Film Noir

Film Noir

• "Black" film
  
• Shoot/edit in black and white
  
• Wide panning shots to capture the Film Noir Style
  
• Film Noir started in 40's and 50's when editing techniques were not as sophisticated as they are today
  
• Use one wide panning shot instead of multiple angles
  
• Try different angles: dutch tilt, high or low
  
• Film Noir uses close-ups on a character to illustrate who he is
  
• A gun may point out that your character is a gangster or a cop
  
• Shadow effects are useful and can add suspense to your film if you want to show a Villon on the loose or someone being followed (example: nice shot of detective in room with blinds and the shadow is on the face of the detective)
  
• This is a classic effect to show the Villon in the shadow as to not expose his identity
  
• Costuming can make or break your film
  
• Every detective in a film noir has a suit
  
• Trench coats are a great addition- you never know what may be hiding underneath plus they are a classic part of the detective outfit
  
• Film noir movies were often filmed so that there were many dark shadows in the movie, even on characters' faces.
  
• The Hollywood film noir movies were influenced by German
  film directors such as Fritz Lang, who used dramatic lighting techniques.
  
• Another influence on film noir movies was 1930s French books or movies about heroes who would die at the end of the story or stories with sad endings. Film noir movies were also influenced by crime novels, such as the detective and crime stories
  
• Femme Fatale –a powerful female presence in film
  
• Voice narration-add to the story by providing details/personal thoughts
  

 

Below is a list of the seven elements of Film Noir

These should help your group come up with ideas for you script! The script will be mainly scene description although you can add a voiceover narrator.

 
 

• a crime
  
• the perspective of the criminals, not the police
  
• an inverted view of traditional sources of authority, such as corrupt police
  
• unstable alliances and allegiances
  
• the femme fatale--the woman who causes the downfall and/or death of a good man
  
• implied violence
  
• bizarre plot twists and motivations
  

 

Create a three->four minute film noir video. Write a script and a list of props and costumes.

Identify your main characters and use good framing and lighting. You will be marked on the overall production and select criteria including:

-Lighting: Does the lighting contribute to the overall feel of the movie?

-Audio: Did you add music to give feel and passion to the scenes?

-Black and White: did you make your film black and white? Add scratches or filters (optional)

-Pacing: What is the pacing like? Is it too slow, too fast? Viewer must be able to figure out what is going on

-Story: Is the story interesting? Is it well developed?

-Character development: Do we get to know the characters? Did you place objects and shadows to provide intrigue and clues about who the characters are?

-Acting: Were we convinced? Did you cast your characters well? Did they take it seriously?

-Editing: How is the film edited? Do you provide areas for transitions from one scene to the next? Does the film have a nice flow?

 

Film Noir.

Film Noir style.  The actual content is up to you.  You may want to include the typical private eye, dame, fake cigarettes (wafting smoke), and pistol, or you may depict some other subject in this style.  Definitely, it must be moody and dark.

REMEMBER: Film Noir must include the following attributes:

* 1. Predominance of Black.  Pure black.  60-70% of the space must be dark.

Minimal light, predominant dark.

* 2. Moody.  Dark and foreboding.

Robert Mitchum and Lauren Bacall have lots of attitude.

* 3. Dramatic Lighting.  Melodramatic, theatrical, and high contrast. All the information lies in the minimal mid-tones.  The black is black, and the white is white.  The grays tell everything.

Look out for that knife!

* 4. Strong Use of Shadow.  Cast shadow, like the knife (above).  Almost gimicy and cheesy. What, did I say "Almost"?

"The Shadow Knows"

* 5. Strong Use of Silhouette.  In this style, the silhouette is very important.  Think light-over-dark, or dark-over-light.  In other words, every shape will be defined as a light shape over dark or vise versa.

Same elephant, one staged well, one staged poorly.

* 6. Less is More.  In Film Noir it is common for a portion of the subject to be obscured in darkness.  Often half the face is in shadow, leaving the emotion to be carried by only part of the face.  All unimportant elements are minimized if not left out all-together.

Simplicy, Silhouette, Mystery. Very powerful.

Study the remainder of these images to get the feel.  Look for the elements that have been listed above.

Shadows restate the obvious.

Artistic use of cast shadows.

Hey, look at the face! Any doubt about that?

More artistic cast shadows.

The ubiquitous cigarette

The threatening shadow.