Film Noir

This was researched by someone else in my group:

Film Noir  beginning in the early 1940s was one of Hollywood's original, artistic movements. Being inspired by American crime fiction and mostly brought to the screens by European directors who shared a story telling gift. Fritz Lang, Robert Siodmak, Billy Wilder, and Otto Preminger were further creators of the film noir style.

During and immediately following World War II, movie audiences responded well to this original, creative and adult type of film. Many writers, directors, cameramen and actors were eager to create something as new and fresh as this idea. Largely fueled by the financial and artistic success of Billy Wilder’s adaptation of James M. Cain’s novella Double Indemnity (1944), people starting coming out with new crime thrillers and murder dramas to heighten intensity and darkness in the film industry.

Few, if any of the artists in Hollywood who made these films called them “noir” at the time. But the vivid co-mingling of lost innocence, doomed romanticism, hard-edged cynicism, desperate desire, and shadowy sexuality that was unleashed in those immediate post-war years proved hugely influential, both among industry peers in the original era, and to future generation of storytellers, both literary and cinematic.

To this day the debate goes on as to whether “noir” is a film genre, circumscribed by its content, or a style of storytelling, identified by its visual attributes. The debate — in which there is no right answer — is only one of the things that keeps noir fresh for successive generations of movie lovers.

Response to comments: From all of this I can understand that film noir was a budget film for post war purposes however it went down well with the majority of audiences. It is not a common film genre used these days so if we used it for our film opening people may like it because it is something new that they haven't seen for a while. It might draw in a wider audience because it is new and interesting. I think people will enjoy the fact that it is an old film technique(black and white) which is being used to create a modern film for example the film The Artist, which used the same kind of style as film noir, released in 2011 was very popular and won 5 oscars which shows that something different appeals to the audience.

Sound and Editing used in Thrillers

Sound:

Sound is used in thrillers to help the audiences understanding of what is going on. Sounds are used to evoke characters feelings and emotions and get a response from the audience. It is also often used to symbolise both the protagonists and antagonists movements in the scene. By carefully using the sounds employed in the scene it creates the right mood and atmosphere and in the context of the thriller genre, helps to build suspense and tension.Thrillers are typically noisy and they uses lots of diegetic sound throughout the film. Common sounds include bangs, ticking and screams, they use these sounds to build tension and to create suspense. These sounds are normally heard by both the audience and the characters and they are normally very jumpy. Non diegetic sound is also used in thrillers. They sometimes use a steady drone which puts the audience at unease. Also as the action increases in the film and the tension builds the music speed up and increases in unison. Hitchcock used sound in a very new way than was typical at the time. For instance in Blackmail he demonstrates ongoing tactics, such as: withholding sound from the viewer to pique curiosity which is shown in the murder scene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POMvKwfBVWo, there is no sound during the murder and we can’t see what is happening which leaves us wondering what exactly is going on. It subverts our expectations of a murder as we would expect lots of screams but we don’t get anything. He also exaggerates sound as a form of narrative emphasis and creating tension through both ambient noises and silence. Further, in a world where music was the dominant form of narrative accompaniment, he stripped music score away from his scenes and instead used the act of singing (and whistling) as a suspense device. Lastly, Hitchcock’s manipulation of human speech ranged from technical malfunctions of telephone calls to dizzied audio abstraction of the characters’ subjective thoughts.

Editing: 
To create tension thrillers use pace. Fast cutting can help to create suspense. The pace of the shots usually go in unison with the music. Cross cutting is a common editing technique used cutting between the victim and their threat. This sequence normally ends when the two individuals or groups meet in a final climax. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmptU7vEkNU . This clip from inception is an example of cross cutting. The editing creates tension in the film because we see the same character in two different places going through dangerous things in both places. His life is in danger in both places which creates tension for the viewer because we don't know if he is going to survive in both of the situations. Motivated cuts are often used in thrillers to make the audience want to see what happens next. A motivated cut is when a character is looking out of shot with an expression on her face that makes the audience want to see what she is seeing. This is a very good technique to use and an example of this is in the film The Silence of the Lambs when the women is looking at the board and it makes the audience want to see what she is looking at. 



 We will most probably use some of these techniques in our film opening because they are commonly used in thrillers so this would help us to acheive some of the codes and conventions of a thriller.

BBFC Certificate Ratings

This was researched by someone else in my group.

15

Only people under the age of 15 can buy or rent a 15 rated film. They are not allowed to include:

Discrimination-t

he media text can’t encourage discriminatory language or behaviour.
Drug Abuse-drugs can be shown as a whole but you cannot promote or encourage the use of them. Showing the misuse of solvents and alcohol are unlikely to be acceptable due to them being easily accessible.

Horror-horrors can be “threat” and “menace” but sexualised and  sadistic is unacceptable.

Imitable Behaviour-hanging, suicide and self harming shouldn't be shown in detail as it could be copied. Easily accessible weapons can’t be “glamorised”. 

Language-strong language can be justified if in the right context. If they are repeating the strongest language this could be seen as unacceptable.


Nudity-nudity is allowed in educational sense and in a non sexual sense. Nudity is allowed in sexual scenes but not in detail.

Sex-s

exual activity is allowed but without detail. This includes sexual references,works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable.

Theme-n

o theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds.

Violence-

violence can be strong but not in infliction. Sexual violence is allowed but mildy. The strongest “gorey” violence is unlikely to be acceptable.

18


The BBFC says that an adult should be able to choose their own entertainment however, they shouldn't be watching things:

“• where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.
 • where material or treatment appears to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault.
 • where there are more explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ would normally be confined to that category. In the case of video works (including video games), which may be more accessible to younger viewers, intervention may be more frequent than for cinema films. Sex education at ‘18’, where sex material genuinely seeks to inform and educate in matters such as human sexuality, safer sex and health, explicit images of sexual activity may be permitted. Sex works at ‘18’, sex works are works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation. Sex works containing only material which may be simulated are generally passed ‘18’. Sex works containing clear images of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or other very strong sexual images will be confined to the ‘R18’ category. Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at ‘R18’ is also unacceptable in a sex work at ‘18’.”

From all of this I can learn what is not appropriate to put in our film openings when it comes to making them. It also gives us an idea of what age rating we want our film to be depending on what we want to include in the film. 

Questionnaire

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GP7AD1w5HYSk0TCMnl-6XSkVduOCIc3bCtbSBfzP0W0/viewform

Analysing Thrillers

Anatomy of a Murder
The opening of the film uses cartoonised body and uses close ups on differents parts off it. This is not very graphic and its quite simplistic which gives the impression that the film isn't going to be extremely violent even though it is about murder. We get an impression that it could possibly be quite light hearted. Also using the body it makes it clear that the film is going to be about people being killed as we are shown all the body parts seperatly. This clearly links in to the title. The font they use is a white sans-serif font. This makes it quite informal which links into the sense that the film could be lighthearted. Using white subverts our expectations. White connotes to innocence and purity which is not something that is at all related to murder. However, it is written on a black/grey background which relates more to murder as black can connotes to death and danger. The music used is quite upbeat which is contrapuntal. It yet again subverts our expectations of a film about murder, it is quite disturbing that the music is so happy when the film is going to be about people getting murdered.

Se7en
The establishing shot of the film is a close up on the pages of a book. This suggests it will be quite a significant item in the film as it is an image used constantly throughout the opening. Also throughout the opening they use quite a few close ups on the hands which suggests they are also quite important. They are busy doing things and they grate off their own fingertips which adds a sinister mood to the film almost immediatly. The music used goes really highpitched at some parts of the opening. This adds to the tension which is being built by the sinister images being shown. It is quite jumpy which adds to the impression that this film is going to be scary. It is parallel sound, we would expect this music to be used in a horror film. Lots of sharp silver objects are shown throughout the opening like the sissors and the needle. This adds a sense of danger and helps to build the tension, also the impliments are very clean which could show that they are well looked after or that they are new either way they are going to do their job properly and professionally. Just like in Anatomy of a Murder they use white font on a black background. The white stands out on the black which juxtaposes, it gives the impression that innocence doesn't belong in the film and that purity isn't going to be shown. This emphasises the horror genre of the film.

Grand Prix
They uses a sound bridge right at the beginning of the film the lion roarign turns into the sound of a car reving. This instantly lets us know the film is about cars and racing. It also flows smoothly straight into the film which gives it a sense of continuity. The establishing shot of the film is a close up of the car exhaust. This confirms to the viewer where the reving sound came from. They also use close ups on the tyres and other parts of the car which shows that everything is new which makes it look like this is a professional race. One of the drivers is in a white tracksuit which gives the impression that this character is quite innocent and he will race fair. Compared to drivers in black tracksuits which could be implied that they will be more relentless to win. Yet again the film uses a white font on a black background(this appears to be a common feature of thriller films) which makes the writing stand out so all of our attension first of all is on who is going to be in the film. They clearly thought that telling people the actors and film producers was the most important thing to start the film with.


Response to comments: From analysing these openings I now know what is commonly used in thrillers which gives me an idea of what should be included in our opening. White font on a black background was used in all of these films which shows we should consider using that.

What is a thriller?

For my group I had to research what is a thriller?
This is what I found out:

If a thriller were to be defined strictly it would be said to be a genre with a single goal; to give the audience “thrills” and keep them on the edge of their seats as the plot develops to a climax. These are types of films known to promote intense excitement, suspense, a high level of anticipation, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and nerve-wracking tension. The tension usually arises when the main character(s) is placed in a menacing situation or mystery, or an escape or dangerous mission from which escape seems impossible. Their lives are usually in danger because they are unknowingly in a dangerous situation.

Thrillers are often hybrids - there are lots of varieties of suspense-thrillers:

• action- or adventure- thrillers

This uses physical action to create suspense throughout the film. This sub-genre will often have continuous motion and action including physical stunts, chases, fights, battles, and races which contribute to the sense of danger the main character(s) are facing.

• sci-fi thrillers (such as Alien (1979))

A Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. These elements can be used to create anticipation and suspense. Often it explores the theme of “future gone bad” for example alien invasions.

• crime-caper thrillers (such as The French Connection (1971))

It uses the suspenseful aspects of a thriller and a crime film plot. The plot usually centers on a serial killer, murderer, robbery, or manhunt. They use both action and psychological aspects to build tension and suspense.

• film-noir thrillers (such as Double Indemnity (1944))

Film Noir is not just a sub-genre but a term for a distinct type of crime-drama or thriller that was popular throughout the 1940s and 1950s. It is characterized by a black-and-white style with stark lighting effects. The main character is usually a cynical hero. It relies on a narrative voice and various flashbacks to explain the intricate plot.

• western-thrillers (such as High Noon (1952))
• even romantic comedy-thrillers (such as Safety Last (1923))

The horror gene is also very closely related to the genre of thriller. They create tension and suspense and take the viewer through agony and fear.

Psychological thrillers are fictional thriller storys which emphasizes the psychology of its characters and their unstable emotional states, with similarities to gothic and detective fiction in sense of “dissolving sense of reality”, moral ambiguity, and complex and tortured relationships between obsessive and pathological characters.

Psychological thrillers often incorporate elements of mystery, drama and horror.

Examples: The Machinist, House of 9, Straw Dogs, Shutter Island.

Characters in thrillers include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins, down-on-their-luck losers, innocent victims (often on the run), prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, cops and escaped cons, fugitives, private eyes, drifters, duplicitous individuals, people involved in twisted relationships, world-weary men and women, psycho-fiends, and more. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.

Alfred Hitchcock had a huge influence on shaping the modern genre of thriller. He manipulates his audience’s fears and desires and allows his viewers to associate with the representation of reality that faces the characters. He often places an innocent victim into a strange or life threatening  situation by mistaken identity, misidentification or wrongful accusation. He often used a “red herring” to catch the viewers attention. Also known as a McGuffin which would drive the plot forward. It initially appears to be very important but it intentionally misdirects the audience, it then quickly fades into the background and ends up being trivial, irrelevant, or incidental to the film's story. For example: The 39 Steps (1935): the nature of the 39 Steps, and the smuggling of secret plans (vital to the country's air defense) out of the country and Psycho (1960): the stolen money, the $40,000 wrapped up in a newspaper in the motel bedroom.

Response to comments: Overall from this I have learnt what a thriller aims to do and how they start to create tension, I know about a few different sub-genres of thrillers, I have learnt some of the types of charcters which will help us to decided what types of people we are going to have in our opening and I have learnt about some of the things Hitchcock did in his films and I have learnt what a McGuffin is so this is something we could possibly use.

Post Production:Sound

Parallel sound-music that matches what you see in the film.

Contrapuntal sound-sound that opposes what you see in the film.

Sound bridge-when the music from one scene goes into the next.

Ambient sound-sound that you expect to hear in a location e.g traffic on a road.

Foley sound-everyday sounds that are added to a certain clip.


We watched a clip from the film Fast and Furious 2 and had to analyse the sound used in it:

How is the sound used to create tension?

In the clip from Fast and Furious 2 there is a use of parallel sound. The music is fast and upbeat when all of the cars are driving around. This shows how chaotic it is. In the beginning of the clip they use ambient sound with the police car sirens. The sirens are only heard when the police have some power, when they loose there power and control when all of the cars come out we don't hear the sirens anymore because the police have lost all control they had.

Semiotics Revision

We had to analyse this album cover and write a paragraph about it.

How is 50 cent represented?

In the image he is represnted as an urban gangster. This is shown by the baseball cap he is wearing. It signifies he is urban because of the writing on it. This is reinforced by his underwear which is on show, it also has the words "G-unit" on them which emphasises to the viewer his apperance is very urban gangster. The use of binary opposition is prominant in the image. We are shown a "parental advisory" sticker which contrasts to the cross he is wearing round his neck. The cross noramally connotes religion but in this sense it just adds to his apperance of urban gangster. The "parental advisory"sticker signifies that his music is going to have quite violent or offensive lyrics, this contrasts to the cross he is wearing because in religion what he is singing about would be frowned apon. The sticker also contrasts against the white background which usually connotes as something pure and innocent unlike what he is going to be singing about. The image of 50 cent denotes his masculinity because of all of his muscles on show and his stance. It adds to the sense of violence (which is also shown by the gloves he is wearing, he is prepared for a fight) that we will get from his music and adds to his apperance of urban gangster. The overall representation of 50 cent is that he puts his apperance across to be very urban gangster and he is quite violent.