final film outcome - resentment

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DzEuqVSIdlghttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DzEuqVSIdlg

Analysis of Film Noir research questionaire

Name ideas for our Film Noir piece

Actors and Characters for our Film Noir

We have decided to use all three members in our piece and one in which is the main character/ the femme fatale. The actors and roles consist of: 

-  Fern Barlow - Femme Fatale (Ruby) 
- Jake Mansfield - Male detective (Clive)
- Kelsey Devereux - Head detective (Joules) 
- Sukhpreet Rayatt - Murder victim (Marianne)

I believe that by each of us having a role in the film noir piece it will ensure full involvement from all of the group, it will also make certain that its ALL group members participating in the work rather than just 1 or 2 and the other person dragging along for the credit. 

We decided that I would play the role of Ruby the femme fatale because of my hair as blonde hair is a common feature of film noir. We also decided that I would play this role because Ruby and Clive fall in love and as I was the one to scout Jake to play the role of Clive we thought it would be more effective and realistic if I was to play the femme fatale. 

The next character to decided was Clive and for this we needed a male actor. Because all of the boys in the group and occupied with their own work I decided that we could maybe use someone from outside of school. The only issue that we encountered with this was that if we needed to film something on school grounds then it was a lot of paperwork just for Jake being in school for one hour also because he is 23 we would have to have a teacher supervising the filming. 

With Kelsey we discussed that she would be the Head detective who bosses Ruby and Clive around although this is a small role it is very vital for the smooth running of the film noir extract. And finally Sukhpreet wanted a small role were she is only on screen for a few seconds perhaps so we therefore decided that she would play the murder victim Marianne. This role is also very important because it will make some of the scenes visually understandable and much more film noir like. 

Film Noir Analysis - Black Dahlia

What is Neo-Noir?

Neo- Noir is a style of film that often uses elements of film noir in modern day picture films, this includes the themes, style, content, visual elements and media however updated versiions to keep the audience entertained. the elements used are generally from the 1940's to 1950's film noir period. 

Plot

The Black Dahlia is a 2006 neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Brian De Palma and written by Josh Friedman. It is drawn from a novel of the same name by James Ellroy, the author of L.A. Confidential, and stars Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart and Hilary Swank. The widely sensationalized murder of Elizabeth Short inspired both the novel and the film.

The film's played at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival on August 30, 2006, and was released in the United States on September 15, 2006. Despite its failure—both critically and financially—the film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 79th Academy Awards, losing to Pan's Labyrinth. Mia Kirshner's performance as Short was also widely praised.

Analysis

Scene 1 

(Long Shot) In this shot we meet Bucky Bleichert. Bucky is the main character in this film noir/neo-noir and has the role of a detective. In this scene Bucky is holding a man at gun point who is either dead or being threatened by Bucky. Looking at the body language of Bucky he seems to be very alert as if someone if after him and he is hiding from the hunter. Bucky is dressed in what seems to be part of a suit minus the jacket however he seems to be very rugged which could potentially mean that there has been a struggle. The victim on the floor is dressed in a suit accompanied with the stereotypical detective hat which can mean that Bucky is threatening to kill another detective or potential bad businessman. The lighting in this scene is highkey natural lighting which makes all features in the scene visible to the viewers.  The use of a long shot here allows us to see the whole location and see the body language that is being displayed by both Bucky and the man lying on the floor. 

Scene 2

(Close up) In this next scene we meet Kay Lake and Lee Blanchard who are having dinner with friend Bucky. Kay is the femme fatale in this film noir and she is shown in the stereotypical clothing for the part, this consisting of a blonde haired beautiful woman with deep red lipstick and is wearing a piece of white clothing to display her innocence and a pearl necklace to potentially indicate her wealth. She is also seen to be smoking a cigarette which is also a stereotypical convention of the part. Bucky and Lee are dressed in part suits which displays their profession of a detective and it is also a convention of film noir. The lighting used in this scene is again quite high-key which goes against the stereotypical convention of low-key lighting in a film noir. In addition the lighting seems to make Kays facial expression a lot clear and it seems that she is displaying a somewhat flirtatious smile towards Bucky. The use of a close up here allows the viewer to see the clear facial expressions of the cast on screen and it also gives a warm happy feeling to the scene.  

Scene 3

(Medium Shot) In this scene we see Lee, Kay and Bucky at the pictures. Both of the men are dressed in more casual clothing in this scene opposed to their regular suits that the are seen in during the rest of the film noir piece. The only stream of light is the light provided by the projector, this providing the scene with a very low-key lighting which is a convention of film noir. Kay is again seen with red lipstick and a lightly coloured outfit which displays her purity. By Kay being positioned between both Lee and Bucky it provides the idea that she is torn between loving the two of them which is displayed a lot in the plot of this film. The camera angle used on this scene is from a low angle which makes the cast seem superior. The use of a mid shot here allows us the see the environment that the cast are situated in and it also allows us the see thee lighting used and a clear view of the facial expressions on the cast, for instance Kay seems to be shocked either by the film or the situation she is currently in of loving the two men, whereas Lee and Bucky seem to look quite smug with themselves as Kay is having a affair with the two of them. 

Scene 4

(Medium Shot) In this next scene we meet Madeleine Linscott who is the murderer of Elizabeth Short. We quickly learn that Madeleine is a Lesbian however acts as if she is a femme fatale. Madeleine is seen in very short dresses and revealing clothing which gave off the impression that she could potentially be either sex crazed or a prostitute. By Madeleine being dressed in dark clothing it gives of the impression that she is bad and is a suspect for the murder. She seems to follow some characteristics of a femme fatale that consists of the red lipstick and a cigarette however she doesnt have the blonde hair to provide the whole femme fatale identity. The low-key lighting also aids with the bad feeling of the scene and adds to the idea that she is a potential suspect of the Dahlia murder. In addition to this the film name 'Black Dahlia' also aids us into thinking that madeleine is the murderer due to the fact that she is always in 'Black' clothing. The lighting also reveals the location of Madeleine which seems to be very dirty and run down which indicates that she is potentially poor or not as wealthy as some of the other characters in the film noir. The use of a mid shot here provides the view with the feeling of intimidation as Madeleine seems a bit intimidating by her body language and the hand on hip look which generally indicates empowerment and dominance. 

Scene 5

(Medium Shot) This scene is a lot like the last one however it is Kay, she is dressed like the stereotypical femme fatale which consists of the blonde hair, minimal makeup with the bold red lipstick, blonde beautiful hair, soft complexion and a white coloured outfit to show her innocence. The lighting used in this scene is also very high-key which is aiding in the idea of purity and it also highlights aspects of Kay which make her seem even more beautiful. As she is looking at something behind the camera it makes the viewer want to know what it is that has grabbed her attention and has caused her to freeze. In addition her facial expression provides us with the idea that she is either startled by something or that she is trying to seduce a figure behind the camera. Kay is seen to have a cigarette in her hand which is a common feature of film noir and occurs a lot throughout the film. The use of a mid shot here allows us to see a closer facial expression and as the camera seems to be on a bit of a wonk and Kay looks a bit flushed there is a potential indication that there was either a struggle or some sort of sexual activity perhaps. 

Scene 6

(Close Up) This scene is where Bucky and Madeleine are involved in sexual activities. Madeleine seemed to be surprised that Bucky was leaving her however it was a 'drunken mistake' because the murder case wasnt going well for Bucky and he got very drunk and end up sleeping with Madeleine when he is meant to be in love with Kay. The camera angle on this scene is made to make Madeleine seem vulnerable and by looking at her facial expression she seems to be upset that Bucky does not love her and that Bucky is in love with someone else. The lighting in this scene is going back to the low-key tone due to the fact that this scene is very typical film noir, a love scandal and drunken sex. The location of this scene seems to be in either a bedroom or a hotel, most likely the hotel as that is very film noir. The use of a close up here is to make the subject seem more vulnerable, scared and upset because she is being left by the man that she 'loves'. 

Scene 7

(Long Shot) In this scene we see Bucky in something other than a suit which is very unusual however boxing was his profession before a detective. This scene has very low-key lighting which is a lot like the other scenes in this film and is additionally a common aspect of film noir. Bucky has a very serious expression which could indicate that he is either annoyed or upset with himself because of what happened in the last scene with Madeleine. The location of this scene seems to be in  a sports gym judging from the lockers, the benches and the poster on the back wall. A closer look at the poster is that Bucky was actually a boxer and it was his fight on the night and he was getting in the right frame of mind for the fight. The use of a long shot here allows us to see the full scene and assess Bucky's attitude towards the fight by seeing his body language. 

Scene 8

(Mid Shot) In this scene the detectives were getting a debriefing on the murder of Elizabeth Short and reporting back with progress updates. The case is not going in the direction that Bucky was hoping for and he is very annoyed about this. The lighting used in this scene is very low-key and this adds to the overall mood of annoyance and sadness because Bucky has not made any development in his work. Bucky and the rest of the men in the scene are wearing suits and or hats as this was a typical fashion in film noir and its the uniform for detectives as it is smart dressing. Bucky's facial expression indicates that he may be getting told off for his lack of progress in the Dahlia murder. The location of the scene seems to be in a office which has a very common film noir aspect, venetian blinds. The use of a mid shot here allows us to see Bucky and his colleagues clear and the environment in which they are in. 

Scene 9

(Close Up) This is the scene in which Bucky adds up all of the evidence and statements and comes to the conclusion that the murder is in fact Madeleine Linscott. He visits her to gain a full alibi for the night of the murder, however, she freezes and fails to come up with a reliable one in Buckys judgement. The lighting in this piece is high-key opposed to the low-key lighting that is in the rest of the Black Dahlia film. The location of the scene seems to be in a house maybe and the frame around Madeleine's head seems to be like a mugshot frame in some way. Looking at Madeleines facial expression it is as if she is startled that Bucky has worked out her secret and is scared by the outcome of it all. The use of a close up here allows the viewers to see the true facial expression of Madeleine and that she is scared because she knows what is going to happen next, however it turned out that Madeleines mum was the one who killed Elizabeth. 

Scene 10

(Medium Shot) In this scene Bucky is thinking back to the investigation and back to something that Lee said and he decided to pay a visit to Madeleine's sister Martha with some questions. He finds out that Lee knew all about Elizabeth and Madeleines lesbian relationship and that Elizabeth was blackmailing Madeleine's father to keep it secret. Bucky then discovers that it was Madeleine who slit Lee's throat and he kills her. Bucky then retreats back to Kay where she lets hi min and the film ends. The low-key lighting adds to the sad feel of the scene. Bucky is dressed in detective clothing however with a trench coat over the top and as it is a dull colour it again aids to the overall feel of the film. The location of this scene seems to be in a dark bad part of the city which again adds to the overall feel of the scene. The benefits of a mid shot here is that it allows the audience to see Bucky in full, the location, the connectives and conventions of film noir. 

In conclusion the Black Dahlia is a very good modernised version of film noir and the director's, camera workers and producers have taken into consideration the conventions of film noir and have added them where relevant and it makes it out to be a very good film. 

Storyboard

This is the storyboard for our film noir piece. I believe that it is a reasonably good storyboard due to the flow of the images and how well the background music fits in with the clip. I also think that it is effective that we have stated the actors at the end, the directors and what we believe will be effective camera angles for each different scene. To improve I think that we could potentially have designed it on a website so that the images are a tad clearer and maybe we could have added a voice over of the script that will be in our film noir. I also think that with some of the scenes we will need to reconsider the camera angles however this will most likely happen as we are filming. 

Film Noir Ideas

 

In this prezi is our initial ideas for the film noir sequence. We presented this to our teacher and rest of class and discussed the storyline scene by scene, the locations, actors and characters. In addition to this Sukhpreet held up images of the storyboard that had the camera shots listed on them whilst myself and Kelsey were talking through the scenes. I believe that our presentation went really well however to improve next time we could potentially divide the speaking more equally so that everyone was talking during the presentation and not just myself and Kelsey.