a in depth look into his state of mind as he desperately tries to claw back everything he lost, throwing our otherwise average working class man deep into the heart of the criminal underworld.
As this is to be based around the film noir style it will involve a deep look inside the head of the main character, allowing for him to be seen for exactly what he is, flaws and all. This kind of exploration of the character is typical of film noirs which are often very dark and portray their main characters as having some kind of fatal flaw which leads them to make bad decisions that ultimately affect the outcome of the film. It will be based in the 1950s.
The stylistic influences for this project are to be taken from the film noir genre, more specifically containing strong elements of neo noir films as to not restrict us to basic techniques and black and white filming. This will allow us to still keep a modern feel to our project while still heavily including film noir styles and mise en scene. Another genre of film to be looked at while creating this project is the crime drama genre, as this will be a modernised neo noir that will also borrow from thriller and crime drama traditions. A real task will be to try and mix these varying influences to create a film opening that works well.
The mise en scene element of this project will be very important, to fit with the desired style we will be using trilby hats and trench coats to create an air of mystery around our characters, and also to fit with the time period we are basing it in. We will have our characters relatively sharply dressed also, in business attire to fit with the style and also the occupations of the respective characters. Props used may be objects that would be commonly found in that era, such as and old radio for a source of digetic sound in the opening sequence. To avoid looking clichéd we will not be using props for guns as we do not have the software to make it look realistic. To fit in with the feel of the film, and the era it is based in we may use things such as cigars and paper files. We will make sure there are no modern items on shot during the filming.
Due to the style of this project we will most likely have very low key lighting in our opening sequence to allow for a dramatic and contrasting look and feel.
As this is to be based around the film noir style it will involve a deep look inside the head of the main character, allowing for him to be seen for exactly what he is, flaws and all. This kind of exploration of the character is typical of film noirs which are often very dark and portray their main characters as having some kind of fatal flaw which leads them to make bad decisions that ultimately affect the outcome of the film. It will be based in the 1950s.
The stylistic influences for this project are to be taken from the film noir genre, more specifically containing strong elements of neo noir films as to not restrict us to basic techniques and black and white filming. This will allow us to still keep a modern feel to our project while still heavily including film noir styles and mise en scene. Another genre of film to be looked at while creating this project is the crime drama genre, as this will be a modernised neo noir that will also borrow from thriller and crime drama traditions. A real task will be to try and mix these varying influences to create a film opening that works well.
The mise en scene element of this project will be very important, to fit with the desired style we will be using trilby hats and trench coats to create an air of mystery around our characters, and also to fit with the time period we are basing it in. We will have our characters relatively sharply dressed also, in business attire to fit with the style and also the occupations of the respective characters. Props used may be objects that would be commonly found in that era, such as and old radio for a source of digetic sound in the opening sequence. To avoid looking clichéd we will not be using props for guns as we do not have the software to make it look realistic. To fit in with the feel of the film, and the era it is based in we may use things such as cigars and paper files. We will make sure there are no modern items on shot during the filming.
Due to the style of this project we will most likely have very low key lighting in our opening sequence to allow for a dramatic and contrasting look and feel.
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Ident Research
RKO Radio
I have picked this ident as one to research due to it being a company considered to have initialized the film noir era. Though on first perception the composition of the ident looks outdated and irrelevant, we’ve got to understand that RKO was a company of its time, and so in the 30’s RKO was a prime film company, a fashionable and revolutionary company. Without prior knowledge, this can be interpreted from the composition of the ident. Firstly, the subject of the ident is a radio tower, standing tall at the top of the world. This immediately gives us an insight into the nature of RKO radio pictures; that it is at the top of the league for film production, the leading pioneer of the pictures industry. The tower is emitting radio waves which travel all over the world, depicting RKO to be a company which is really alive, and transmitting new and exciting film for the whole world. The text itself is jagged, possibly reflecting the quirky style of film noir, or perhaps telling the audience that this name is really loud, that it is being shouted to the whole world. Though I appreciate that the style of this ident is relevant to its time period, I would prefer to have a quieter ident, one which reflects a lot more mystery, similar to the film noir style.
ParamountI have picked this ident as one to research, due to it’s striking and prestigious appearance. Despite Paramount not being an institute that produces film noir films, the actual ident is one which could quite easily represent such a company. This is backed by several things; firstly, the general appearance of this ident is one that represents class and style- this is caused by the picture of a mountain, towering above others. This makes out Paramount to be a company which literally towers over others. The stars surrounding the mountain add to the prestige, and also give the impression that Paramount is a company of class, one recognised to be a prime competitor in the industry of film production. The text itself fits tidily inside the stars and above the mountain, and uses a font which gives the impression of Paramount being an old and classic company, one which has many years in the industry, and has worked its way to the top. Though I appreciate this ident for its purpose, it does not fulfil the criteria of a film noir ident I am looking for; more of a subtle ident, which is darker, and reflects the nature of the style.
Ident Research Conclusion
Both the idents I have researched feature particular styles which I appreciate, though generally I would prefer an ident which strays from the stereotypical ident of a film company, one which depicts the company to be the leader of the industry. I would prefer a more subtle ident, quite an abstract one, which focuses more in depth on the visual nature of film noir.
I am currently in the process of negotiating the ident with Tom Boel, the ident artist. Hopefully we will produce an ident which reflects the mystery and abstract of the film noir style, possibly encompassing the picture style of film camera (Gritty image, 35mm style) to fully depict the film noir style.
Textual Analysis - Casino Royale
Casino Royale Intro
Scene in which Bond is meeting with Villain. Film Noir elements, e.g. black and white, crime, low key lighting etc.
Lighting: Barely any, streetlights outside (night-time) indoors only lamplight. Typical film noir theme in this section, as low key lighting and shadow hides a lot of the scene. Light used to make Bond look intimidating, and create an eerie feel to the offices.
Camera Angles: Mostly still or panning to enhance eerie feel, in flashbacks (fight scene) camera is handheld, to create a raw, violent and energetic feel. Occasional medium close ups, very close ups, to enhance when important things are being said.
Non-Diegetic Sound: Very eerie music, high pitched violins to create tense and evil feel, with occasional low and subtle whooshing noises, possibly to scare audience. Fight scene: very fast, frequent bursts in music to establish feeling of violence, conflict
Diegetic Sound: Speech, very calm and eerie. Empty gun click, emphasised to show how the tables have turned, and how at risk the villain suddenly is. Fight scene: gunshots, screaming, sinks smashing, punches etc.
Mise-En-Scene: Location, empty offices, very state of the art, night time, cold looking, dark spaces give impressions of holding secrets, both Bond and Villain wearing smart, professional looking, clever, important. Dialogue: Intellectual, witty, cold, bitter
Special effects: Black and White, perhaps darkened shadows? Fight scene black and white, grittier, dirtier image to give aggressive feel
Scene in which Bond is meeting with Villain. Film Noir elements, e.g. black and white, crime, low key lighting etc.
Lighting: Barely any, streetlights outside (night-time) indoors only lamplight. Typical film noir theme in this section, as low key lighting and shadow hides a lot of the scene. Light used to make Bond look intimidating, and create an eerie feel to the offices.
Camera Angles: Mostly still or panning to enhance eerie feel, in flashbacks (fight scene) camera is handheld, to create a raw, violent and energetic feel. Occasional medium close ups, very close ups, to enhance when important things are being said.
Non-Diegetic Sound: Very eerie music, high pitched violins to create tense and evil feel, with occasional low and subtle whooshing noises, possibly to scare audience. Fight scene: very fast, frequent bursts in music to establish feeling of violence, conflict
Diegetic Sound: Speech, very calm and eerie. Empty gun click, emphasised to show how the tables have turned, and how at risk the villain suddenly is. Fight scene: gunshots, screaming, sinks smashing, punches etc.
Mise-En-Scene: Location, empty offices, very state of the art, night time, cold looking, dark spaces give impressions of holding secrets, both Bond and Villain wearing smart, professional looking, clever, important. Dialogue: Intellectual, witty, cold, bitter
Special effects: Black and White, perhaps darkened shadows? Fight scene black and white, grittier, dirtier image to give aggressive feel
Target Audience
I believe our film would be based more around the neo noir approach to film making as opposed to the traditional noirs of the 40s and 50s. This modern take may therefore attract a younger audience, while the deep psychological analysis of the main character could draw in those of a more intellectual nature. Also modern day censorship is much more slack than it ws, allowing for more realistically gory or unpleasant scenes. I believe this would put our ideal viewer at the age of 18 to mid 20s, most probably university student looking for a break from studies due to the intellectual nature of these films.
The stylistic features of noir such as a dark city, interrogation style scenes and the femme fatale character would mean our target viewer would most likely be male.
This viewer may also have a darker side themselves, and listen to rock or heavy music. They may also have an interest in books as they allow the imagination to create the story and allow for very detailed analysis, also many early noirs were adapted from novels.
This is what I imagine a member of our target audience would look like.
The stylistic features of noir such as a dark city, interrogation style scenes and the femme fatale character would mean our target viewer would most likely be male.
This viewer may also have a darker side themselves, and listen to rock or heavy music. They may also have an interest in books as they allow the imagination to create the story and allow for very detailed analysis, also many early noirs were adapted from novels.
This is what I imagine a member of our target audience would look like.
Film Institutions Reserch
When noir first came to light over 70 years ago, there were five large film production companies that made the vast majority if not all feature length films to hit cinema screens. This time was considered to be Hollywood's 'golden age' when sound was introduced to moving images to make the first non silent feature length films. During this time (late 1920s to late 1950s/60s) thousands of films were produced from these five companies. One of these companies, that was known for it's ventures into the realm of film noir was RKO Pictures. Due to the low budget nature of film noirs the company released many noir films as B movies, including 'Stranger on the Third Floor' (1940) which has been widely regarded as the film responsible for initiating noir's classic period. After this they went on to make many noir films such as 'Out of the Past' (1947) which is now seen as one of the greatest of all noir films. RKO was the only of the five major companies that has not continued on to this day.
Ident for RKO Pictures
However, noir films are still going strong today, or rather elements left imprinted on the film industry from their golden era still hold strong in modern films. These modern or 'neo' noirs vary very much in budget and intended audience, thus making it very hard to generalise modern noirs to a single type of production company. Large projects such as 'Batman: the Dark Knight' (2008) and 'Casino Royale' (2006) have obvious noir influences but are very high budget and a very broad intended audience, which contrasts greatly from the low budget B movies of old. These films were produced by Warner Bros. and MGM which are two of the five major companies from Hollywood's golden age. This shows how alot of films have taken the elements of film noir that worked well and integrated them into their modern productions.
This image of Batman on a rooftop shows the noir like nature of the film. Half of his face is in darkness, which may resemble his internal conflict and the city behind him is dark, with the only light coming from buildings, street lights and cars. It is a very typical noir style image which is often seen in films of this type.
Ident for RKO Pictures
However, noir films are still going strong today, or rather elements left imprinted on the film industry from their golden era still hold strong in modern films. These modern or 'neo' noirs vary very much in budget and intended audience, thus making it very hard to generalise modern noirs to a single type of production company. Large projects such as 'Batman: the Dark Knight' (2008) and 'Casino Royale' (2006) have obvious noir influences but are very high budget and a very broad intended audience, which contrasts greatly from the low budget B movies of old. These films were produced by Warner Bros. and MGM which are two of the five major companies from Hollywood's golden age. This shows how alot of films have taken the elements of film noir that worked well and integrated them into their modern productions.
This image of Batman on a rooftop shows the noir like nature of the film. Half of his face is in darkness, which may resemble his internal conflict and the city behind him is dark, with the only light coming from buildings, street lights and cars. It is a very typical noir style image which is often seen in films of this type.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Textual analysis - The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon - Opening Scene:
- Here I have chosen to reseach a more traditional noir from the time when they were at their peak in popularity, to give me a wide view at the genre as a whole.
- The opening titles are very simplistic with an image that has names over the top, this may simply be due to the fact this film was made in 1941 and there was not many alternatives
- The filming also is very simplistic, with no odd angles or breaks in continuity. This adds to the realism of the film and implies it is uncovering the stories hidden behind everyday life.
- The opening shots pan the city and set the scene while non-digetic music plays.
- In this scene I have seen much more dialogue than in previous, more modern noirs. Possibly to allow for further understanding of the main character(s).
- This film indefinately endeavours to uncover the true nature of it's main character, and to expose him including his flaws to the audience. Even in this opening scene there is strong hints toward him being a womaniser.
- Noirs do tend to focus around one man, who is often a private investigator or authority figure who reaches a tragic end due to some fatal flaw in his character, much like the tragedy genre of plays.
- These films also show deviant behaviour, with scenes that would of made the audience of the time uncomfortable. It is this deviant behaviour that allows us greater understanding of the main character who is often portrayed as an anti hero or protagonist. Showing that noirs do not use one dimensional characters but instead explore the psyche and create complex characters who the audience will react to in different ways, and may not necessarily like.
- With the phone call from Mrs. Archer we are shown what may lead to the downfall of our anti hero, these insightful hints are less obvious in modern noirs but are definately still there.
- Later in the scene there are some close up shots of the phone, at odd angles which also seems to be a recurring feature in noir films; close up shots at odd angles.
(Stopped analysing when Mr. Archer picks up the phone)
- Here I have chosen to reseach a more traditional noir from the time when they were at their peak in popularity, to give me a wide view at the genre as a whole.
- The opening titles are very simplistic with an image that has names over the top, this may simply be due to the fact this film was made in 1941 and there was not many alternatives
- The filming also is very simplistic, with no odd angles or breaks in continuity. This adds to the realism of the film and implies it is uncovering the stories hidden behind everyday life.
- The opening shots pan the city and set the scene while non-digetic music plays.
- In this scene I have seen much more dialogue than in previous, more modern noirs. Possibly to allow for further understanding of the main character(s).
- This film indefinately endeavours to uncover the true nature of it's main character, and to expose him including his flaws to the audience. Even in this opening scene there is strong hints toward him being a womaniser.
- Noirs do tend to focus around one man, who is often a private investigator or authority figure who reaches a tragic end due to some fatal flaw in his character, much like the tragedy genre of plays.
- These films also show deviant behaviour, with scenes that would of made the audience of the time uncomfortable. It is this deviant behaviour that allows us greater understanding of the main character who is often portrayed as an anti hero or protagonist. Showing that noirs do not use one dimensional characters but instead explore the psyche and create complex characters who the audience will react to in different ways, and may not necessarily like.
- With the phone call from Mrs. Archer we are shown what may lead to the downfall of our anti hero, these insightful hints are less obvious in modern noirs but are definately still there.
- Later in the scene there are some close up shots of the phone, at odd angles which also seems to be a recurring feature in noir films; close up shots at odd angles.
(Stopped analysing when Mr. Archer picks up the phone)
Textual analysis - Road to Perdition
Road to Perdition - Opening Sequence
- This film is also a neo noir although it focuses on gangsters and the world surrounding them.
- The film is set in the winter of 1931
- The first part of this sequence, the main titles are very simple visually, with light lettering on a black background. I do like the titles however as when the sound of the tide undulating is introduced the titles appear and fade away as each new wave comes in and goes back out.
- Like the last noir I looked at the opening to this film has very little noise and seems to embrace near silence as an effect for building tension.
- This film also opens with a voice over from one of the characters central to the plot line, the main character who the film follows.
- The gradual zoom of the camera towards the boy who has his back turned with the view of nothing but vast ocean in the background helps build the tension of what he is saying and shows him to be very much alone, perhaps meaning the character he is talking about has died.
- Instead of using low key lighting and a very black background this film has just the opposite, it is bright with a white, snowy backdrop.
- There is however still an element of contrast as I saw in the other film, this time with the people the boy is cycling past in their mainly black clothing contrasting with the white background.
- A tracking shot is used to follow the boy through the crowd as more titles appear smaller in the corner of the screen. Also some very traditional sounding non digetic music plays as the boy smoothly glides in the opposite direction to everybody else.
- The boy appears to have stolen for money, and is shown stealing in the scene however the tone of the scene makes this seem as though it is an average occurance and holds no real dramatic value.
- The tone seems very light hearted up until the car rolls up and the boy the film has been following hides his pipe and looks alertly at is, as if recognising an authority figure.
- The sound within the opening few minutes is mainly non-digetic which i am begining to think is a feature of alot of films.
- This film follows something that seems prevalent in most if not all noir films, in that in centers around one character and shows their inner workings in order to help the viewer understand them and perhaps even relate to or empathise with them. This kind of analysis also brings out the flaws in the character, making these films much more realistic than the action adventure alternatives. Such as the child being focused on here seems to be the black sheep of the family, he is shown stealing, smoking and he also appears to have some form of grudge against his father.
- The mise en scene here simply seems average for the time period it was set in, with no striking stylistic features
(I stopped analysing after where it cuts to inside the house)
- This film is also a neo noir although it focuses on gangsters and the world surrounding them.
- The film is set in the winter of 1931
- The first part of this sequence, the main titles are very simple visually, with light lettering on a black background. I do like the titles however as when the sound of the tide undulating is introduced the titles appear and fade away as each new wave comes in and goes back out.
- Like the last noir I looked at the opening to this film has very little noise and seems to embrace near silence as an effect for building tension.
- This film also opens with a voice over from one of the characters central to the plot line, the main character who the film follows.
- The gradual zoom of the camera towards the boy who has his back turned with the view of nothing but vast ocean in the background helps build the tension of what he is saying and shows him to be very much alone, perhaps meaning the character he is talking about has died.
- Instead of using low key lighting and a very black background this film has just the opposite, it is bright with a white, snowy backdrop.
- There is however still an element of contrast as I saw in the other film, this time with the people the boy is cycling past in their mainly black clothing contrasting with the white background.
- A tracking shot is used to follow the boy through the crowd as more titles appear smaller in the corner of the screen. Also some very traditional sounding non digetic music plays as the boy smoothly glides in the opposite direction to everybody else.
- The boy appears to have stolen for money, and is shown stealing in the scene however the tone of the scene makes this seem as though it is an average occurance and holds no real dramatic value.
- The tone seems very light hearted up until the car rolls up and the boy the film has been following hides his pipe and looks alertly at is, as if recognising an authority figure.
- The sound within the opening few minutes is mainly non-digetic which i am begining to think is a feature of alot of films.
- This film follows something that seems prevalent in most if not all noir films, in that in centers around one character and shows their inner workings in order to help the viewer understand them and perhaps even relate to or empathise with them. This kind of analysis also brings out the flaws in the character, making these films much more realistic than the action adventure alternatives. Such as the child being focused on here seems to be the black sheep of the family, he is shown stealing, smoking and he also appears to have some form of grudge against his father.
- The mise en scene here simply seems average for the time period it was set in, with no striking stylistic features
(I stopped analysing after where it cuts to inside the house)
Textual analysis - Sin City
Sin City - Opening Sequence:
- This film is a modern or 'neo' noir
- Opens with establishing shot of a balcony overlooking a busy American city, which is a typical setting for a noir style film.
- It is filmed in black and white however selective colour is used on parts of the image such as the woman's dress and lips, to highlight them. I believe her being highlighted is meant to show her vunerability. Her coloured dress also makes her seem very isolated from the rest of the background, as if she is being portrayed as lonely or alone.
- The selective colour gives a very theatrical feel to the sequence while the highly contrasted black and white filming gves it a very typical noir look.
- The voice over is obviously the voice of the man shown in the scene and is a very cool and calculated voice, showing him to be a very intelligent and confident character.
- His tone of voice also leaves an air of mystery about him as it is very quiet, almost a whisper but is still filled with confidence as if he has been in this kind of situation many times before.
- During the dialogue actions seem long and drawn out, as non-digetic music that is quiet and jazzy kicks in. All this helps to keep the mysterious and stylish theme going.
- Due to the mood so far the gunshot shocks the viewer with it's sudden sharp sound and bright flash of light. However the gun is silenced so there is still no significantly loud contribution to sound as of yet. It would appear that this kind of quiet but slick and stylish scene is prevalent in the noir film genre.
- Another typical noir film feature shown in this scene is bad weather and time of day, with many noir films taking place mostly at night when it is pouring down with rain, perhaps trying to achieve some kind of pathetic fallacy.
- The scene uses low key lighting for a very dark and mysterious look, with most of the light focusing on the woman in the scene, this may be as we are hearing the story from the man's point of view and she is his main focus at this point in time.
- The mise en scene is very slick and stylish, both characters are well dressed and the events seem to be taking place in around the 1960s. Both the costume and time frame are very typical of noir, and neo noir films
-There are minimal special effects in this scene, which aso seems to be a recurring theme in noirs, with the focus placed more on psychological impact s opposed to trying to impress with visual feats, often being much more crafty and subtle.
- The voice over creates psychological impact as we are allowed to really see what he is thinking and his words in places are almost poetic, he is a hitman although in the voice over and dialogue we hear compassion and emotion.
- My favourite features of this scene are the characters and the stylistic features.
- This film is a modern or 'neo' noir
- Opens with establishing shot of a balcony overlooking a busy American city, which is a typical setting for a noir style film.
- It is filmed in black and white however selective colour is used on parts of the image such as the woman's dress and lips, to highlight them. I believe her being highlighted is meant to show her vunerability. Her coloured dress also makes her seem very isolated from the rest of the background, as if she is being portrayed as lonely or alone.
- The selective colour gives a very theatrical feel to the sequence while the highly contrasted black and white filming gves it a very typical noir look.
- The voice over is obviously the voice of the man shown in the scene and is a very cool and calculated voice, showing him to be a very intelligent and confident character.
- His tone of voice also leaves an air of mystery about him as it is very quiet, almost a whisper but is still filled with confidence as if he has been in this kind of situation many times before.
- During the dialogue actions seem long and drawn out, as non-digetic music that is quiet and jazzy kicks in. All this helps to keep the mysterious and stylish theme going.
- Due to the mood so far the gunshot shocks the viewer with it's sudden sharp sound and bright flash of light. However the gun is silenced so there is still no significantly loud contribution to sound as of yet. It would appear that this kind of quiet but slick and stylish scene is prevalent in the noir film genre.
- Another typical noir film feature shown in this scene is bad weather and time of day, with many noir films taking place mostly at night when it is pouring down with rain, perhaps trying to achieve some kind of pathetic fallacy.
- The scene uses low key lighting for a very dark and mysterious look, with most of the light focusing on the woman in the scene, this may be as we are hearing the story from the man's point of view and she is his main focus at this point in time.
- The mise en scene is very slick and stylish, both characters are well dressed and the events seem to be taking place in around the 1960s. Both the costume and time frame are very typical of noir, and neo noir films
-There are minimal special effects in this scene, which aso seems to be a recurring theme in noirs, with the focus placed more on psychological impact s opposed to trying to impress with visual feats, often being much more crafty and subtle.
- The voice over creates psychological impact as we are allowed to really see what he is thinking and his words in places are almost poetic, he is a hitman although in the voice over and dialogue we hear compassion and emotion.
- My favourite features of this scene are the characters and the stylistic features.
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