Final Coursework - All Production Videos

The Chase

Preliminary Task

Preliminary Task Evaluation

Main Task

Main Task Evaluation

Film Noir - Post Preduction - Evaluation

Evaluation

Film Noir - Contributions to the production

Throughout the production process' we delegated the jobs within our group, here are my contributions for each process;

Pre Production:
- (with help from the other team members) wrote the plotline for the story
- wrote the whole first draft of the screenplay
- edit the second and final draft of the screenplay after the group had discussed changes
- acquired film location
- completed the RECCE with Luke
- completed the storyboard
- created character profiles for each character
- researched into props and costumes for the actors
- acquired the props (with the other members of the group)
- acquired Warwick Davis for the evening of filming

Production (Filming):
- set up and created the set
- controlled one of the two cameras
- directed the production

Post Production:
- help edit the first draft of the production
- find appropriate feedback from an audience
- begin helping the second edit

Film Noir - 1st Draft of the production

Here is the 1st draft of our Film Noir production. Due to audience feedback we are going to change and add several things;

- take away the audio from the opening scene and replace with a voiceover
- add in Film Noir styled music to the opening
- add a title sequence when the detectives are walking down the street
- add a sound effect of a gunshot when the gun is fired
- take away the audio from the final shot so footsteps can't be heard

Film Noir - Post-Production - Diary Entry

We have started the editing process of our production. Since Luke was the lighting director of the filming process and has a good knowledge of the editing software Adobe Premier, he has decided to be the main editor with Sam and I helping him with what shots to use and the right stage of where to cut the different part of the footage.
Half of the clips have been edited together leaving only the second half of them to be cut and inserted. Other elements such as music, the title sequence and also sound effects including the gun shot will need to be added accordingly. Apart from that, our editing process is running smoothly and efficiently with no drawbacks as such.

I will now have to start thinking about and writing up my full evaluation of our production once all of the editing has been completed.

Film Noir - Production - Filming Process

The filming process took place on the 3rd March at around 6pm. We had to postpone the original time of 5pm due to the unscheduled amount of natural light still around at this time. As one of our actos had other plans for that evening; filming was pressured. To come over this problem, we decided to film, as soon as it was dark enough, the alleyway scene first. This was because the Villain, played by Warwick Davies, was the actor with the plans that evening.
After Warwick's part was completed we then moved onto the other dialogue shots in the alleyway. Because of the allowance of time that we had, we could then film two or three takes of one shot giving us a variation of shots to use when it came to the filming process. When moving into the house for filming, the lighting was already set up along with the detective's office so that we could start filming straight away. With a few adjustments with the lights to make sure the lighting was to how we wanted it and also making sure the characters were in shot - we were ready to film the dialogue inside the 'office'. This section of filming didn't take long at all since there were little amount of coversation for the actors to act. When the final shot was taken we were finished and were very happy with the results by quickly looking through the footage. As soon as the kit was packed away and the set was dismantled; the filming process was over.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Filming Location / Info

The filming location was arranged by myself, we had discussed other areas of the village but decided our storyline would fit most comfortably within the surroundings of where I live in Yaxley. Below is an image of where my house is situated in correlation to the alleyway;

The alleyway is close to the first location, this will ensure it will keep the production in real-time as the actors walk down into the second scene - the alleyway. The first location will be set up by myself in preparation for the filming process.



Film Noir - Pre-Production - Actor information

Actor Contact Details

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Final Script

Film Noir - Script - Final
Here is the final script for our Film Noir production. We edited the script to make the dialogue shorter in the opening scene as we feel that this could make the start too lengthy and could distract the audience. We also deleted other lines further on in the production as we feel that the dialogue didn't follow the typical Film Noir conventions.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Production Schedule

Production Schedule

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Research - Hairstyles

Along with the props and costumes, other factors concerning the female character's appearance such as hair and make-up must be taken into consideration. The 1940/50's look is very different to that of modern day so this has to be accounted for when it comes to the filming process and when our actors are actually on set. Here are a few examples of 1940's hairstyles and makeup;



Film Noir - Pre-Production - Research - Props and Costumes

Props
For our production we are having the villain Bruno murder one of our main detectives Miles. We discussed as to how we were going to have the murder take place and came to the conclusion that a gun would be used due to other film noir's using side arms to be the contributing factor of death of a character.

Here are some examples of possible guns to be used;

These three guns follow the Film Noir genre as revolvers and small side arms were used frequently in fire fights or murders. However, a revolver seems like the likely choice as it does add to the effect of a villain such as ours by having such a costly weapon.

In the opening scene, other props such as a clock and papers placed on the desk will be used. Also, an additional lamp maybe used to add to the office scene when the detectives are working on the case.

The costumes of the characters is another important part. The detectives and villain will most likely be wearing smart suits whilst smoking cigars etc. Also, hats could be worn to add to the suit which again follows the film noir genre. The actors will need to be informed about the different clothing that they will have to wear to fit the character's appearance. Below are some examples of what our detectives will look like;

The final character is our femme fatale. She will be wearing a skirt which fits the appearance of a conventional female character in a film noir production. Her appearance will be beautiful and striking to the audience which again fits the conventions. As important as the detectives and their hats, the femme fatale's hair needs to fit the 1940/50's look. Modern looks today are much different to those of the 40's and 50's. When preparing for filming these considerations for the femme fatale will be taken into account so that her appearance is what is expected of a female character in a film noir production. Below are some examples of dress wear and hair styles;



Film Noir - Pre-Production - Risk Assessment

Below is the risk assessment documents which provides a detailed explanation of what dangers there are when filming. Our media teacher signed the document to allow us to film our production after reading through the risks.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Recce

Below are the photos that were taken on the recce. The interior pictures are of the internal location for filming and the exterior are the external locations.

Above is a picture of the first scene, this will be transformed into an office for the detectives. A desk will be put into place with other various props such as papers and a clock to add authenticity to the set. Below is just another angle of the opening set location.

Below is the hallway of the "detective's house"

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Lighting

In pretty much all media aspects, lighting plays a very important role to a scene. It can light up areas that the audience needs to be drawn to or it can be used to hide character's visual appearance but still make them noticable. There are two form of lighting and these are natural light, which is found directly or indirectly from the sun, and artificial light which is produced from electrical lights that are used by film crews or even a lamp or light based on a celing that is part of a set.

The lighting kits that the media department provide for the productions are very basic but can be used efficiently when used at full potential. These lighting kits can take a while to set up but when used appropriately many different effects can be achieved. Along with health and safety factors, other factors contributing to the lights performance can change the way in which light is distributed throughout a set. If the scene is externally filmed then factors of natural light come into the equation and can disrupt the artificial light's purpose. Even internally artificial lights can be disrupted by the simplest of things such as a white wall, the light may reflect off the wall and cause other areas to light up.

When filming our production these factors need to be taken into consideration if the right effects want to be used, and used well.

3 Point Lighting
A popular technique used throughout the media world is called 3 point lighting, in which three lights are used to create an effect. The first main light is called the key light, this is the most strongest and influentual light of the three and provides the 'key' light source. The next light is called the fill light, this basically combines with the key light, as it is opposite, to add another dose of artificial light to a scene and add that extra needed visibility to a shot if needs be. The final light is called the back lght, this is placed behind the back of a shot but not in direct view of the camera. This can provide the final addition to lighting a scene and gives a full sense of lighting within a shot. The three lights corralate into a triangle and provides sufficient detail to a well lit character in a camera shot.
However, not all of the lights have to be used. This can provide necessary effects to a camera shot, for example, if only the backlight is used then the front of the character appears shadowed and can make the desired character look more mysterious as the facial expression, features and dexterity are not easily recognised.

Health and safety aspects
Certain elements of safety need to be taken into consideration when using a lighting kit.
Rule 1 - work the light at your own working height level as this will ensure full control over the light.
Rule 2 - the powerlead must hang down. If tangled then this could cause the light to fall over.
Rule 3 - make sure the barndoor is level with the leg. In case of a collision, this will provide the necessary safety to the individual that has knocked the light.
Rule 4 - never use light ouside.
Rule 5 - before you plug in the surge protector, press the yellow button followed by the red and the repeat the yellow. This tests the protector is working properly to ensure that it won't cause any damage to the entry point of electrical devices.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Storyboard

Here is the storyboard that was written and drawn by myself;

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Shot List & Diary Entry

Shot list

Diary Entry - Another update on the filming casting. Luke's family relations said that they can be used for acting purposes which is ideal as they are easily acessible for use and also we can keep them up-to-date with what essential details they need to be informed about such as filming dates, what they will need to wear and other aspects similar to those.
I have recently asked Warwick if he will be availible for filming and he said that he might be able to be free to do so, depending on times.

Location aspects have been also sorted, the filming will be done inside my house and down my road with the use of a nearby alleyway. A risk assessment will be filled out accordingly by one of the team members and also a recce will be carried out as well for pictures and details such as different camera positions and how rooms will be arranged and changed around to become a Film Noir set.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Character Bio's & Diary Entry

Character Bio's

Diary Entry - As the filming date comes closer more and more of the pre-production tasks have been completed. The next challenge that we need to over come is arranging suitable actors to be availible for our filming date. I live next door to a famous actor Warwick Davis that has starred in the likes of Star Wars, Willow, The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy and many more. I do intend to ask for his availability, but at this moment in time I am unsure as to whether we may be able to use him.
Other actors with the desired age ranges for our characters are hard to come by, unlike in the preliminary task the actors were people from our school. One of the team members Luke has said that some of his family are willing to act for us which maybe resorted to if other actors cannot be achieved.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Plot & Diary Entry

Characters

Detective – Dixon (Detective Dixon)

Assistant Detective – Miles (Detective Miles)

Femme Fatale (Glamorous Girl) – Lola

Villain – Bruno


Plot
Detective Dixon and Miles are working on a series of murder cases that are all linked to the infamous “Bruno”. No matter how hard they try, whenever they get close to finding evidence against the murderer he always seems to slip away. It could be coincidence or just the criminal mind overpowering the detective’s skills. The truth of the murders is closer than he imagines and is right under his nose without realising.

Dixon follows Miles on a bleak night to distant alleyway. Miles meets a shadowy figure – the criminal, Bruno. Muffled words are all that the detective can hear from the conversation, without warning a gunshot is heard and all that is left is Miles’ body left to die. Dixon runs towards Miles’ body. As he reaches for his body to comfort his fallen detective, a glamorous femme fatale appear from the darkness because the beckoning gunshot drew her towards her fallen fiancé.

Mile’s dying words share his loves for his fiancé and the recognition of his caring detective Dixon. His final last words are “I’m so sorry Dixon, I’ve let you down.” This perplexes Dixon, leaving him and Miles’ fiancé wondering what his late detective meant by this.

Diary Entry - As we move through the pre-production process, more and more of the stages are being completed / are in the process of being completed. The plot that is written above was originally constructed as a draft to aid me in the script writing phase. It gave me clear instructions as to what write and how the characters should be talking to one another etc.
We now begin to confir as to who may star in our production and who would be suitable in the desired roles.

Film Noir - Pre-Production - Script & Diary Entry

Film Noir - Script

Diary entry - the group has decided that we delegate through the pre-production elements equally so that the work load is not more dominant on one of the team members. I have taken the role of scipt writer and managed to complete our first and quite possibly only draft as the the rest of the production members have checked through and read the dialogue and actions.

By delegating through the pre-production roles allows the process to become more smoothly as the different tasks can be completed quickly and efficiently ready for the filming process. I believe our team is working through these elements well as we contribute equally through them.


Below is the first draft of our script, I orginally wrote the whole thing by myself after confiring with my other production member's aspects such as; the main plot, storyline and also what the basic dialogue would be.

Film Noir - Target Audience - Analysis

Throughout my study of the Film Noir genre I created a questionnaire to be filled out by a selection of people across different age groups. Here are my findings;

The majority of people that said 'yes' to watching Film Noir productions fall in the 31-50 or 50+ category. By seeing these results insinuates the older generation tend to watch Film Noirs more than the newer and younger age group. This then gives our production team what sort of people will be interested in the genre and what aspects these people will be interested in and what sort of things they would want to see in a Film Noir production.

This next graph shows us that more male individuals watch Film Noirs than females. This also narrows down what our target audience will actually be. If more males are watching these production then ours must incoporate more of the conventions that males are interested in. The next graph shows this.

This amount of data is from the seven males that said they watch or have watched Film Noir productions. As you can see they are more interested in a crime based feel to a film with the odd occasion of action and romance. If this is what the audience has said then I feel that we need to include these 'sub genres' into the production as it will suit are target audience accordingly.

This next graph is discovering the target audience's economical status. In the post before, the explanations of the ratings are written in the questionnaire. From the findings, the most common staus was in the C1 category. Only a couple related to B and C2 with none coming under A or D. By knowing that the target audience that watches Film Noirs are primarily in the sections of C1 and B means that they will generally be into more in depth aspects such as complex storylines or things such as unknowing twists and turns in a plot. This is something to consider when a storyline is being constructed and a script is being written.

The next question in the questionnaire is 'If any, what was the last Film Noir that you watched?'. For the people that put a response, many of them had watched the well-known Matltese Faction which starred the iconic star Humphrey Bogart. Other productions such as A Sweet Smell Of Success and Sunset Boulevard were also mentioned. These again gives an idea of what the target audience enjoys watching and with the use of the next question which asks what things they liked about Film Noirs emphasized what our production should in fact include. Some of the responses incorporated the idea of murder, crime and also some sort of problem that a detective has to solve. In the production, these aspects can be used to meet the needs of the target audience. Even things such as distinct characters were mentioned which we shall also include in our Film Noir opening.

Conclusion

Who is your target audience?

To conclude, I believe that our main target audience will be from a male gender as proved in the second graph. This generally eliminates the fact of a strong romance theme within the plotline, althoug conventional, it may not apply to the whole of our target audience. Romance may be replaced with a convention of murder or something along those lines as the male dominance in the questionnaires became apparent when the data was collated.

The age range of our target audience is generally in the older generations. None of the under 16's that filled out a questionnaire had watched a Film Noir production therefore they were cancelled out of the equation leaving the 50+ category the majority that had watched one or more. Again, the collated data had given us a more in depth analysis of what our target audience would be. So far we had discovered that the age range was between 35-50+. This gave us a general idea of what aspect they would want.

The final graph insinuated the economic status of our target audience with them mainly coming under the C1 category. This again narrows down what our target audience will be. The C1 category is mainly supervisory, clerical and junior management based professions.

What will they require from your Film Noir?

From the data collected from the sub genres and the comments added in at the bottom of the questionnaire, it gave us a good idea of what our desired target audience will want to see in our production. The target audience mentioned that distinct characters in the opening should be notified to the audience when watching the short production. As well as this, the target audience specified a necessary detective to be starred in the production which will be incoporated into it.

Film Noir - Target Audience - Questionnaire

Film Noir - Target Audience - Questionnaire

Film Noir - Similar Products - Movie posters

The movie posters in film noir are another important part of the genre, they basically are the (alongside the trailer) the main advertisement for a production. They are also cheaper than the trailer to produce so most people would be looking at the poster to see if they would want to go see the film. There are many parts that are included in the poster that try to persuade the potential audience to go and watch the film.

This first poster is for the film the Dark Corner. The first noticeable part of the poster is the characters in it. The male character looks as though he is spying on the female character through some blinds, this could insinuate that she has perhaps done something wrong to this man and she is under questioning from him hence the stern look upon his face. The lady also fits the femme fatale category of character as she is well dressed and is attractive in her own respect. The next feature that is included in the poster are the actors and actresses names, the forename is slightly smaller than the surname as this emphasizes the lastname to the audience. This has been done because actors were usually known for their last name and were referred to by their surname. It also gives the audience an idea as to who is starring in the film, if they like the actors/actresses then they will want to go see it.

This next poster is for the film the 3rd Man. The title of the film is an instant 'stand out' for the audience as the red contrasts the black and white making it more noticeable. Another key point to make out if the three sillouettes on the top ride hand side of the poster. They each contrast each other so that they stand out one another showing the three men intwined together. The female character at the bottom of the potser is the larger of all pictures. This shows her dominance in the film meaning that she could potentially be a stronger character than all of the men using her wit against them in the plot. Unlike the poster before, the names are written smaller and are still readable but aren't as prominant.

The final poster that I shall be looking at is the one for the film This Gun For Hire. The most striking part of the poster is the female character positioned in the centre. Her natural and striking beauty fills the page (again like the last poster) showing her dominance over the other character in the poster. He is most likely a detective due to the gun, his expression isn't certain and there is a scared feel about his body language. For all three of the posters, they have been drawn as a cartoon type style and not a real life still of the characters. Also, all three of the posters have been in colour whereas the movies are all in black and white, these are all conventional elements of film noir posters.

Film Noir - Similar Products - 3 Opening Scenes

Film 1: Sunset Boulevard - 1950
The first few seconds of the film immediately tells us where the location of the film is set as a street name becomes visible as the camera pans onto a curb. The street is Sunset Boulevard which is in Hollwood, this is a very conventional place for a film noir to be set as many others have taken place and been filmed there. The next convention which is clearly noticeable is the opening credits that appear on screen as the camera pans along the road. Since the film is of course in black and white, the titles appear as white since they contracts the grey tarmac thus being clearly visible to the audience. The next striking convention is when police and detectives in stereotypical film noir styled cars race past the camera. This convention is seen throughout many film noir productions as murder, likewise in this production, is present therefore needing an investigator to search for clues and solve the crime. The police travel to a large establishment where a film writer is found dead in a pool with two bullet holes to the back. This again is another important convention to film noir as murders are seen throughout the productions. The last convention which is also present is the american voice over narrating what is happening in the story and why certain events have taking place. We find out that the man talking is in fact the same man that is found dead in the pool. The audience is then taken back 6 months and the story begins. This isn't such a convential event to happen, but does occur in other film noirs.

Film 2: Touch of Evil
The opening shot of the movie is a massive and lengthy shot to begin the film. One immediate convention that is visible is that a murder is going to take place, but only if the characters stay inside the car or at least nearby. This creates tension amongst the audience and also uncertaintity as to if they shall survive. Other questions such as, why would he put a bomb in their car? And, who is the man that planted the bomb? Spring into mind during the opening scene. Another convention which again is fairly obvious is the lighting used to brighten the set. The lighting only enhances certain areas of the set, such as; when the two people walk down the street to get into their car - the lighting is bright enough so that the audience regonises this. Lighting is also used so the audience can see other details such as the genuine 'hustle & bustle' of the city / large town. This leads onto another convention of film noir - the location. For this opening scene, it is obvious that they are in a busy town / city which is conventionally used in film noir, this usually emphasizes the vast quantity of inhabitants of the city and the dominance it brings to the plot. The music in the scene is another convention used in film noir. It is played out of the car that has the bomb in it and follows the genre of jazz and the hint of rock and roll which was generally popular in that era. The final convention is one that is seen near the end of the large shot, it is the convention of romance which is a major part of most if not all of the film noir productions. Here is the long shot at the start of the film that almost spans for three and a half minutes;

Film 3: Notorious

Like many other film noir productions, the opening shots are conventionally the title sequence. This is usually unusual for a modern day film as the credits are most of the time, but not in all cases, played at the end of the film. This is what separates the genre from many others - the title sequence. The next conention is very obvious, the film is set in a major city in america, you can tell this because during the title sequence, the background is that of a city and also when the actors begin speaking their prominant american accent becomes distinguished. Also, after the title sequence has finished writing comes up which basically sets the scene using words "Miami, Florida, Twenty-Three P.M., Nineteen-Hundred and Forty-Six" this is used instead of a voice over. Although voice overs were much more popular, this way of telling the audience is also another convention in film noir. The final convention which is associated with film noir was the characters which are viewed in the opening scene. There are columnists and reporters waiting outside a jury for a stunning femme fatale with their cameras. The female character is also another convention used in film noirs since she is immediately striking in her beauty with male attention at her side almost immediately.

 

Conventions I would like to use in my production:

First and foremost, the main convention that I will be using in the production is the opening titles. This sequence is a well known convention for a film noir and by using this technique I feel the production will begin with the sense of film noir within an instant. To accompany the opening titles, the next convention that will be used is the music. Mainly based around Jazz or perhaps even a serious tone dependant on the plot of the opening. The next main convention that I will want to being using is the use of the strong impacting characters such as the ploice detectives, the villain and the striking femme fatale who's relationship with the protagonist will form the baseline for the plot.

Another convention that I have picked up on that would be useful for the task is the lighting used. This could be used to emphasize specific areas of a shot due to the black and white sometimes limiting visibility. Alongside the lighting, abrupt and uncertain camera shots could be used in the production as this convention is seen throughout other productions in this genre.

Film Noir - Similar Products - 5 Story Plots

Sweet Smell of Success
This film noir production was released on the 27th June 1957, nearing the end of the olden film noir genre. The plot of the film is about a Manhatten press agent Sidney Falco who has been unable to get his clients acknowledged in J.J. Hunsecker's newspaper column due to Falco's failure on a promise he made to Hunsecker. The promise was that he would break up the romance between Hunsecker's younger sister Susan and her partner who was an up-and-coming jazz guitarist named Steve Dallas.
Falco is given just one last hance by Hunsecker and is told to plant a false rumour in a rival column that Susan's lover Dallas is a "dope-smoking communist." The story unfolds as events such as the break up of the couple and Susan trying to commit suicide are viewed. The film ends with Susan claiming she'll move to Dallas instead of living with her brother and that she pities him instead of hating him. Here is the trailer for the film;



The Big Heat
This film noir production was released on the 14th October 1953 and stars actors such as Glenn Ford and Alexander Scourby. The plot of the film is based around a Homicide detective Sergeatn called Dave Bannion. The protagonist investigates the death of a fellow policeman Tom Duncan. The case seems easily solved - a suicide due to ill health. Later Bannion is contacted by the late officer's mistress, Lucy Chapman, and claims it had not been a suicide. Bannion finds out that Duncan did in fact have a second home which would not be applicable to purchase with the salary that he was on. Bannion goes to investigate. As the story unfolds murders are witnessed as the bad guy Mike Lagana slowly weaves his way through the characters. The film is concluded with he protagonist arresting a murderer; Stone and Lagana and Commissioner Higgins being indicted. Bannion, the protagonist returns back to his normal job at Homicide. Here is the trailer for the film;

The Maltese Falcon

This film noir production was released on the 3rd October 1941, the story had at first been written as a novel and had been adapted into film in 1931. This specific adaptation in 1941 starred Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor. The basic plot starts with the murder of the protagonist's co-worker Archer. Detective spade who was Archer's co-worker wasn't particulary fond on him yet he still wanted to find out why he was killed and who did this. Spade, played by Bogart, comes into contact with Miss Wanderly alongside a group of thieves who are interested in a priceless artifact - The Matltese Falcon. The closer Spade gets to the murderer of his partner, the more intwined he becomes with the statue. He uses his initiative to help him find the killer as he bargains a deal with the theives for the name of the murderer. Spade turns in the murderer despite having feelings for her.

Laura

This film noir production was released on the 11th October 1944, stars such as Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews were used in the film and starred as the main characters. The film follows a detective Mark McPherson as he investigates the murder of the famous advertising executive Laura Hunt. There are several suspects in which he needs to interview, these including: a villainary columnist Waldo Lydecker, her fiance Shelby Carpenter, her rich aunt Anne Treadwell and her housekeeper Bessie Clary. As the interviews take place, he notices a mutual view on Laura; all those interviewed were in fact in love with her. Stranger still, he begins to fall in love with her as she shows up at his door one night alive. Her fiance finds out about this and with his anger he goes to kill her. McPherson returns just in time and kills Lyndecker, as he dies, the film ends with his final words being "Goodbye Laura. Goodbye, my love."

The Killers

The audience are introduced to a main character Swede, played by the famous Burt Lancaster, and are shown his worries as he was part of a gang of thieves and was forced into betraying by femme fatale Kitty Collins Colfax. Instead of hiding away from his trouble which conventionally occurs in film noir, Swede faces the facts and knows that he cannot escape this fate. The next characters introduced are a police detective and an investigator, Reardon and Lupinsky, trying to find the killers and have them properly brought to justice. Like many other film noirs, the ending takes places at a big house or pent house. In this case, the conclusion is resulted in a mansion in which the killers are found and justice is brought to them.

Film Noir - Similar Products: Definition and Conventions

Definition
Film noir is a term used in French, which translates from English to French, "Black Film/Cinema". This cinematic term is used to primarily describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas in which particularly emphasize pessimistic attitudes and sexual motivation. The period in which some of the critically best Film Noir texts were made come from around the 1940's to the 1950's.  Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography.

Conventions
Within Film Noir productions there are 5 concepts which distinguish this genre from others. These effects and ideas contribute to Film Noir productions to give a noticeable different from other genres from around the time period. Although many conventions are used to define a Film Noir production, sometimes a film with some mutual elements is hard to categorise as similar aspects can be tweaked and changed yet still keep the
The 5 main convention sectors are:

• Costume
• Characters/Actors and Actresses
• Lighting
• Camera Angles
• Location

These are just the main borders of the conventions, sub-segments are also incorporated into an average Film Noir production. A massively noticeable and one which defines the genre altogether is the concept of being in black and white. No colour is used in the productions which follows the tone of the genre which is can range from being an urgent tone to a more depressed feeling as murder is usually used within the plot.

Costume is a big part for the aesthetic side of a Film Noir production. Generally speaking the male characters wore suits and an iconic top hat which in itself gives Film Noir a personal appeal already to the genre. The male characters also would be seen smoking cigars or cigarettes to give them even more of an iconic look. Here is a picture of Humphrey Bogart, a well known Film Noir actor, smoking with the iconic suit and hate being worn.

Alongside the male characters, females are also introduced. These are usually dressed extremely glamorously and sometime provocatively too. This allows the female dominance within the production stand out as the actresses playing the characters are always very attractive. By having these powerful roles within the production, the Film Noir genre is even finer defined. When film posters for the films were constructed, the female character usually showed much dominance and stood out more due to her attractive looks. This next photograph shows the attractiveness of one of the female characters used in a Film Noir production.

The next convention which does link into what I have already discussed, is the characters in Film Noir. It's common feature in Film Noir that there is a male lead detective trying to solve a crime, usually murder or hiding from his past etc. Other male characters serve as accomplices or enemies to this main detective and protagonist with their true identities unfolding as the story develops. Anti-hero are also a common convention when it comes to characters. They usually are on the back foot and reveal all when the time is suited to them. The female characters in Film Noir always dominantly attractive. They supply a real sense of dominance when entered into the plot, their strong roles usually entwine with the protagonist and either help him or deceive him. Other storylines intale the plot of other mysteries and crimes but murder is the is the common theme when it comes to most storylines.

The next common convention which plays a massive roles in the film noir movies is the lighting. Film Noir productions are filmed in black and white (apart from modern day Film Noirs in which some colour is used, such as in Sin City, a lady's dress appears red in colour) Lighting in film noir is used to emphasise a character's personality or the mood in which the shot is trying to be portrayed. If a bad guy that is trying to disrupt the protagonist's actions is in a shot then lighting will be at a minimal but the character is still easily visible. The darkness shows the mood as the character moves around the scene. This in turn is the opposite for the protagonist, who is usually a good detective. The lighting will be clear and distinct showing that there is some good in him, if not all. Lighting also is used to emphasise important aspects of a scene. For example, if there is a noticeable clue which will aid the protagonist in a room, then the lighting will be positioned so that the object(s) are easily seen which draws the audience's attention to that area.

Camera angles are known in Film Noir for being conventionally 'strange'. Tilts, low angle and high angle shots were used to cause disruption and confusion with the audience's perception of the film. These shots are primarily used to create uncertainty amongst viewers so that hidden secrets can be kept secret until the time is right to be released. This next picture is a good example of a high angle shot in a Film Noir scene;

The final convention that I shall discuss is the location. The location of film noir productions are conventionally within a major city. Especially in this shot below, the cityscape makes the character look small and defenseless in comparison to the vast heaving city in front of her. The high angle also contributes to this effect which also relates to film noir conventions. Also, the location adds to the drama of film. For example, with a city being as big as it is gives a conventional detective as the protagonist a much harder and entertaining job (for the audience) for solving a msytery or crime such as a muder. The shot below is from the movie Sin City - a modern take on the Film Noir genre. It shows a very attractive female character looking down on a major city.