Survey Results

Survey Results

Question 1 - How old are you?

Question 2 - What is your gender?

Question 3 - What is your profession?

Question 4 - What is your favourite genre of movie?

Question 5 - Do you like noir/crime movies?

Question 6 - What kind of things pull you into a movie during its opening?

Analysis of results

From these results, I can see that there are a wide variety of ages that all appreciate noir movies. This is good, as it means that our trailer will likely be appreciated by a wide range of age groups. However, of the people that answered my questionnaire, I see that 50% appreciate noir films, and the other 50% do not. This may indicate that my movie opening may be a bit hit-and-miss with the audiences that will view the sequence.

Lighting

Lighting

Small light

Small lights are lights that cast intense, heavy shadows. This type of light usually requires softening through the use of a diffuser, or filling (reducing the shadows) with a second light or reflector.

Big light

Big lights give  even lighting with softer shadows but fail to perform in terms of atmosphere, though it is the easiest to use and works well for shots of a group of people, or a shot that requires detail. An example of this would be a cloudy sky, or perhaps light reflected off of a white wall.

Direction of light

Light from the direct front can be flat and characterless, and may also have the effect of dazzling the people being filmed, although it may be the only option if the cameraman is using a basic camera.

Three-quarter light (light from a 45 degree angle in front of and above the subject) is the usual place to put the main light in traditional lighting setups.

Light from above has the tendency to make the subject's eyes disappear into shadow, which can be good for making a character appear mysterious or moody.

Light from the side  can be very atmospheric but is much harder to work with. This can create a moody low-key effect and can require exposure compensation to avoid bright skin tones.

Lighting from directly below the subject can make them appear threatening.

Rim light (light from behind the subject) can be good for creating an atmosphere and works well to make the edges of the subject stand out against the background.

Outdoors

Using daylight  can be easiest if the cameraman is filming on a day with fairly even cloud cover, as it allows for him to shoot in any direction and get reasonable shots. Sunlight can be trickier, as it has the tendency to cast quite hard shadows and can dazzle the subject, although it can be effective if used as a rim light. Low sunlight is hard to work with, but provides very atmospheric shots during the "golden hour" just after dawn or before dusk.

Indoors

The light can be boosted from ordinary ceiling lights and table lamps by fitting them with brighter bulbs. Powerful light can be bounced off of reflectors or white surfaces. Chinese paper lanterns with bright bulbs can be good for cheap atmospheric lighting due to the dulling effect of the lantern.

What we will be attempting

We will be primarily focused on big lighting, as we are doing a noir piece, and so the softer shadows provided will be beneficial to the opening. We will be mainly be filming outdoors and so will make use of weather conditions in order to create the desired atmosphere.

Noir Context

Noir Context/Origins

It is widely agreed on that noir film originated partly from German expressionism, which in turn was influenced by the devastating defeat the German people suffered during WW1. This birthed the atmosphere of despair that was very prominent in noir films.

Noir film drew partly from American network radio in its clever use of soundtrack. Around the time noir movies gained traction, Hollywood became innovative in it's use of soundtrack as an accomplice to the story of the film, rather than simply as adjuncts to image tracks.

Post-war disillusionment gave noir film a mood and an applicable social context. The Allied victory of WW2 did not bring the expected 'peacetime happiness' that many citizens had anticipated. This led to an atmosphere of sadness and depression among veterans and the general population.

Noir Lighting

Noir Lighting

To establish the style of lighting used in noir films, we must first define its origins.

Noir lighting stems from an artistic technique called Chiaroscuro. Chiaroscuro (Italian for light-dark) is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark to achieve some sense of volume in three-dimensional objects and figures.

Using the Chiaroscuro technique proved highly effective in black and white films, as it enabled film-makers to overcome the bland flatness that the bright black and white cameras could present if there was not enough contrast. Some examples of this technique in practice are below:

Noir Setting

Noir Setting

Usually, noir films are set within a city, due to their focus on crime, which is most prominent in large clusters of people.

During noir movies, we usually begin in a cityscape such as the one below:

This type of setting allows noir film to truly explore what the genre does best - Crime.

It should be noted that noir films usually make use of all aspects of a city, and one common feature of a noir film is shots of a character in an alleyway, such as this one:

This type of shot allows for a claustrophobic atmosphere, and is sometimes used to symbolise a realization as the character comes out of the dark alleyway and into the bright city lights. 

Noir Costume

As stated in a previous blog post, we will be creating a neo-noir movie opening. To do so, we must take costume into account.

Most noir movies feature simplistic costumes, usually some form of suit with a hat and/or a coat. An example of such a costume design is pictured below:

This works in our favour, as it allows us to make use of limited resources and money to create an effective costume for our movie opening.

What genre will I choose for my coursework task?

For my coursework task I will be utilising the noir genre. This is because we wish to do a crime movie opening, and so the noir genre is very good for carrying out this form of movie opening. Also, the noir theme helps us account for severe budget gaps, as the theme is often simplistic in its use of white credits and dark backgrounds. We will be filming in Bristol as it is nearby and is opportune in its design for a crime thriller.

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