Research & Planning

Different Genres

There are many different genres of film, this is going to be one of my hardest decisions when planning this project. For my AS project I chose to do a film opening for an Action/War film. Although I enjoyed this project I do believe that I should choose a different genre this year to expand my knowledge of film genres and conventions. I think this will also help me to concentrate on the story and pay more attention to production and perfecting the piece as a whole.

Some of my favourite genres include:

-Action/Adventure

-Western

-Comedy

-Thriller

-Horror

-Film Noir

Because the length of the film is going to be about 5 minutes or so I don't think some of these genres will be suitable. The Western genre is a favourite of mine, however, I don't live in America and I don't have the budget to shoot there. Horror is also a genre that interests me and I do believe that this could be suited to a short film. I also believe that Comedy is a good genre to choose as a lot of short films have comedy elements, so I guess that could be another option. Like I mentioned, I have already produced an Action film opening for last years coursework so I want to keep away from this as much as possible. Film Noir and Neo Noir are genres that have really interested me in recent months. I love the styling and feel of the films and I would love to try and replicate this genre and its styling. 

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My Inspiration

Many short films have given me inspiration in the past, these are some of my favourite ones:

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Final Genre Decision

After a lot of discussion and research David and I have decided to produce a short film following the style of a traditional Film Noir. We are both a fan of this style with the low key lighting and film grain. We think that this is a very original idea that may not have been attempted very many times in the past by previous candidates.

Personally, I am fascinated by this genre from the Title sequences to the lighting. I love American films and their impact on the film industry, even more so than British and French films that many believe to be the finest of the film industry. Personally, British film is something that has never really interested me. I think it is a good idea to produce something that is such an interest of mine, this will hopefully help me to involve as much passion and detail into the production as possible.

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Short Film Research

Film Noir-42 Second Short Film

I love this short film. It was probably made for a test or play about with the Film Noir style, however, it hits the style head on. After watching this I was heavily inspired to create something like this. The shots, lighting, sound and feel of the film is perfect for this style and does a great job of recreating the film noir genre 

The Man Who Wasn't There

The Man Who Wasn't There isn't a short film. However, David and I are both huge fans of the film and the style that it follows. It was made in 2001 by the Coen Brothers and follows the genre of Neo-Noir, a modern day Film Noir genre. In my opinion the film is fantastic due to its camera movements, lighting, plot, pace and many other aspects. After watching this film back in September 2013 I realised how much I loved it and was the main reason for choosing this Genre for my Media coursework.

This is an interview that I found with Joel and Ethan Coen about the production of the film. I found this very interesting and allowed me to gain an insight into their thoughts and circumstances when producing this film. Hopefully this will help David and I when we come to create our film.

Sazerac

I have decided to approach this analysis a little differently to the others that I have done. I think this is a very good short film overall. There are a few things that I think are a little weak and let it down slightly. One of them being the voice-over. To me it just seemed to get in the way rather than narrate the story. Obviously it is essential to know what is going on, however, some of the lines were a little cheesy and sometimes the voice acting let it down a little. Of course, this is solely my opinion, however, voice-over is one of the key elements of our film and I personally want to make it one of the best features.

This is a typical shot found in film noir productions. We see the actor standing against a brick wall with a hard light shining upon them. Something else that really interests me is the costume used. It is simple and subtle which I like. It would be cheap to put together and source but you also get the feel of the 1940s without looking cheap and low budget. The ciggarette used is a typical convention of a film noir production. I do think this is an important convention but I am unsure as to whether we will be able to use it or not.

The other main prop in this short film is the little match box from the woman with the name of the restaurant inside. This links into the theory of femme fatale, this is because even though even though the woman is already dead and the box has already been planted there. Its the detectives thoughts that lead him into the trap and eventually get him killed. This makes it seem like the woman's fault because if she was not killed and not there as a case then the detective may not have been killed.

The iconic frame to me is the one of the detective walking down the hallway with a gun and dead woman is highlighted in the harsh light at the end. This to me is a very interesting shot that is really quite different to a lot of other shots used in these types of films. The fact that the lady is in the light connotes that it is the main interest in the plot. The fact that the end of the path is lighten up connotes the fact that this may indeed be a trap. This could be used to "lure" the target in.

I like the overhead shot of the detective at the desk, it is a play on the typical low key desk and lamp shot that we are used to seeing in film noir productions. I love how all the documents and various other props are scattered across the desk. I think it makes quite an interesting shot. The light is still there, however, it is more evenly spread across the desk, this emphasises the detectives work load.

This is another quirky shot that I really love from this short film. It is combining some of the conventional shots and then some more modern techniques in order to interest the audience. i love the fact that we can see the fan spinning but through the other side we see the detective have a drink. This is a very clever and creative shot and little things like this really improve a film. The drinking of spirits is also a typical convention of film noir productions.

The last two shots that I will talk about are linked very closely. The two sync very well with each other and that really makes the ending plausible and makes it not seem like it just ends. This is a common problem that many short films have. A lot of film makers have the idea of a feature film but then try to squeeze it into a short film. This isn't really possible and I think that planning for both texts should be kept separate. The shot of the knife connotes danger which is sort of already discovered through the use of the voice over when the detective discovers the gangsters. This then cuts to a close up short of the detectives face as he realises what is about to happen. This is a really nice sustained shot which really helps to capture the mood. It is perfectly timed and really makes the ending more dramatic.

Overall, I think that this Short film is very good, very creative and very inspiring. I have learnt a lot from it and it has given me more confidence to produce my own film noir short film with David. I will be making note of some of the techniques used in this and seeing which ones inspire me the most. I may even propose using some of them in our short film to help add some modern elements to make it more interesting.

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Film Noir Moodboards

Generic Film Noir Style

Props and Costume

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Film Noir Test Shots

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Film Noir Voiceover Test

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Film Soundtrack Selection

Summertime-Artie Shaw

The Calm Before The Storm-UNF Jazz Ensemble 1

Slow Blues in F Concert-Jamey Aebersold

Slow Serenade-Tape Five

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Initial Planning

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Voice-over Script

After discussing our short film and what we were going to include, David and I were eager to start on the voice-over that would be used. This is just a rough draft but it was the first stage of the voice-over and having a go at implementing our plan into terms of a production. Below is our voice-over at the first stage. David and I have so many ideas that I can see this voice-over script being changed an awful lot along with the storyboard.

"My name is Donald Griggs.

I was born on the 29th March 1923. I’m 24 years old.

I got my first job in a barbers shop. Ken’s Barbers. I didn’t do much; I didn’t even cut the hair. I just swept the floor. It didn’t pay well, only 75 cents an hour. But I still didn’t know what I wanted out of life.

I never liked school. Unlike some kids I didn’t get bullied, I just never knew what I wanted and didn’t see a point in being there.

It took me a long time to find something I enjoyed, and even then I questioned whether I would want to do it for the rest of my life.

My mother died in childbirth. It was just me and my father around for a while. My father owned the sweet shop on the 5th Street in Brooklyn. He loved that job. 2 years ago my father passed away. I won’t go into detail but, my father left the shop to me when he passed. Although, it wasn’t official. A guy called Louis McGee used to work in the shop with my father. He told me that he would look after the shop to give me time to come around. I never got the shop. I hated Louis for that; the last memory of my father was now his.

I got a shop in the Barbers because my father told me to get a job elsewhere. He was a hard working man and raised the sweetshop from the ground. He wanted me to do the same, find something for myself, and if I struggled, he’d give me a hand.

I lived an ordinary life for a while. I just worked and slept and nothing really exciting happened.

That changed when I met Dalores. Dalores Montes was a girl I met at school. Although I didn’t talk to her much back then, I started to. I always wanted to get married. At one point I thought of proposing to Dalores, but I knew it was too early. Dalores worked in a factory making clothes for a department store in the city.

It didn’t take long for Louis to take this away from me either. Dalores got bored of me, I obviously didn’t give her the kind of life that she wanted. She started seeing Louis. Just like he did with me, He didn’t treat her right. He would shout at her in the street.

I put that behind me. I found something I liked doing. I became an accountant. I was good at it. I worked for a company called Bakers and Field Accounting. The job paid well. It was stressful but I enjoyed it.

I used to like drinking. Scotch was my favorite. Sometimes a little too much. Unfortunately it took over me. I made mistakes when doing books and turned up late to work. Eventually, I was fired. Rightly so, but I lost everything I had, except the drink. Things just became worse.

One night I got angry. I was thinking about how Louis had treated me and how he stole the shop, He stole the girl that I thought I loved, to me that was everything. I have been alone since I was 12. It hurts when people take the small things away. One night, I think I drank too much, I somehow made my way to the shop and Louis was still there. I, I killed Louis. Sure I hated the guy, but I wouldn’t have done that. I went to church, I finally start to enjoy my life.

I’ve had money and lost it. I’ve had nice cars and then had to look at them. I’ve liked people who came back to spite me.

Now I sit here, I don’t know where Dalores is, I don’t know what she’s doing. I don’t what happened to the shop. I’m 24, I’m young, I’m stupid.

I guess life can deal you good cards and other times it can deal you bum cards. Its how you play them that counts. Sometimes you have to fold, but I never did that."

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Creating the Film Noir Look

I have been watching many tutorials and videos on replicating the famous film noir look. It is one of the most important aspects of the short film so it is important that we get it right. Here are a handful of videos that I have found.

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Title Sequences of Film Noir

The Third Man

Lady in the Lake

The Big Bluff

My Conclusion

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Shot List

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Story Board

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Animated Storyboard

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Preparing to Film (Locations)

The main locations for this production will consist of places that we feel we can utilise to the best of our advantage. In this case, the places we will be using are:

•Close Shave-Barber Shop in Countesthorpe
•Countesthorpe Express Shop
•Music Practice room-Countesthorpe College
•Jackson's House-Dining Room
•Street Light-Outside Jackson's House
•Classroom-Countesthorpe College

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Reference for VFX shots

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Barthes Theory