Lighting Techniques in my Film.

Lighting Techniques in my Film

One of the main codes and conventions in Film Noir, is the use of low-key lighting. Many classic Neo-Noir films use low-key lighting, such as Blade Runner (1982) and Sin City (2005), as well as many of the original '40s and '50s noir films. Originally, noir films used low-key lighting as they had a small budget and it would be cheaper. However, in more recent years it has been used to pay homage to those older films.

     I set my film at night, meaning that I was to use low-key lighting to help set the atmosphere. Throughout my film we used a lamp that produced a soft, natural looking light, to simulate moonlight, and for the indoor scenes, we used it again to help cast a better shadow. I felt this was useful, as not only was I adding another code and convention to my film, but I was also taking advantage of it, to help improve my film.

Learning to Edit with Adobe Premiere Pro

Learning to Edit With Adobe Premiere Pro

Once I had all the clips for my film, I knew that I'd have to edit my video together, so the editing software I decided to use was Adobe Premiere Pro. At first I was uncertain of how to use Premiere Pro, but over time and with lots of testing, I was able to properly edit and compose films and videos that I was happy with. Before I started using Premiere Pro, I used cheaper, less advanced editing software that I was more familiar with. However I soon realised that this was not suitable for my film as it was not advanced enough to properly edit and process the footage that I had, so I feel that moving to Premiere Pro was the right choice, as I am happy with my final product.

How I dealt with Changes to my Film.

How I Dealt With Changes to my Film.

When I was in the process of filming, I ran into a few problems. For starters, most of my cast, or the people I had planned to use as my actors, were unable to make it and I didn't have much time to recast. Also, the little I did film, I discovered it was half the length of  the compulsory filming time, and what I had filmed, was one of five pages on my script. I soon realised that I would have to drastically change the film I had in my head, and adapt it to my limitations. So, what I did was cut the cast from about five down to two and cut out the investigation scene and instead, add another ending and lengthen the opening section. I also changed other things, because I thought it would look better and I, at that point, didn't have the skill or resources to do. For example, in the first draft for the script, I had a darkened figure pushing a character towards a light in the forest. However due to limitations I had to change this to a shadow approaching him (which I thought looked better and was easier to do) and instead of keeping his cause of death a mystery, we would just shoot him. We then added an additional bit where the killer leaves the site and opens up the brief case. I made sure to also film much more than I needed, in case what I had wasn't enough.

        Personally, I feel that I have learned that when filming, things won't always go to plan, and that's okay, because I was able to adapt my film, and in some ways improve it, and overcome these challenges. 

Risk Assesment for my Film

FILM PRODUCTION RISK ASSESSMENT

Company Name Ward Productions
Production Title Consequences	Production Date(s)   22/02/18- 11/03/18
Producer Name Thomas Ward	Director Name   Thomas Ward
Date of Risk Assessment 20/02/18	Risk Assessment conducted by   Thomas Ward

Hazard	Persons who may be harmed	Property which may be damaged	Risk controls already in place	Risk Assessment LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, EXTREME (see table)	Further action required to control risk ***
Barn, sharp, or any hazardous items in barn, lack of visibility.	Myself, Actors	Barn, posessions in barn, briefcase, camera	Lights.	Low	Awareness of hazards, Additional lights.
Cold Environment	Myself, Actors	N/A	All actors & crew to wear coats/ jackets	Low	Nearby heated houses.
Slippery Surface	Myself, Actors	Camera, Props	All actors & crew to be careful and watch their step	Moderate	Nearby Houses and First aid kits.
Trip Hazard	Myself, Actors	“	“	Moderate	“

Planning a Location to Film in.

Planning a Location to Film in.

For my Noir Film I will need a suitable filming location, that correlates with the setting in the script.

Whilst most Noir Films are set in an urban/city location, originally, mine was set in some woods/ forest, however, due to limitations I had to change location to a barn, meaning I still kept the rural setting, which is different to a stereotypical noir film.

This is the sort of location that one would expect a noir film to be set. Many of the most famous neo-noir films have also set their location as a city, such as Blade Runner and of course Sin City




This is the barn I chose to shoot in, as you can see it is old and eerie looking, meaning that there is a sinister feel to it. I felt this was a suitable location and enjoyed shooting there.

Match Cuts in Film and TV

Match Cuts in Film and TV

Match cuts are a technique used by many filmmakers and it is when the camera cuts from one shot, to a separate but related shot. If executed well, they should be seamless and hard to notice by the audience.

There are three types of match cut:

•  Match on Action: Where the movement of objects and characters cut from one shot to another.
• Graphical Match: Where an image or visual element cuts from one shot to another.
• Sound Bridge: Where some noise from the following scene plays over the end of the current scene.

Here are Some examples of Match Cuts being used in film and TV.

Match on Action

This is an example of a match on action shot from the film Crash. In it we see a woman walk out of a shop and push open the door. As the door opens, the camera cuts to a different door being opened, by different people in a different location.

Graphical Match

It is not only in films, that techniques like this are used, in this season one episode of The X-Files, we see a drawing of the murder suspect on a piece of paper, transition into the actual face of the killer.

Sound Bridge
Sound bridges are used all throughout films to take the setting from one location to another. Here is a clip from The Matrix, that uses a sound bridge.

Credit: SUPER-RED-FALCON Youtube

'Show don't Tell' in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window'

'Show don't tell' in Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window

I recently watched Alfred Hitchcock's Neo Noir thriller Rear Window. In the film, Hitchcock uses many different techniques in this film to create a tense, dramatic experience. In this particular film he especially focuses on his often used technique of Show don't tell which basically means that instead of having characters use expositional dialogue to explain what has already happened, Hitchcock allows the audience to see and figure it out for themselves. This technique is apparent at the start when the camera shows the audience a shot of the cast, then pans up to a broken camera, then pans along many different pictures of a car crash. This allows the audience to work out that this man is a photographer, due to the many photos and camera parts in house, and was in a car crash, due to the pictures of said crash.

 Clip of the opening scene- Credit goes to: Clint Stivers on Youtube.

Storyboard for my Noir Film

Storyboard for my Noir Film

This is just a rough storyboard of what I plan to happen in my Noir Film.

Interview with Will about his Media Film

Interview with Will about his Media Film.

Recently I was approached by a fellow media student and asked to have a small role in his film. After we had finished filming, I couldn't help but notice the similarities with his gritty crime drama and some of the codes and conventions of the Noir films our class had been studying, so i decided to interview him about his film and what inspired him to make it.

Script for Noir Film Opening

Script for Noir Film Opening.

Film Noir Opening Scene

CUT IN

EXT. SKY – NIGHT

Camera pans down from sky to reveal building, on this building is a door, camera slowly pans closer to door, until suddenly man bursts out through it, he is wearing a suit and holding a brief case. Clearly panicked he looks left and right before running off.

EXT. FOREST – NIGHT.

Man from before is still running from something, but he suddenly trips up on a root in the ground. He tries to get back up but as he’s doing so, he is blinded by a bright light. Clearly panicking, even more he tries to get back the way we came but is stopped when he bumps into a mysterious figure in black. The figure aggressively grabs him and pulls him up.

MAN

No wait! Don’t do it, please! Stop it!

The figure ignores him and keeps pushing the squirming man towards the light.

MAN

Stop it! Why are you doing this? What did I do?

The figure continues to ignore him and continues to push him towards the blinding lamp. The camera pans to a close up of the briefcase, now dropped on the floor. In the background, we still see the man struggling, as the light brightens. There is a flash and we see the shot change to day, still on the briefcase, but this time there is a man with a camera, taking photo of it, camera pans out to reveal that the location is now a crime scene.

DETECTIVE 1

I don’t understand. What would a 32-year-old lawyer be doing in the middle of the woods?

DETECTIVE 2

How the hell should I know?

DETECTIVE 1

Let’s just get this down to evidence. I’m sure that Jones will want to take a look inside.

DETECTIVE 2

Yeah, he’d be keen to. Let’s see how he’s doing with the body.

The two detectives get up and head towards the body of the man. Carefully inspecting it is another man, Detective David Jones. He is a middle aged man and is adamant about his completing job, any case he gets into he’ll stop at nothing to solve it even if that means disobeying orders. The camera follows the two detectives and stops when it reaches the body and Jones.

DETECTIVE 2

Hey Jones, we got a brief case you might wanna check out.

Jones stands up into frame and turns to face his fellow detectives.

JONES

Course, later though, come look at this first.

The two detectives crouch down either side of him, and proceed to examine the body with him.

JONES

What do see?

DETTECTIVE 1

What do you mean? The body?

JONES

Yes, what’s strange about it?

Detective 1 takes a closer look and tries to see what Jones is on about.

DETECTIVE 1

Nothing, I can’t see anything.

JONES

Exactly. Nothing. There are no wounds, no bullet shots, nothing. Doesn’t that seem strange to you?

DETECTIVE 2

Not really, he could have died from a heart attack or…

JONES

Yeah, but that doesn’t explain what he’s doing here, In the middle of the woods, three miles from the nearest offices.

DETECTIVE 1

He could have been taken here? Or maybe he just got drunk and wandered off?

DETECTIVE 2

I don’t think so, it was a work day and he had some important cases coming up. I think he was trying to get somewhere, or get away frome something.

JONES

Yeah, and by the looks of things he was in a rush.

DETECTIVE 1

So he was being pursued?

DETECTIVE 2

I guess so…

JONES

Yes, but by who? We only found one set of footprints. As far as we know, this man was on his own.

DETECTIVE 1

So you’re telling me that a 32-year-old barrister ran off in the middle of the night, three miles away from any offices of his, and just dropped dead in the middle of nowhere, apparently for no reason at all.

JONES

So it would seem…

The three are suddenly covered by a shadow and they all look up at the source. The camera cuts to a shot of high heels and pans up to reveal a mysterious woman. She is in her mid-twenties and is wearing a suit and has on bright red lipstick. Jones and the others get up.

DETECTIVE 1

Excuse me ma’am but this is a crime scene civilians aren’t supposed to…

He is cut off when she pulls out an identification badge, and shows them that she is from the FBI. Her badge reads ‘Detective Jessica Moore’

JONES

How can we help you detective Moore?

MOORE

Well I’m here to dismiss you on this case, Mr Jones. It’s all been sorted we can take it from here.

JONES

You? This is just a local death, nothing serious enough for the FBI to get involved with.

MOORE

Sorry love, but we have reason to believe that this man was involved with some highly classified information. We’ll Need to take the body for an official autopsy.

DETECTIVE 1

Okay, but you’ll need to talk to our chief first. Although I don’t think he’ll be too happy about this.

MOORE

Don’t worry, something tells me that he’ll be happy to comply.

JONES

Well, thank you Detective Moore, make sure you get back to us with the official results.

MOORE

I’m afraid that may be beyond my power at the moment Mr Jones.

Camera cuts to the three detectives sitting down on a hill, looking down at what was the crime scene. Jones has a bottle of water in his hands and has been scratching the label off, he is clearly annoyed at what has happened.

JONES

I just don’t see why they needed to get involved. What was so special about this man that the FBI had to take over.

DETECTIVE 2

I don’t know, but what does seem suspicious is how they were alerted to it, we didn’t contact them.

JONES

Exactly, it almost seems like…

He pauses for a second and looks down the hill. Suddenly he gets up and slowly walks down the hill. Once he’s at the bottom, he bends down and picks up a wallet. He opens it up and looks inside, he pulls out a ripped piece of paper, which reads, DO NOT TRUST! On the back. We see him turn it over and the camera cuts to a close up of the shock on his face.

JONES

Oh my God…

DETECTIVE 1

What, what is it?

 JONES

Come down here and see for yourself.

The other two rush down the hill to see what Jones has found. When they see they both look at each other in shock.

DETECTIVE 2

But, that can’t be...

The camera cuts to the picture that Jones has in his hands,  it is a black and white battered photo of Jessica Moore. The camera slowly zooms into it as the screen fades to black and the titles appear.

Analysis of The Dark Knight's Opening.

Analysis of The Dark Knight's Opening.

In 2008, Christopher Nolan directed the film, The Dark Knight as a sequel to 2005s Batman Begins. This film was extremely praised by both fans and critics worldwide, as one of the best films in recent history. Heath Ledger was especially commended for his portrayal of the Joker, which earned him a posthumous Oscar. The Dark Knight is also well known for it's portrayal of Gotham City, and for its dark, neo-noir aesthetic.


This is a prezi presentation I made on the opening scene of the film. As you can see it fits many codes and conventions of a neo-noir film.





https://prezi.com/view/rSbBGu9KIO7IKAmhIKHP/ 

Comparing My Storyboard to a Professional Storyboard

Comparing My Storyboard to a Professional Storyboard

The first storyboard is the one I made for my femme fatale. It is a rough copy and is very basic. Despite this I still made it clear to myself and the actors what would happen and gave a clear image of the events of t he scene.

The second storyboard is of the film Sin City which is one of the most famous neo-noir films of all time. As you can see this is much more professional, detailed and clearer as to what is happening.

Storyboard For My Femme Fatale Task

Storyboard For My Femme Fatale Task

For my femme fatale preliminary task, I drew a rough storyboard, so that i could help bring my script to life and help visualise the ideas I had for the film. It is hand drawn and only a rough idea of what happens but it still helps give a basic picture to everyone. 

*** NOTE *** I was unable to edit and upload my Preliminary task, therefore it has not appeared on this blog. However I learned from that and made sure that for my real film I filmed it properly.