Day 2- Filming Script

Day 2: Filming- 2nd January 2016

Location:

Xena's grandma's house and an alleyway- Staplehurst

Meeting Point:

We have arranged to meet at Xena's house at 10:00am and from there we will walk to the alleyway to get the filming done before it begins to rain. 

Props:

Xena: Xena will bring the filming camera, tripod, polaroids and picture board. 
She will also arrange to use extra props available at her grandma's house. 

Mindi: As Mindi is the actress she will bring the costumes (three different ones) along with jewellery. She is also bringing a spotlight, briefcase, documents, fake money and a typewriter.

Zayanah: Zayanah will provide the fake cigarettes, a tape recorder and a tape to play inside the recorder.

Hazel: I will bring the parcel which will be used by the detective in the opening scene and the venetian blinds prop which we can use to create the shadows.

What will be completed?
Actors will be informed of what to wear before they arrive. By the end of the day we hope to have filmed all of our scenes. We will complete the alleyway scenes first, where Xena's dad will act as the detective, a family friend will act as the kidnapper and Mindi will act as the femme fatale. All of the actors will be filmed in the alleyway where the exchange of money will take place and Mindi will be revealed as the real villain. 

Next we will film in the detective's office (Mindi's grandma's house). These scenes will only require the detective (Xena's dad). In the office he will receive a package, pack his briefcase and listen to a tape recording. 
Sounds and music will be edited in after this day therefore we do not need to worry about this.

Finish time = 3:00pm

Deconstruction of Film Noir Names

Often the name has something to do with the plot of the film. By looking at different examples of Film Noir names it could help us to come up with a name for our own film noir opening.

The names usually convey the dark mood of the film. As Film Noirs often include guns there are a few names that involve this theme such as 'Gun Crazy', 'Crossfire' and 'This Gun For Hire'. Another common theme in the names are the locations of the films this includes 'The Dark Corner', 'Side Street', 'Night And The City' and 'Sunset Blvd'. Lots of names also have the word 'The' before them.

After having some peer feedback we decided on the name 'Harlem Sunset' the definition of this is 'a fatal wound caused by a knife fight'. This would suit our film opening as it is dark and conveys a sense of foreboding. As we have only created a film opening there could be a knife fight scene in the full film therefore this name would suit the film and gives a sense of what may happen.

Practical Task- Venetian Blind Shadows

In many film noir's venetian blinds are used and more commonly their shadows are used. I thought that buying a set of venetian blinds wouldn't work as it would be hard to hang them up and if we were filming somewhere without windows a set of venetian blinds wouldn't be of any use. Therefore, I decided to see if I could create these shadows myself, allowing us to possibly use this type of shadow in our opening scene. Also, meaning that we wouldn't have to hang any blinds up and if there were no windows we could create an effect that would make it look like there were windows.

Whilst I was researching how to create the shadows I found this image:

We don't have any special lighting equipment that would allow us to put in a small filter to create the shadows so I decided to create a larger filter that we could put in front of a light to create a similar effect.

Firstly, I found a piece of cardboard and then marked it into different sized rectangles similar to the image above.There was one large rectangle in the middle and two same sized smaller rectangles on the outside.

Then I cut out every other row of rectangles. Once I had finished I used a torch and held up the cardboard cut out in front of the light which created a shadow which looked like venetian blinds. 

The shadow could be used in front of a person's face to look as if though they are standing in front of a window. 

Evaluation

Overall, I thought that this turned out well and would look really good if we could incorporate it into our opening scene. However, this prop may be hard to hold up without seeing the shadow of a hand.

Inspiration- Detectives office layout

In our opening scene we have a detectives office so  I have decided to look at the layout and positioning of certain items within the office. This will enable us to get some ideas when creating our own detectives office.

I began by looking at images of detectives offices inspired by/in film noir movies. Below are some of the images I found.

I found that many of the offices contain small desks with many items placed on top. Items that were commonly on top of the desks included:

• A typewriter
• Alcohol
• Gun
• Lamp
• Paper
• Cigarettes and cigarette trays
• Parcels
• Letters
• Old fashioned phones

I then looked at the layout of the whole office. Some examples I found are shown below.

Both images show that the wall behind the desk has maps, photographs and pin boards placed on it. There are also some framed photos around the room. Other items include a cabinet for files, books, chairs, boxes and the detectives clothing.

I decided to create a plan of what our detectives office may look like and the position of certain items within the office.

Day 1- Filming Script

Day 1: 22nd December 2015-  Setting up the location and Taking polaroid shots for picture board prop

Location:

Xena's house and her grandma's house- Staplehurst

Meeting Point:

We have arranged to meet at Xena's house at 10:30am and from there we will walk to her grandma's house which is not far away. 

Props:

Xena: Xena will bring the filming camera and her polaroid camera. She will also help us to decide what items can be used as props within her grandma's house for example chairs, glasses, lamps and a desk.

Mindi: As Mindi is the actress she will bring the costumes (three different ones) along with jewellery. She is also bringing a spotlight, briefcase, documents and fake money.

Zayanah: Zayanah will bring the fake cigarettes with a lighter which will be used by Mindi in the polaroid shots. She was also bring a tape recorder which will be used by the detective.

Hazel: I will bring the parcel which will be used by the detective in the opening scene and the venetian blinds prop which we can use to create the shadows.

What will be completed?

By the end of the day we will have taken all of the polaroid shots of Mindi needed for the photo board prop. These pictures will be taken in various places around Xena's grandma's house and garden. Some of the locations will need to be cleared in order for the shots to be taken.For example the garage will need to have a corner cleared and a chair placed in front of a wall in the corner and we will need to clear the office so that all the modern devices, such as a laptop, are not seen in the shots. We will also prepare the detectives office with the correct mise-en-scene so it is ready for when we come back to film. In addition to this we will also agree a time to next meet to make sure our actors are ready to film.

Finish time = 1:00pm

Practical Task: Cut Out Lighting

For my practical task I investigated the use of cut outs and lighting. Often in film noir, cut outs are used to pool light on to a character's face or certain parts of it. This makes it more dramatic. It is an easy lighting technique that greatly increases the visual interest of a shot and creates more intense shadows. Here is an example.

I tried my best to recreate the effect with some paper, cardboard, and a lamp.

The first image is just a desk lamp aimed at this stuffed toy. The second is the same desk lamp shone through a thin paper cut out, and the third is shone through a cardboard cutout.

In the last two, the light pools on the head, as one would expect, however they are quite different. In the third one, more of the light is blocked out, creating a more dramatic effect. However, in the example, the use of this technique is very subtle, and I think the subtlety of the second one might work better, as unlike using a cut out to create the shadows of Venetian blinds the point of this is not to have crisp shadows, but to draw attention to a specific point on a character.

Deconstruction of Opening Credits

To look at what we should write for our opening credits I decided to look at film noir films for examples.

The first example I looked at included:

• Director of Photography
• Casting
• Editor
• Wardrobe
• Hair and Make up
• Set Decoration
• Assistant Director
• Score
• Sound Design
• Special Art Effects
• Colourist

This specific example shows all of the opening credits on the screen at the same time. The role is in a different font compared to the name of the person who played this specific role.

                             

The next example I found showed only one credit on the screen at a time and instead of having dots between the role and the name of the person (as seen above) the word 'by' is written. This example also shows the use of different fonts for the role and the name of the person. However, the name of the person is in larger font compared to the role they played.

The most common type of transition used was the fade. As one credit faded out another credit fades in over it. This can be seen in the image below. As the credits fade into one another the credits end fairly quickly compared to some modern films where the credits are played throughout the film opening.

Deconstruction - Smoking

Smoking Deconstruction

As can be seen in the following video, there are many reasons why characters in film noir may smoke, ranging from leisure to stress. 

The way the cigarettes are handled can show the audience the reasons behind it, for example when smoking for leisure breaths may be long and drawn out with elegant, flowing hand movements (often the femme fatale when trying to seduce the protagonist), or when smoking to cope with stress movements may be more desperate and stiff with a more contorted facial expression.

The type of character can also have an impact on what is actually being smoked. A cigarette is usually associated with younger characters as it's seen as a traditional symbol of 'coolness'. It is also more likely to be smoked by women such as the femme fatale as they are lighter and more dainty which can make the woman appear more elegant. 

Cigars are likely to be smoked by more hardboiled detectives and older men as they are heavier and stronger, which implies they are coping with more stress. Bosses also commonly smoke cigars as they can make someone seem more intimidating than a cigarette can. They are also more expensive, explaining why the characters of higher status may be more likely to smoke them. 

Pipes are also commonly seen, usually by older, wiser characters as pipes make them seem more refined than a cigarette or cigar. If a character isn't smoking, it's often because they are being portrayed as young, innocent and uncorrupted in comparison to the rest of the characters. 

Finally, blowing smoke into someone's face can convey several different messages. It can be used as an intimidation tactic when one detective blows smoke into the face of another, often making the other character flinch or cough to show that he has the upper hand. Alternatively, if a woman blows smoke into a man's face it's seen as a seduction technique and is much more intimate seeming, the detective often leaning into it rather than being repulsed. 

Practical Task - Colour Splash

Colour Splash Practical

Inspiration

Colour splash, also known as colour isolation, is where one colour is shown while the rest of an image is in black and white. It draws attention to the coloured object and makes it the focus of the image which can often convey a message, for example a red dress being highlighted on a femme fatale character can indicate passion and sexuality, and draws attention to the fact these are her main features. An example of this technique is Sin City, which uses several different isolated colours throughout the film to draw attention to different things. 

Photoshop

If we were to use colour splash in our film opening, it's most likely we'd use the colour red as red for femme fatale is a common convention of film noir, so I've decided to isolate the red on these two images. Red dresses and red lipstick are common themes as they are indications of a woman being a seductress. 

Firstly, I made the images black and white using a black and white adjustment layer. I used an adjustment layer rather than desaturating the original image so I could easily bring back the original colour of the image. On this layer, I then used the eraser tool to remove the black and white where the colour should be showing through. 

However, I felt the contrast between the lips and the black and white was too great and wanted something more subtle. In this picture, I desaturated the whole image and then painted over the lips in a suitable colour in a new layer using the Multiply blending mode. 

Although I feel the colour contrast is better in this image, the edges are a little bit off. 

I then used the first method on the dress picture. As the dress was a less shocking red than the lips I felt as though the contrast looked more natural. 

Overall, I am pleased with the outcome of the pictures however I'm not sure this would be usable in our own film as, to the extent of my ability, the methods used could not be replicated in video editing software and editing this frame by frame would not be practical.

Practical- Parcel

In our opening scene we wanted the detective to receive a parcel. The contents of the parcel would then fall onto the floor as shown in our storyboard below.

To make the package I started off with a tissue box.

I then wrapped the box in brown greaseproof paper as I had no brown parcel paper.

The next step was to make a cut in the bottom so that the pictures could fall out. However, we wanted to be able to control when the photos fall out so I added a bit of string to the bottom with a loop to enable us to open and close the flap at the bottom of the box.

To make the parcel seem more realistic I added an address and a printed stamp from the 1950's when lots of film noir's were created. I then added some stamps so that the parcel looked like it had been sent. I created the stamps by drawing them with marker pens.

            

However, we wanted to add titles instead of the address onto the parcel so maybe we could add the titles to the side of the box instead where the sender's address would be.

Deconstruction of Characters in Sin City:

Sin City is one of few largely known, well received, contemporary examples of film noir movies, that very firmly sits within the film noir genre. For that reason I believe it will be a good example to deconstruct the characters of.

Marv:

 Marv is one of the male protagonists of the movie, played by Mickey Rourke. He conforms to the following conventions:

• Violent nature/history of violence: This character is often shown with some kind of injury and regularly threatens violence.
• Code of honor: Despite his violent history and difficulty with people, he refuses to hurt innocent people or animals.
• Vengeance: A common convention in film noir is the theme of revenge, justice or punishment. Marv strongly disagrees with harming women, and so deals with anyone guilty of these things with violence.

 Dwight McCarthy:

 

Conventions that Dwight, another male protagonist in the movie, follows:

•  Private investigator: Detectives or private investigators are extremely common for male protagonists in film noir. It gives them a reason to analyse the plot, deconstructing it in their monologue for the viewer to understand better, but also a reason for them to investigate it.
• Extremely cynical/nihilistic: Film noir movies are always set in dark, depressing settings. It could be argued that this is because it is reflective of the highly cynical, pessimistic worldview, but it could also be argued that the character is cynical and nihilistic because of the dark, depressing environment in which the narrative takes place. Regardless, Dwight fits in to this convention, often having a defeatist attitude or being completely unsurprised when something tragic happens.

Goldie and Wendy:

Goldie and Wendy, played by Jaime King, are two of female leads in the film. They conform to the following conventions:

• Prostitute: Goldie and Wendy are prostitutes, and film noir plots often revolve around a woman, sex and lust. 
• Film noir often has a theme of "learning too much" or "ignorance is bliss"; characters often get into trouble or even die for learning too much about the wrong people, or intruding on matters that don't concern them. This is usually the male detective character, but can be others. In this instance it is Goldie, who dies after she learns another character's secret.
• Femme Fatale: Goldie and Wendy are powerful women with a large section of the city under their control. This along with other aspects, such as their involvement with sex, and a tendency to wear red, make them Femme Fatale characters.

Deconstruction of editing student made film

Creative us of editing techniques in The Report (Film Noir)

I looked at 'The Report' to see what other students have used in order to make an effect film noir, in terms of editing techniques. 

Continuity editing

• I thought that this was effective in the beginning as it moves the narrative on. 
• The hat is pushed forward towards the camera, making the transition into the opening title screen of 'The Report', and once it cuts back to the office scene it appears as though time has moved on. 
• This would be helpful, as it's simple but conveys the time moving forward successfully. 

Graphic match:  

 

• From the rounded clock face into the watch, with the time moving on, this allows them to transition from one location/scene to another cleverly, without any sudden jump cuts or major interruption in the narrative.  

Match-On-Action

 

• Firstly they started off with match on action of the detective going through the door.
• The simplicity of camera angles made it sure that continuity was achieved, however the cuts dragged out this action which made walking through the door longer than it should have been.

 

• In this scene the detective is going through another door, and once again, match on action is used but this time with more variety of camera angles. Allowing them to be more creative with the editing.

Shot-reverse-shot

 

 

• Simple use of editing used in the conversations shows clear continuity in the flow of conversation. 
• The editing varies, going from slow when the content of the conversation is being established and as they get further into the discussion the editing becomes fast paced.   

Graphic match

 

• This example of the graphic match at the end, nicely portrays the young boy,in the coloured footage as a relative of detective.  
• The difference in the colour use of the scenes establishes a gap in generation, and I thought this was very creative as they didn't limit themselves to the conventional black and white.