Film Noir - Location - Recce Pictures

Hinchingbrooke House

These are some interior shots taken of Hinchingbrooke house before we film our Movie.

 

To the left is a shot from an upstairs window across Hinchingbrooke's extensive grounds which could be a nice shot, if aligned correctly, as it would show that they were in a grand house with gardens. However, as you can see from the picture the glazing on the windows appears to be far too modern and would spoil continuity.

This is a shot of an upstairs classroom. As you can see the doorway is quite picturesque which would look nice in our film. There are also heavy curtains which could be drawn if we can only film during the daytime when we require the scene to be night time. 

These next two pictures on the left were taken in the common room and would be the perfect setting for a dining room, as seen in our film opening.

Film Noir - Script - Draft Two - The Black Death

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PnwQm3rWIUMq2pfroSEbhFC-CHiCI0sqHKAzprPi1ho/edit?hl=en&authkey=CNXX-psH#

Film Noir - Location - Permission

In the email we received from Hinchingbrooke we were required to send a request to film, via our Media teacher, to Mr Norris, head of sixth form at Hinchingbrooke. A copy of the letter sent to Hinchingbrooke can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5MRDGmMNFjWMTA2NmU2Y2UtOGMxMy00NDgzLWJlMTAtZDRjZjRlMzRhNzQ2&authkey=CM77kqED&hl=en

Film Noir - Script - Re-Draft

We found that there were numerous problems with our original script and plot and so have adapted it accordingly.
As our target audience has changed to that of an older generation we have amended the plot. It is basically the same, in that it opens at a dinner party, there's a murder and a detective comes over to inspect the case. However, all the characters names have been changed, this is partly due to the fact that we were infringing copyright as we shamelessly used the names of the cluedo characters in our script. The title of the film has also changed from "Cluedo" to "The Black Death". This is not surprising as Cluedo was a working title and now has very little connection with the plot.
One issue that was presented was that the idea of Cluedo was too comical for film noir. The idea that was presented shouldn't have been comical as it fits in well with several key conventions of film noir, however there are a few points to take into consideration:
There was a comic film called "Clue" made in 1985 which may have influenced their opinion
The concept of a film based on cluedo is too comical to be taken seriously, as it is so well known, despite fitting convention.

Film Noir - Filming Location

 Hinchingbrooke House

As big houses seem to be a common place for a murder to take place in we decided to make enquiries about hiring Hinchingbrooke house (above) to film in. Below is a copy of the emails sent and received concerning our request.

We chose Hinchingbrooke house because it is a grand house, that is also in the local area, which means that it is easily assessable.

Hinchingbrooke is also old which means that we do not have to try to make a modern home look dated as the house dates back to the 13th century, where it used to be used as a nunnery. 

Film Noir - Survey

As previously mentioned we intended to break convention and aim our film at a teenage audience as film noir is not a genre that most would watch ordinarily. We conducted a survey, using an opportunity sample of 11 - 16 year olds, to see whether they would be/ already are interested in Film Noir. Our intention was that as most of these people will have grown up playing cluedo that it would be an interesting way of presenting the film noir genre to a younger audience.

Most of the people we surveyed had never seen a film noir film, those that claimed to have done we think may have been confused by a more recent film of the same name. Of the 34 students asked only one of them had actually seen a film noir movie. The most common word used to describe a film noir movie was "boring". It seems that despite our best intentions, I feel that our film would be lost to an audience who would never watch the film.

Over half of people surveyed said that they would not watch a film based on cluedo.

Based on our research into target audience we will be adapting our idea to suit a more conventional adult audience.
Below is a link for an example of the survey we handed out:
https://docs.google.com/viewera=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5MRDGmMNFjWMjBkZDU2MTAtOWQ1OS00NzgzLWFlNjctM2I3OTdjY2M5OWMy&hl=en&authkey=CJTWlPkK

Film Noir - Script - Draft One

This is the first draft of our script based on Idea One - Cluedo:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-yqqpYkBhJT4bsCUxVYr_hGJDk_UnlbsVg5qg1QauFA/edit?authkey=COyqxy8&hl=en

We chose to do the Cluedo idea as we felt that it was an interesting take on a Film Noir movie. The aim is to make a film noir that would appeal to a younger age group, which is unconventional, but it make introduce them to a genre that they may not have otherwise considered watching.
Our plot is also slightly unconventional as there are seven characters seen in the opening scene, conventionally there would probably be a maximum of three.

Film Noir - Idea Two

Our second idea starts with a man walking home alone, after work, carrying a briefcase. This man enters a dark alleyway, where he is shot by an unknown character in the shadows; all you can see of this other character is his hand holding the gun into the light.
This is then followed by the voice of our detective explaining that he has to find out what happened and why...
How it fits in with Film Noir conventions:

• Characters - Unknown killer and a detective
• The use of key lighting to highlight important props, shadows used to conceal charaters' identities.
• Typical plot line as it starts with a murder
• Era appropriate costume and props
• Set in a big city in America, probably New York, at night 

Film Noir - Idea One

Our first idea was based on the popular board game "Cluedo".
It's set in 1949, Dr. Black is hosing a dinner party for a select few guests at his mansion in the suburbs of New York; Colonel Mustard, Mrs Peacock, Professor Plum, Miss Scarlet, Reverand Green and Mrs White. The film opens with the dinner party; Dr Black has not been seen for a while, Miss Scarlett says that she will go and see where he’s got to. The dinner party continues, about 30 seconds later there is a scream heard outside, presumably omitted by Miss Scarlett.

The next scene fades in with the PI entering the dinning room and starts questioning the guests. The scene ends as the detective gets one of the characters to recount their version of events.

How it fits in with Film Noir conventions:

• Characters- Miss Scralett - Femme Fatale, Detective, etc.
• Starts with a murder
• Set in a mansion house
• Props and Costumes are conventional
• Characters are seen drinking and Colonel Mustard tries to light a cigarette
• Set in 1940's America

Film Noir - Research - What is Film Noir?

Film Noir is... a cinematic term to describe a hollywood crime drama. From there Film Noir is broken down into two sub-sets: Classic noir and Neo-Noir.

Classic noir films were made in the 1940's to 1950's and feature many of the characteristics previously covered in the other research sections.
Film Noir was heavily influenced by German Expressionism from the 1910s and 1920s, particularly in style and appearance.

According to Robert Egbert, Film Noir is...

• A movie which at no time misleads you into thinking there is going to be a happy ending.
• Locations that reek of the night, of shadows.
• Cigarettes
• Women who would just as soon kill you as love you, and vice versa.
• For women: low necklines, floppy hats, mascara, lipstick, dressing rooms, boudoirs, calling the doorman by his first name, high heels, red dresses, elbow length gloves, mixing drinks, having gangsters as boyfriends, having soft spots for alcoholic private eyes, wanting a lot of someone else's women, sprawling dead on the floor with every limb meticulously arranged and every hair in place.
• For men: fedoras, suits and ties, shabby residential hotels with a neon sign blinking through the window, buying yourself a drink out of the office bottle, cars with running boards, all-night diners, protecting kids who shouldn't be playing with the big guys, being on first-name terms with homicide cops, knowing a lot of people whose descriptions end in "ies," such as bookies, newsies, junkies, alkys, jockeys and cabbies.
• Relationships in which love is only the final flop card in the poker game of death.
• The most American film genre, because no society could have created a world so filled with doom, fate, fear and betrayal, unless it were essentially naive and optimistic.

Film Noir - Research - Technical Aspects

Film Noir consists of many technical aspects that make it a style of film-making, as it is not considered to be a genre in its own right.

Lighting

Lighting is always dramatic. The style known as chiaroscuro is a feature of many classic film noirs, which is low key lighting with stark light/dark contrasts and dramatic shadow patterning.
Venetian blinds or banister rods, cast upon an actor, a wall, or an entire set, are an iconic visual in noir.

In film noir there are different ways to light men and women.
Lighting for Men: Dark, moody, quite harsh
Lighting for women: Soft, highlights the beauty of the actress, whilst covering age and making the actress appear younger than she actually is.

Camera Shots & Angles

Camera angles such as low-angle, wide-angle and Dutch angle* shots are often used in film noir. Some of the camera shots and angles chosen appear strange as they can often be disorientating for the viewer, for example:

Shot of people reflected in one or more mirrors shots
Shots through curved or frosted glass

^* A Dutch angle involves titling the camera off to the side; used frequently in "The Third Man" and is a favoured by modern director Danny Boyle. 

e.g.

Film Noir - Research - Costume

Costume in general
 The costumes worn by each person can tell the audience a lot about the character on screen.
        Men have very little expression with their clothes, male uniform, the business suit. "Jazzy" ties were used to brighten up the dull suit of the suburban man; the more outlandish the suit, the silkier the shirt, the more likely the man wearing it is corrupt. The gangsters of Film Noir are the ones who are dress most outlandishly as at the time men were not supposed to try to show off using clothes.
In general one ought not trust a man in uniform in Film Noir (except perhaps a police officer) as often they turn out to be murderers:
- Delivery Man: “Murder by Contract,” “Destination Murder” and “While the City Sleeps”- Removal Man: "Kiss Me Deadly"
- Ex- Marine Officer: “The Blue Dahlia”
Strangely when in evening wear both the hero and the villain wear a white tie and tuxedo combination.

Women: Leisurewear gives the audience indications about the type of women being portrayed; If a woman is seen in a negligee or underwear then she cannot be a good character as no good girl would be seen by a man without proper clothing on.

Iconic Looks

The Private Investigator

The Private Investigator fits the classic image of a Private Investigator as they always wear a trilby hat and a long trench coat. The P.I. will rarely be seen without a cigarette or a drink.

 Femme Fatale

 A dress with an extremely high slitted skirt, that focuses attention on the legs, is synonymous with the Femme Fatale character. The high-slit shows that this character is sexy and flirtatious. The Femme Fatale is always dresses well in rich fabrics but does not wear typically plain clothing from the 1940's because she breaks conventions, the plainer clothes are left to the other women of Film Noir.
The dresses worn clung to every contour showing off the figures of the women wearing them.

Film Noir - Research - Location

Film Noir is associated with a few big American cities, in which the city is presented as a maze:
- New York
- Los Angles
- Chicago
- San Francisco

Within the city most of the action seems to take place in bars, clubs, gambling dens with the protagonist having a cluttered rundown office. If there is a murder in the film it is most likely to occur in a grand house in the suburbs. The finale of many Film Noir films take place in  industrial settings, for example, factories, train yards and power plants. All of these places seem to be open expanse of urban areas that are generally unpleasant and dark.

In the popular image of Film Noir it is always set at night and it is always raining.

Film Noir - Research - Characters

Leading Male Character - An immoral Hero: The protagonist is often portrayed as a morally-ambiguous from the dark underworld of violent crime and corruption. This protagonist could be in any number of professions, for example, a screenwriter. However, the archetypal lead male character works alone as a private investigator although in only four of twenty-three National Film Registry noirs is the protagonist a P.I.

Common Characteristics:

* Cynical

* Obsessive

* Brooding

* Sinister

* Sardonic

* A lone ranger

Leading Female Character - Femme Fatale: The femme fatale is often the main female role within film noir; literally translated Femme fatale means "killer (or deadly) woman."

A femme fatale must be:

♥ Beautiful

♥ Promiscuous

♥ Amoral

♥ Mysterious

♥ Seductive

♥ Manipulative

♥ Unreliable

The Femme Fatale character often deviates from what was considered "normal" in society at the time as she is independent and smart whose actions almost always lead to trouble for the protagonist who usually falls in love with the Femme Fatale.

The Femme Fatale is not only aesthetically beautiful but she is also seductive and enticing as she breaks social conventions by drinking and smoking alone or during the day.

Others:
The Villain and Henchmen: The villain is usually not the one to meet with the protagonist directly as that would give away his identity, instead sending a less intelligent but smartly dressed henchman to do his dirty work for him. The femme fatale has links to both the hero and the villain, sometimes she comes across as the evil character, other times she is the evil character; for example,

Other Women:
Women appear to fall into one of two categories in Film Noir: Femme Fatale or Other. Within the other category the women seem to be a reflection of modern society at the time, characteristics include:
*Dutiful
*Reliable
*Trustworthy
*Loving
These women seem to occupy a smaller role as they are not as beautiful as the femme fatale and are generally less interesting/ dangerous.

Film Noir - Research - Sunset Boulevard

1. Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard opens in typical Noir style with a long title sequence followed by a voice over explaining that there has been a murder at a big house. The opening sequence concludes with the Voice over telling the audience that this is not the beginning of the story; the story then continues in flashback.

The technical aspects of Film Noir are also present in Sunset Boulevard, for example, Gloria Swanson's character, Norma Desmond, is softly lit and slightly blurred so as to disguise her age which is commonly seen on the women featured in a Film Noir movie (see below).



Film Noir is also noted for it's classically witty lines and for that Sunset Boulevard doesn't disappoint:

[Norma has killed Mr Gills, when the police arrive she is in such a state of shock that she has become delusional, Max convinces her that she is on the set of her new film]
Norma Desmond: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up "

---

 Joe Gillis: [narrating] The poor dope - he always wanted a pool. Well, in the end, he got himself a pool.

---

 Norma Desmond: We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!

Film Noir- Groups

For the final task I am working in a group with Fern Clark and Natasha Crozier.

Film Noir - Research

As part of the research into Film Noir I have looked up the top ten most popular films of Film Noir with the aim of watching the openings of all of them in order to gain a better insight into what makes a Film Noir movie:
1. Sunset Boulevard
2. Double Indemnity
3. The Third Man
4. The Maltese Falcon
5. Notorious
6. Strangers on a Train
7. Touch of Evil
8. The Night of the Hunter
9. The Big Sleep
10. The Killing

Although not on the top ten list Out of the Past (1947) features many of the conventions typically associated with Film Noir:
- A cynical private detective, the protagonist
- A femme fatale
- Multiple flashback sequences with voice over narration
- Dramatically shadowed photography
- A fatalistic* mood leavened with provocative banter

* -  Fatalism is a philosophical doctrine emphasizing the subjugation of all events or actions to fate.

Final Task

Film Noir

Preliminary Task - Meet Again - The Film