With the time remaining, we were persuaded to make some more radical changes. What we did was cut some shots of no real significance and reduce the amount of narration. For example, we took away the line "my phone rang" as it seemed just slightly too ridiculous/obvious, even considering the slightly satirical mood of the piece.
We also used some footage of the gate being opened where Mike opens it normally instead of breaking in, and therefore removed the line about a "Gladsmith one-way lock". After rearranging some of the narration we had left, the last thing we did was add a small note at the end: 'Five days earlier'. We feel this helps to establish the feeling of an opening better. The second half was the most drastically altered, with the phone conversation cut much shorter.
Friday, 5 December 2008
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Differences Between Storyboard and Final Cut
Firstly, the fact that we changed the last two thirds of our storyboard when actually filming which was the main change we made. Although we did film the storyboard as we drew it, we filmed extra footage and in the end our final cut looked very different to how we originally planned it. However the original ideas are still visible.
The main change we made was cutting the scenes from the interior of the house which made up the second half of the storyboard. We relocated the phone call from that part to within the alleyway section of the storyboard. This also meant that we cut the lighting of the cigarette scene. We did this to improve the pacing so that there would be no long sections where nothing of interest happens. A lot of what we did film is shot for shot the same as the storyboard along with some additional filler shots. Despite this, in reality the storyboard was never designed to be exactly what our final cut would turn out like, it was simply scaffolding.
We didn't put any of the voice over narration into the storyboard even though we knew we would be using it because we didn't think there was a specific alignment between the sentences and the action on screen. We wrote the narration some weeks later than we drew the story board.
The main change we made was cutting the scenes from the interior of the house which made up the second half of the storyboard. We relocated the phone call from that part to within the alleyway section of the storyboard. This also meant that we cut the lighting of the cigarette scene. We did this to improve the pacing so that there would be no long sections where nothing of interest happens. A lot of what we did film is shot for shot the same as the storyboard along with some additional filler shots. Despite this, in reality the storyboard was never designed to be exactly what our final cut would turn out like, it was simply scaffolding.
We didn't put any of the voice over narration into the storyboard even though we knew we would be using it because we didn't think there was a specific alignment between the sentences and the action on screen. We wrote the narration some weeks later than we drew the story board.
Monday, 1 December 2008
2 Minute Film Opening Voiceover Narration Script Long Title
It was October 9th. What's my name? That's not important.
What is important is that I was being followed. Of the top of my head I could name 14 reasons why I could be being followed. The most likely, I thought, was that I had taken too much of an interest in the Murton Murder Case - unsolved. Then my follower gave himself away. Not very professional.
It's all part of the job. What's my job? I'm a private detective.
My phone rang, unknown caller. It was a woman's voice. I politely told her that she must have the wrong number. She said she knew where I was going. She was right: the old Murton house. She said I better stay away from there. I said I'd take my chances.
The world is black and white. That is clear enough. All I have to do is tell the difference.
The gate to the Murton house grounds was a Gladsmith one-way lock, not designed to be placed on a bar frame. Amateur workmanship. That's how I got to the scene of the crime. Little did I know, things were just getting started.
What is important is that I was being followed. Of the top of my head I could name 14 reasons why I could be being followed. The most likely, I thought, was that I had taken too much of an interest in the Murton Murder Case - unsolved. Then my follower gave himself away. Not very professional.
It's all part of the job. What's my job? I'm a private detective.
My phone rang, unknown caller. It was a woman's voice. I politely told her that she must have the wrong number. She said she knew where I was going. She was right: the old Murton house. She said I better stay away from there. I said I'd take my chances.
The world is black and white. That is clear enough. All I have to do is tell the difference.
The gate to the Murton house grounds was a Gladsmith one-way lock, not designed to be placed on a bar frame. Amateur workmanship. That's how I got to the scene of the crime. Little did I know, things were just getting started.
Tuesday, 25 November 2008
Editing
We ended up not actually using most of the footage we had recorded at the house except for the exterior shots. In the shot of the outside of the house, with the lamppost, we added a lens flare to make it look as if it was on. When Mike walks past the lamppost we made it so he would block out the light for a split-second. To combine the scenes in the alleyway and the house grounds, we faded to black to emphasise the time gap between the locations.
Throughout the duration of filming, we took lots of long takes and didn't cut a large amount of time off them for a thoughtful and naturistic feel. We used the matched cut to show the different angles of Mike answering his phone. This kind of shot seems natural to the viewer because they understand the action.
Because of the unclear quality of the diagetic sound we decided to remove all the audio and replace it with our own sound effects we had recorded and found on the internet. We found many sound effects on soundsnap.com and we tested four sets of footstep sounds before picking the best one and then cropping it to catch the single footstep. We had much difficulty matching the sound effect to the actual footsteps on-screen but it paid off in the end. We didn't add footsteps where the movements of the feet in the video didn't look as if they could realistically make a sound. Another sound effect we used was the sound of the pebble being kicked under foot. This was quite loud as it was mean to be heard by the main character (Mike).
We went through a lot of soundtracks from many films and TV series to find the most appropriate. We were trying to find a soundtrack that was both orchestral and dramatic but we needed to find something that didn't sound to American. In the end we found one that was most appropriate, "The Seeds of Time" from the "Monster" (the anime) original soundtrack. To make it match the footage we had to make some cuts and fade certain parts of the music into other parts. This matched the most dramatic parts of the soundtrack with the most dramatic parts of the video, and the quiet parts of the soundtrack with the relaxed parts of the film. The cuts in the audio are generally hard to notice, as we used fades and sound effects on top to make them as seamless as possible.
The last thing we added to the audio was the narration, as there was no dialogue in the film. We recorded four narration tracks using a microphone, two by Richard and two by Mike. We were fairly pleased with all four, but tested out Richard's second one with the video and never went back. We had to crop the narration audio into sentences so that we could place them wherever we wanted on the audio track, and set the lines that needed to be in specific places, then placing all the other lines around them. We raised the volume of certain lines to make sure that they werre clearly audible.
Throughout the duration of filming, we took lots of long takes and didn't cut a large amount of time off them for a thoughtful and naturistic feel. We used the matched cut to show the different angles of Mike answering his phone. This kind of shot seems natural to the viewer because they understand the action.
Because of the unclear quality of the diagetic sound we decided to remove all the audio and replace it with our own sound effects we had recorded and found on the internet. We found many sound effects on soundsnap.com and we tested four sets of footstep sounds before picking the best one and then cropping it to catch the single footstep. We had much difficulty matching the sound effect to the actual footsteps on-screen but it paid off in the end. We didn't add footsteps where the movements of the feet in the video didn't look as if they could realistically make a sound. Another sound effect we used was the sound of the pebble being kicked under foot. This was quite loud as it was mean to be heard by the main character (Mike).
We went through a lot of soundtracks from many films and TV series to find the most appropriate. We were trying to find a soundtrack that was both orchestral and dramatic but we needed to find something that didn't sound to American. In the end we found one that was most appropriate, "The Seeds of Time" from the "Monster" (the anime) original soundtrack. To make it match the footage we had to make some cuts and fade certain parts of the music into other parts. This matched the most dramatic parts of the soundtrack with the most dramatic parts of the video, and the quiet parts of the soundtrack with the relaxed parts of the film. The cuts in the audio are generally hard to notice, as we used fades and sound effects on top to make them as seamless as possible.
The last thing we added to the audio was the narration, as there was no dialogue in the film. We recorded four narration tracks using a microphone, two by Richard and two by Mike. We were fairly pleased with all four, but tested out Richard's second one with the video and never went back. We had to crop the narration audio into sentences so that we could place them wherever we wanted on the audio track, and set the lines that needed to be in specific places, then placing all the other lines around them. We raised the volume of certain lines to make sure that they werre clearly audible.
Thursday, 20 November 2008
Third Shoot
The third shoot was back at the alley in Southborough after we realised we needed to film another sequence to add to the tension of our film opening. Once again we filmed after school on a clouded day. We reserved the camera equipment and walked up to the location. The shoot went very well, mainly based around our lead character taking a phone call. Overall we were very pleased with the way the shoot went, gathering all the continuity and filler shots we wanted.
Second Shoot
Our second shoot was shot in an alleyway in Southborough on a clouded day after school at about four o'clock. We had booked the camera and tripod, and walked straight up, with all the props we needed. We had one person on lookout at all times, just to keep an eye out in case anyone wanted to walk past at any point. We had to stop about three times for passersby which in the long run wasn't to bad. At the end of the shoot we had achieved all the shots we wanted and walked back down to school to return the camera equipment.
We took atleast two shots of each sequence so it was ready for the edit. So overall the shoot was a success and we were pleased with the shot sequences we achieved.
We took atleast two shots of each sequence so it was ready for the edit. So overall the shoot was a success and we were pleased with the shot sequences we achieved.
Tuesday, 18 November 2008
Location Reccie
These are the two locations at which we are filming. The alleyway is in Southborough, which was discovered by me and Mike whilst we were out looking for the longest and most noir-esque alleyways in the local area. It runs behind a long row of houses and is almost always abandoned, making it the perfect location for filming.
The second it the house of a family who I know, which is easily the most impressive house that I could think of that I had any chance of being able to film at. The family kindly agreed to let us film there.
Monday, 17 November 2008
First Shoot
Our first shoot took place on Sunday 9th November and we booked the camera equipment over the weekend, picking it up midday on Friday and storing it until Sam could take them home. The shoot was set at the house of a friend, which we agreed to arrive at for 3 PM. The shooting began at 3:15, when the sky was still fairly clear. However, we had to race against time to keep shooting as the sky became increasingly darker over the next few hours. In the end, we got all the footage that was apparently needed and the parts that were too dark we decided we would either cut or adjust brightness and contrast on Premiere.
We used a clapper for all the takes, and always took at least two shots to make sure we had a choice in case there was something wrong with one. We had decided from the start that we would use sound effects and dialogue recorded later, since we could get a crisper quality of sound that way than with the camera's microphone - especially since it was quite windy during this shoot. The quality of film of image decreased a bit when we went inside the house, as it was much darker inside. To create the shadows that we wanted, despite no lights in the house being on, we used the torch from a mobile phone to provide a bit more illumination.
The equipment made it back undamaged on the Monday and we uploaded our footage.
We used a clapper for all the takes, and always took at least two shots to make sure we had a choice in case there was something wrong with one. We had decided from the start that we would use sound effects and dialogue recorded later, since we could get a crisper quality of sound that way than with the camera's microphone - especially since it was quite windy during this shoot. The quality of film of image decreased a bit when we went inside the house, as it was much darker inside. To create the shadows that we wanted, despite no lights in the house being on, we used the torch from a mobile phone to provide a bit more illumination.
The equipment made it back undamaged on the Monday and we uploaded our footage.
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Props
The props needed for our film are fairly limited. In the alleyway scene, we require a can to be kicked. In the house scene, we need a table covered with scattered materials, specifically sweets and cigarettes. On the same table is a small and unobtrusive lamp. Also in the room is a wireless phone that can be picked up. Since we cannot use guns, the presence of a gun is implied when the detective reaches into his pocket. All of these props will be supplied by us, except for the phone which will be present at the house.
Costume
Film noir consists of many different characters with different styles of clothing. During our production of the film we will have to take into consideration the clothing styles of film noir and how the main characters present themselves. In the film noirs we have already researched, the main character tends to be a detective with a consistent dress sense of; large trench coast and a typical modern detective hat. We will try our best to use these stereotypical clothes but if we can't find them, we will adapt different attire to suit our film. We also found out that the detectives tend to wear suits combined with black ties, so it will be easy to acquire these costumes. In our film we are also using an anonymous character, so we will have to make his clothing distinctively different from the lead character.
Lighting
Within our film opening we will be looking to include all the conventional aspects of film noir, including low key lighting schemes, we will be taking two lamps with us on the shoot of different contrasts. Within our product analysis' we have realized that most film noir openings contain very dark lighting schemes, so we will also be using this style of filming. We will only have 3 shots of our lead character outside, as the weather could change for when we need to film our alley scene, we are hoping to shoot the other scene when the lighting and weather is similar. We will be filming in the late afternoon when it is becoming dark outside so that the lighting is perfect for a stereotypical film noir opening.
Wednesday, 5 November 2008
Treatment
An un-named detective prowls down a dimly lit alley. As he walks, he flexes his fist. Over the sound plays a narration. The man hears the noise of ma can being kicked somewhow behind him, stops, and reaches into his jacket. About a hundred feet away, a dark figure moves out of sight. The detective continues on his way.
Cut to a building. He walks into the porch and unlocks the door. After entering, it becomes clear that all the lights ore off. He flicks a light switch, but it doesn't make any difference. He checks outside once before shutting the door. He heads to a living room where he sinks into a chair and puts his hat down on the table. He switches on a lamp.There are sweets and cigarettes scattered on the desk. He reaches for a cigarette, but is interrupted by the old-fashioned ringing of a phone. After hesitating, he picks up the phone. The caller's voice isn't heard. The detective says "yes", "yes, "I don't think so", "then it looks like you and I have even more of a problem than I thought". There is a menacing knock at the door. He delicately puts the phone down and stands up.
Cut to a building. He walks into the porch and unlocks the door. After entering, it becomes clear that all the lights ore off. He flicks a light switch, but it doesn't make any difference. He checks outside once before shutting the door. He heads to a living room where he sinks into a chair and puts his hat down on the table. He switches on a lamp.There are sweets and cigarettes scattered on the desk. He reaches for a cigarette, but is interrupted by the old-fashioned ringing of a phone. After hesitating, he picks up the phone. The caller's voice isn't heard. The detective says "yes", "yes, "I don't think so", "then it looks like you and I have even more of a problem than I thought". There is a menacing knock at the door. He delicately puts the phone down and stands up.
Fade to black and the title appears: NOIR LIGHTS.
The ideas for our opening come from what we have learned in product analysis of film noir.
We are going to incorporate all the techniques of a film noir opening that we can, including narration, low lighting schemes, an orchestral soundtrack and dramatic camera angles.
Since our film will be neo-noir rather than regular film noir, because we can't recreate the 1940s, we have made sure to watch many recent noir films, such as L.A. Confidential, Sin City and In Bruges, to see the techniques used in contemporary noir.
Questionnaire Results
Our questionnaires contained 9 questions, and we gave out 15 of them. 10 of the people surveyed were teenagers and the remaining 5 were adults (three men and two women). We gave out more to teenagers considering that the character in the film is played by a teenager, and we are aiming it at a teenage audience, more than any other audience at least.
The first question asked if the viewer would mind seeing a film in black and white, and nobody minded. This was a relief, as it validated our plan to use black and white. The second question gave a choice of characters and asked which was preferred (out of private detective, police officer and civillian). 60% of people asked wanted a private detective, whilst 40% wanted a civilian. To compromise and please both groups, we chose a private detective with civilian aspects as the main character.
We asked them which films come to mind at the mention of film noir (after explaining what film noir was, just in case) and got a varied response. The most commonly re-occuring films were The Maltese Falcon, and Sin City (the latter specifically from the teenagers). When we asked what people like about film noir, people noted such things as the clever dialogue and the stylish black and white look. Some said how film noir focuses on such things as plot and character rather than special effects.
On the other hand, people said that when there are special effects, they tend to be weak and sometimes the lack of colour can make things a bit unclear on screen. When asked how important a soundtrack is to them, 40% said that it was a massive factor, 40% said it was quite important and the remaining 20% said that they don't really notice. Therefore we plan to use an unintrusive but noticable soundtrack, as nobody objected to a soundtrack - they just offered various degrees of entusiasm.
For an appropriate location, we offered 5 different suggestions. They were: an office, an alleyway, a rundown building and a modern building. 80% of of people chose the alleyway, and the rest took the rundown building. Half of our film will be set in an alleyway, and the other half will be set in a building, not exactly a rundown one, but an old and atmospheric one. Rundown buildings are hard to come by.
The survey contained the following four choices - witty dialogue, mood-building silence, specialist costumes and interesting camera angles - and asked the respondant to rank them in order of preference. Witty dialogue almost always came first and costumes last, with the others in a fairly random order. This means that we will lay a lot of importance on dialogue (in this case, narration) and not worry too much about the costumes. That doesn't mean we will disregard the costumes entirely though.
The first question asked if the viewer would mind seeing a film in black and white, and nobody minded. This was a relief, as it validated our plan to use black and white. The second question gave a choice of characters and asked which was preferred (out of private detective, police officer and civillian). 60% of people asked wanted a private detective, whilst 40% wanted a civilian. To compromise and please both groups, we chose a private detective with civilian aspects as the main character.
We asked them which films come to mind at the mention of film noir (after explaining what film noir was, just in case) and got a varied response. The most commonly re-occuring films were The Maltese Falcon, and Sin City (the latter specifically from the teenagers). When we asked what people like about film noir, people noted such things as the clever dialogue and the stylish black and white look. Some said how film noir focuses on such things as plot and character rather than special effects.
On the other hand, people said that when there are special effects, they tend to be weak and sometimes the lack of colour can make things a bit unclear on screen. When asked how important a soundtrack is to them, 40% said that it was a massive factor, 40% said it was quite important and the remaining 20% said that they don't really notice. Therefore we plan to use an unintrusive but noticable soundtrack, as nobody objected to a soundtrack - they just offered various degrees of entusiasm.
For an appropriate location, we offered 5 different suggestions. They were: an office, an alleyway, a rundown building and a modern building. 80% of of people chose the alleyway, and the rest took the rundown building. Half of our film will be set in an alleyway, and the other half will be set in a building, not exactly a rundown one, but an old and atmospheric one. Rundown buildings are hard to come by.
The survey contained the following four choices - witty dialogue, mood-building silence, specialist costumes and interesting camera angles - and asked the respondant to rank them in order of preference. Witty dialogue almost always came first and costumes last, with the others in a fairly random order. This means that we will lay a lot of importance on dialogue (in this case, narration) and not worry too much about the costumes. That doesn't mean we will disregard the costumes entirely though.
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Exhibition of Film
The Film premiere is the first real viewing of the film. This is the first showing of the film and all of the stars of the film come down to watch it. Having more popular stars helps bring in a bigger audience as people may like that certain actor/actress. The biggest stars are those who can open a film really well and guarantee that the film will do well in the opening weekend. However, they cannot save the film if it is a total disaster.
Cinemas remain the most important market of any film, if they do well in cinemas the film is guarantied to be brought out on DVD, etc. Major films which audiences love are played by large exhibitors whereas the smaller films are exhibited on smaller, local cinemas. These cinemas help low budget film creators get their chance to show audiences their creations and at the same time gain a profit.
Hundreds of copies of the film are produced by the distributors and then rented by exhibitors who are screening the film. Specialist companies then transport the reels to different cinemas across the country.
The box office production in a major part in the film business. Data about the films is continuous printed out to see how each film is doing. If the attendance to a certain film is always low, it will be cancelled as cinemas do not want to risk losing valuable income. Popular films that are performing well, will be shown on many screens throughout the cinema to bring in money.
Producers will constantly check reports to find out how much money is being made by the film. But realistically this money will then go back to the exhibitors and producers as they need paying aswell!
Cinemas remain the most important market of any film, if they do well in cinemas the film is guarantied to be brought out on DVD, etc. Major films which audiences love are played by large exhibitors whereas the smaller films are exhibited on smaller, local cinemas. These cinemas help low budget film creators get their chance to show audiences their creations and at the same time gain a profit.
Hundreds of copies of the film are produced by the distributors and then rented by exhibitors who are screening the film. Specialist companies then transport the reels to different cinemas across the country.
The box office production in a major part in the film business. Data about the films is continuous printed out to see how each film is doing. If the attendance to a certain film is always low, it will be cancelled as cinemas do not want to risk losing valuable income. Popular films that are performing well, will be shown on many screens throughout the cinema to bring in money.
Producers will constantly check reports to find out how much money is being made by the film. But realistically this money will then go back to the exhibitors and producers as they need paying aswell!
Production of Film
An 'assembly' is created by the editor, which is where all the clips are compiled, this helps the director to see if the film is working as he wants it too, the next step is the process of the 'rough cut'. Then sound is added, for example special effects and background noise to once again give the director and editor that first look of seeing how the film is going to end up. This whole process also needs a certain amount of input from the producer, his/her job is to work with the film at the 'rouch cut' stage of production turning the film into a product that will sell. Once the team is happy with the result, the marketable product which is also know as a 'fine cut' and a 'picture lock' can begin in earnest whilst procution of the film once more continues.
Inputting sound into the film contains many different attributes, for example an orchestra could be used, in which specific music can be created for the particular scene. Also, alot of mixing is done, where sound effects can be created. One more sound technique used is dialogue, sometimes the film crew will need the actors to record dialogue so it can be entered into the film along a different route.
The next step is for a digital compositor to add the film credits, there are two kinds of credits including 'front titles' and 'rear titles' both important to production. Prestigous members of the crew are included within the 'front titles' and those not fortunate enough are included within the 'rear titles'.
Any digital efffects that are needed within the film are also created, these can be pure CGI or compositing. In most cases, the monet aspect of things prevents this kind of tinkering and it forces digital effects to only be used for ket scenes where it is absoloutly necersary for the director to acheive his purposes.
The colourist also plays a big part within the production of a film, his job is to make all the shots seem as if they belong visually to the same film. the director will also work with the colourist making sure it looks as he wishes, so the mood is perfect for what he is trying to create.
The next step is the final mix, this is where sound is absoloutly vital to create the mood that the director is trying to acheive making this step very important within the production process. Once 'picture lock' is established the sound mixer will begin dubbing and making final touches to the film, syncing it perfectly making the film look as professional as possible.
After the final cut where the producer and director examine the film, it reaches 'full lock', it is now finished and ready for duplication.
Inputting sound into the film contains many different attributes, for example an orchestra could be used, in which specific music can be created for the particular scene. Also, alot of mixing is done, where sound effects can be created. One more sound technique used is dialogue, sometimes the film crew will need the actors to record dialogue so it can be entered into the film along a different route.
The next step is for a digital compositor to add the film credits, there are two kinds of credits including 'front titles' and 'rear titles' both important to production. Prestigous members of the crew are included within the 'front titles' and those not fortunate enough are included within the 'rear titles'.
Any digital efffects that are needed within the film are also created, these can be pure CGI or compositing. In most cases, the monet aspect of things prevents this kind of tinkering and it forces digital effects to only be used for ket scenes where it is absoloutly necersary for the director to acheive his purposes.
The colourist also plays a big part within the production of a film, his job is to make all the shots seem as if they belong visually to the same film. the director will also work with the colourist making sure it looks as he wishes, so the mood is perfect for what he is trying to create.
The next step is the final mix, this is where sound is absoloutly vital to create the mood that the director is trying to acheive making this step very important within the production process. Once 'picture lock' is established the sound mixer will begin dubbing and making final touches to the film, syncing it perfectly making the film look as professional as possible.
After the final cut where the producer and director examine the film, it reaches 'full lock', it is now finished and ready for duplication.
Monday, 3 November 2008
Institution of Film
A film's Writer will need to find an agent who can ensure that the Writer recieves the best deal. However, they cannot get an agent without some proof of the quality of their work. The Writer then also needs a Producer to develop the film.
The Producer will pitch the idea to potential funders. Also, if a production company can be persuaded they may offer development money and the possibility that they will become involved with the film. They will usually ask for a disproportionate amount of future profits, as only a tiny amount of films in this process will ever be made. Sales companies may offer money to projects which they believe are marketable, in exchange for the rights to sell the film to Distribution companies, who distribute the film to all venues. Broadcasters may pay for the rights to show the film on television.
For the next stage of finance, it is important that some countries offer tax-breaks to those who fund films. At the same time, many other Producers are also searching for funds. Money can come from interested private financiers, as most production companies aren't willing to pay for all the costs themselves. Most commonly, production companies from different countries will share the costs and then take the chance to show the film in their own nations. Sales companies will take the right to distribute the film in return for the funding. There are also various organisations of public investment who may be willing to help, such as BBC Films. However, financiers may demand significant changes to the film.
When the film is complete, the Producer will need the help of film marketing companies to advertise it and release it to the general public. The sales agent acts as the go-between person for the Producer and the marketing companies. A trailer is made to try to sell the film to an industrial audience. A sales pack is then produced containing the trailer and all the important information about the film, in an attempt to win over a Distribution company in the heavily competitive market. The Distribution company will commission their own trailers later on to show to the public. Stars and critical acclaim help the marketability of films. Once a film has been sold to the Distributors, it is no longer the responsibility of the Producer in the territories agreed upon.
The Producer will pitch the idea to potential funders. Also, if a production company can be persuaded they may offer development money and the possibility that they will become involved with the film. They will usually ask for a disproportionate amount of future profits, as only a tiny amount of films in this process will ever be made. Sales companies may offer money to projects which they believe are marketable, in exchange for the rights to sell the film to Distribution companies, who distribute the film to all venues. Broadcasters may pay for the rights to show the film on television.
For the next stage of finance, it is important that some countries offer tax-breaks to those who fund films. At the same time, many other Producers are also searching for funds. Money can come from interested private financiers, as most production companies aren't willing to pay for all the costs themselves. Most commonly, production companies from different countries will share the costs and then take the chance to show the film in their own nations. Sales companies will take the right to distribute the film in return for the funding. There are also various organisations of public investment who may be willing to help, such as BBC Films. However, financiers may demand significant changes to the film.
When the film is complete, the Producer will need the help of film marketing companies to advertise it and release it to the general public. The sales agent acts as the go-between person for the Producer and the marketing companies. A trailer is made to try to sell the film to an industrial audience. A sales pack is then produced containing the trailer and all the important information about the film, in an attempt to win over a Distribution company in the heavily competitive market. The Distribution company will commission their own trailers later on to show to the public. Stars and critical acclaim help the marketability of films. Once a film has been sold to the Distributors, it is no longer the responsibility of the Producer in the territories agreed upon.
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Pitch Feedback
Overall, the pitch didn't go too bad. The PowerPoint itself was decent, at least.
People wondered how we would be able to film at night, and on top of that what this would look like in black and white. This would be a problem, but we don't actually plan to film at night, so we're not too worried about that. If it's possible to change it to look like night on Adobe Premiere then that would be great, but it's not an important concern.
There was also the fact that film noir usually stars a femme fatale and we don't have one. A couple of the film noir and neo noir films that we've watched featured a woman in the opening, but the majority of them didn't and so we think we can get away without one, since our opening only features two characters anyway.
Because we obviously can't recreate the 1940s in which most of the film noir movies are based, we're forced to go neo-noir. The telephone in our opening could be an old-fashioned one, but as people said this would look out of place in the modern surroundings, so it would make much more sense to stick with a normal house phone. However, we could meet half way and use a stock 1940s ringing sound for the phone instead of its natural one.
People wondered how we would be able to film at night, and on top of that what this would look like in black and white. This would be a problem, but we don't actually plan to film at night, so we're not too worried about that. If it's possible to change it to look like night on Adobe Premiere then that would be great, but it's not an important concern.
There was also the fact that film noir usually stars a femme fatale and we don't have one. A couple of the film noir and neo noir films that we've watched featured a woman in the opening, but the majority of them didn't and so we think we can get away without one, since our opening only features two characters anyway.
Because we obviously can't recreate the 1940s in which most of the film noir movies are based, we're forced to go neo-noir. The telephone in our opening could be an old-fashioned one, but as people said this would look out of place in the modern surroundings, so it would make much more sense to stick with a normal house phone. However, we could meet half way and use a stock 1940s ringing sound for the phone instead of its natural one.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Analysing an Opening Sequence - In Bruges
Analysing an Opening Sequence
In Bruges (McDonagh, 2008)
Genre – In Bruges, directed and written by Martin McDonagh, is situated most definitely within the ‘thriller noir’ genre. This is an obvious example of modern day film noir, with all the main conventions, but in this case not including the shot technique of black and white, but to make up for this lack of dramatic effect, low key lighting schemes are used, and heavy shadows are shown within the opening sequence. Within the introduction, the audience is faced from the off point with a rough, interesting character. In this contemporary model of film noir Ray, who is played by a well know actor Collin Farrell is not seen within the opening sequence which lasts all of a minute and a half. But, a lot is learnt about him, through a film technique which has become more and more popular within film noir over the years which is known as narration. This conventional film noir style opening could satisfy any noir lover’s generic expectations, beginning with soft, tension adding music which builds up as staple noir narration is read out, also with fading in and out effects used to emphasize the shots at present of the beautiful yet eerie city of Bruges.
The narration used within the opening of this recent example has been written with a noticeable intention, in the form of establishing the scene and putting the reader in a privileged position. Speaking over shots of this cobbled, captivating city puts the intended audience in what could be described as the perfect frame of mind for what the rest of the film has to offer. ‘I didn’t even know where Bruges was… it’s in Belgium’ exclaims Ray at the end of his monologue.
Film Language – The mise-en-scene within the opening sequence could be described as untypical of the noir genre, but within this film where the writer has played about with the conventions it seems to work well, shots of Bruges at night, almost uninhabited, a beautiful sight. Each shot of the city consists of different camera techniques, including pans, zooms and tracks. The opening shots used, are all of buildings, characteristic of Bruges which is famous for its captivating cobblestone streets and detailed religious churches which date back years. Collin Farrell’s musky Irish accent adds to the mise-en-scene within this introduction, giving it an edge over other films categorized within the genre. The shots used fade in and out with the music played, which consists mainly of piano, a predominantly strong mood enhancing instrument within this opening scene, anchoring the location upon which Collin Farrell speaks of.
Ray’s narration shows the kind of character that he is, which is its intended result on the audience after all. It shows how he is a rough man who wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet through someone’s head but also that he has a slight sense of humour in the background and to any film noir loving audience, this helps him to become immediately loved. Ray is describing within the opening scene a murder that he has committed in the past and his actions after that event, he is relatively serious due to the sensitive matter, but he shows streaks of personality using strong language and a slightly aggressive tone which can become attractive to an audience.
Narrative – The narrative of the opening sequence revolves around Ray’s narration over artistic shots of Bruges, being put in this unrestricted position the audience are given an insight to Collin Farrell’s character where they find out a story within his life which seems to have been disturbing him for some time. This establishing use of narration and creative shots do exactly what it says on the tin, set the scene, which is a profound intention by Martin McDonagh as an opening sequence, setting his fortunate audience up for the consequences of Ray’s actions that are about to unfold within the rest of the film. Bruges is not a very well visited capital, and most members of the audience will know little information about it, so an opening sequence of this stature has to be slightly informative in that sense, and this is one aspect that Martin McDonagh puts over very well, simply giving the audience pictures, and putting the lead character in a similar position to them, knowing almost nothing about a place which the rest of the film is going to be set in.
Themes of crime and violence occur constantly within the opening sequence, mainly presented within the narration, and a contradicting view of hiding out in Bruges, a peaceful place, is also shown, but this does seem to give the film that extra subconscious edge over other typical films involving felony and brutality. Tension is created dramatically within the opening sequence, and the music is one feature, along with not seeing a single person for the full minute and a half, only hearing a voice describing murder and tribulation. The opening sequence ends on a note of severe tension, the piano fading out and Collin Farrell reading the words ‘it’s in Belgium’ with a three second period of what could only be described as an ideal silence.
Representation and Ideology – The social groups shown within this opening sequence includes that of the Irish Gangster committing crimes and regretting life, being forced to live for weeks in hiding in a city which he is not fond of, ‘Get out of London, get to Bruges’. This introduction is definitely not glamorizing crime, which a vast majority of films tend to do, whether or not it is the intention, In Bruges seems to describe more or less the truth about crime and how it doesn’t pay. Within this film the audience are kept well within reality, which could be seen as a disadvantage, in the sense that no alternative view is given to this life style that is being led, putting it into words is hard to describe without being harsh but it shows how a criminal lifestyle can simply be a one way street to one’s death or life imprisonment.
The film shows how that kind of gangster lifestyle isn’t always as glamorous as it can be made out to be, committing crimes is an ever occurring aspect of life, and this film truly puts that fact into perspective, but in a lighthearted tone which ass to the selling factor of the lead character, Ray. London, where the crime was committed brings with it connotations of excitement and glamour, and when Bruges is mentioned, the story brings about a new style of film. There are no other films like this, situated within the streets of Bruges, making it very individual and appealing to the audience.
Media Audiences – In Bruges is rated 18, which gives an idea for the target audience, in this case it would more than likely just simply be 18+. Its themes of crime would seem to appeal to most ages but mainly young adults, the older generations would be more interested in its noir connotations and it would almost bring back memories for them, the target audience in this case is very wide, just not for the faint hearted or the easily offended and certainly not for the younger audience, for obvious reasons. The preferred reading is that crime can hide anywhere, and there is simply no place that isn’t covering criminals in someway or another. The film seems to make an effort to deter people from crime which is uncharacteristic for most modern day films, but it does work well with the themes created. There is an oppositional view to this film, and it comes in the form of, ‘is there actually anything we can do about crime?’ Although this does seem to be a very general statement, it is relevant to In Bruges as an oppositional view, and it seems reasonable when watching the opening to see why someone may feel the need to express this view. The last view that is shown is the negotiated reading which reads as follows, ‘although the opening presents the film as not encouraging violence maybe it shouldn’t even be mentioning it.’ This reading seems like a very decisive view of proceedings, where no open-mindedness is shown, but it can also be seen as simply common sense. As a British teenager it interests me to learn about places such as Bruges through the art of film noir techniques and criminal behavior, I feel this film is presented in a very informative fashion which works well.
Institutional Context – The two stars within this film, Collin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson are very well know, and would have helped a lot within the process of getting the film on the map. Collin Farrell in particular has a wide variety of past roles including Det. James 'Sonny' Crockett in Miami Vice, and Stuart Sheppard in Phone Booth, all of these would have only added to his appearance and helped to advertise the film. In Bruges was produced independently by Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin along with being distributed by Focus Features, giving the film slightly less of a start up boost than it deserved. All three of the main characters are shown within the film poster which would have been used for advertisement, with the lead character in the middle in the shape of Collin Farrell. The images in the background are conventionally noir, buildings and back alleys everywhere, the only difference is the colour, which makes sense due to its modern day production, and also the font used is typical. The film established positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes, a well-known film critic website let the world know that 81% of critics gave In Bruges good well earned reviews. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film high praise and a four-out-of-four-star rating, saying, "This film debut by the theater writer and director Martin McDonagh is an endlessly surprising, very dark, human comedy, with a plot that cannot be foreseen but only relished." Overall, it seems as if the film was set for an exciting summer, that may not have entirely come there way.
In Bruges (McDonagh, 2008)
Genre – In Bruges, directed and written by Martin McDonagh, is situated most definitely within the ‘thriller noir’ genre. This is an obvious example of modern day film noir, with all the main conventions, but in this case not including the shot technique of black and white, but to make up for this lack of dramatic effect, low key lighting schemes are used, and heavy shadows are shown within the opening sequence. Within the introduction, the audience is faced from the off point with a rough, interesting character. In this contemporary model of film noir Ray, who is played by a well know actor Collin Farrell is not seen within the opening sequence which lasts all of a minute and a half. But, a lot is learnt about him, through a film technique which has become more and more popular within film noir over the years which is known as narration. This conventional film noir style opening could satisfy any noir lover’s generic expectations, beginning with soft, tension adding music which builds up as staple noir narration is read out, also with fading in and out effects used to emphasize the shots at present of the beautiful yet eerie city of Bruges.
The narration used within the opening of this recent example has been written with a noticeable intention, in the form of establishing the scene and putting the reader in a privileged position. Speaking over shots of this cobbled, captivating city puts the intended audience in what could be described as the perfect frame of mind for what the rest of the film has to offer. ‘I didn’t even know where Bruges was… it’s in Belgium’ exclaims Ray at the end of his monologue.
Film Language – The mise-en-scene within the opening sequence could be described as untypical of the noir genre, but within this film where the writer has played about with the conventions it seems to work well, shots of Bruges at night, almost uninhabited, a beautiful sight. Each shot of the city consists of different camera techniques, including pans, zooms and tracks. The opening shots used, are all of buildings, characteristic of Bruges which is famous for its captivating cobblestone streets and detailed religious churches which date back years. Collin Farrell’s musky Irish accent adds to the mise-en-scene within this introduction, giving it an edge over other films categorized within the genre. The shots used fade in and out with the music played, which consists mainly of piano, a predominantly strong mood enhancing instrument within this opening scene, anchoring the location upon which Collin Farrell speaks of.
Ray’s narration shows the kind of character that he is, which is its intended result on the audience after all. It shows how he is a rough man who wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet through someone’s head but also that he has a slight sense of humour in the background and to any film noir loving audience, this helps him to become immediately loved. Ray is describing within the opening scene a murder that he has committed in the past and his actions after that event, he is relatively serious due to the sensitive matter, but he shows streaks of personality using strong language and a slightly aggressive tone which can become attractive to an audience.
Narrative – The narrative of the opening sequence revolves around Ray’s narration over artistic shots of Bruges, being put in this unrestricted position the audience are given an insight to Collin Farrell’s character where they find out a story within his life which seems to have been disturbing him for some time. This establishing use of narration and creative shots do exactly what it says on the tin, set the scene, which is a profound intention by Martin McDonagh as an opening sequence, setting his fortunate audience up for the consequences of Ray’s actions that are about to unfold within the rest of the film. Bruges is not a very well visited capital, and most members of the audience will know little information about it, so an opening sequence of this stature has to be slightly informative in that sense, and this is one aspect that Martin McDonagh puts over very well, simply giving the audience pictures, and putting the lead character in a similar position to them, knowing almost nothing about a place which the rest of the film is going to be set in.
Themes of crime and violence occur constantly within the opening sequence, mainly presented within the narration, and a contradicting view of hiding out in Bruges, a peaceful place, is also shown, but this does seem to give the film that extra subconscious edge over other typical films involving felony and brutality. Tension is created dramatically within the opening sequence, and the music is one feature, along with not seeing a single person for the full minute and a half, only hearing a voice describing murder and tribulation. The opening sequence ends on a note of severe tension, the piano fading out and Collin Farrell reading the words ‘it’s in Belgium’ with a three second period of what could only be described as an ideal silence.
Representation and Ideology – The social groups shown within this opening sequence includes that of the Irish Gangster committing crimes and regretting life, being forced to live for weeks in hiding in a city which he is not fond of, ‘Get out of London, get to Bruges’. This introduction is definitely not glamorizing crime, which a vast majority of films tend to do, whether or not it is the intention, In Bruges seems to describe more or less the truth about crime and how it doesn’t pay. Within this film the audience are kept well within reality, which could be seen as a disadvantage, in the sense that no alternative view is given to this life style that is being led, putting it into words is hard to describe without being harsh but it shows how a criminal lifestyle can simply be a one way street to one’s death or life imprisonment.
The film shows how that kind of gangster lifestyle isn’t always as glamorous as it can be made out to be, committing crimes is an ever occurring aspect of life, and this film truly puts that fact into perspective, but in a lighthearted tone which ass to the selling factor of the lead character, Ray. London, where the crime was committed brings with it connotations of excitement and glamour, and when Bruges is mentioned, the story brings about a new style of film. There are no other films like this, situated within the streets of Bruges, making it very individual and appealing to the audience.
Media Audiences – In Bruges is rated 18, which gives an idea for the target audience, in this case it would more than likely just simply be 18+. Its themes of crime would seem to appeal to most ages but mainly young adults, the older generations would be more interested in its noir connotations and it would almost bring back memories for them, the target audience in this case is very wide, just not for the faint hearted or the easily offended and certainly not for the younger audience, for obvious reasons. The preferred reading is that crime can hide anywhere, and there is simply no place that isn’t covering criminals in someway or another. The film seems to make an effort to deter people from crime which is uncharacteristic for most modern day films, but it does work well with the themes created. There is an oppositional view to this film, and it comes in the form of, ‘is there actually anything we can do about crime?’ Although this does seem to be a very general statement, it is relevant to In Bruges as an oppositional view, and it seems reasonable when watching the opening to see why someone may feel the need to express this view. The last view that is shown is the negotiated reading which reads as follows, ‘although the opening presents the film as not encouraging violence maybe it shouldn’t even be mentioning it.’ This reading seems like a very decisive view of proceedings, where no open-mindedness is shown, but it can also be seen as simply common sense. As a British teenager it interests me to learn about places such as Bruges through the art of film noir techniques and criminal behavior, I feel this film is presented in a very informative fashion which works well.
Institutional Context – The two stars within this film, Collin Farrell and Brendon Gleeson are very well know, and would have helped a lot within the process of getting the film on the map. Collin Farrell in particular has a wide variety of past roles including Det. James 'Sonny' Crockett in Miami Vice, and Stuart Sheppard in Phone Booth, all of these would have only added to his appearance and helped to advertise the film. In Bruges was produced independently by Graham Broadbent and Peter Czernin along with being distributed by Focus Features, giving the film slightly less of a start up boost than it deserved. All three of the main characters are shown within the film poster which would have been used for advertisement, with the lead character in the middle in the shape of Collin Farrell. The images in the background are conventionally noir, buildings and back alleys everywhere, the only difference is the colour, which makes sense due to its modern day production, and also the font used is typical. The film established positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes, a well-known film critic website let the world know that 81% of critics gave In Bruges good well earned reviews. Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film high praise and a four-out-of-four-star rating, saying, "This film debut by the theater writer and director Martin McDonagh is an endlessly surprising, very dark, human comedy, with a plot that cannot be foreseen but only relished." Overall, it seems as if the film was set for an exciting summer, that may not have entirely come there way.
Analysing an Opening Sequence - Sin City
Analysing an opening sequence
Sin City (Miller, 2005)
Genre - The film Sin City is situated in the noir genre although it has been classified as neo-noir. This is due to the film being mainly shot in black and white although there are some fantastic effects used to pick out certain colours which stand out above the rest. It includes all the distinctive characters and themes you would expect to see in a film noir, starting off with the slow jazz music slowly playing right from the start of the movie. The music is then complimented by the site of the lady in the red dress, a typical character in all film noirs. In walks the classic good-with-the-ladies male, and instantly the lady finds some attraction to him. These opening few seconds are what you expect to see in any film noir with narration over the top. Narration is another typical aspect of film noir and the voice is one of a males speaking very husky describing what he sees and hears. He talks over footage of the Sin City landscape, which is shown to be very dark and almost mysterious. It all seems very normal with the classic storyline of man meets woman and she instantly falls in love, but in Sin City there is a twist when he actually kills the woman after saying he loves her. This is what makes Sin City so unique as you don't really know what is going to happen next.
Film Language - The mise-en-scène of the opening sequence to Sin City is standard in many Film noirs. The scenery is shown as black and white although it seems very unrealistic as the shadows and light are strengthened so there are bairly any greys involved in the surroundings. The landscape is post-20st century with a couple skyscrapers and many flats along a fairly narrow street. The camera shot is filmed from a tall building over looking the city so you can get a feel of what Sin City is like. The roof of the building is very open with the misty city below with areas lit up by street lamps. The costumes and props fit the genre and the century as there are very elegant suits and dresses being worn. The soundtrack is loosely played over the movie with no real rhythm to it but livens up when anything sexual is being said or done. The narration from the main character shows he is a very passionate man and knows how to seduce a woman as he talks about all her qualities in profound detail. He knows what to say to a woman to make her happy and he seems very open about his feelings towards her. This said he finishes off the sequence with a very cheeky line after he kills the lady, "I'll cash her check in the morning." The lady's beauty is emphasised with the outstanding colour of her dress and lips as everything is shown in black and white. There is also a time where he talks about her eyes and they glow green only for a second to draw attention to them.
Narrative - The narration in the opening sequence follows the main character at the start. You don't find out what his name is but you see his face and hear how he thinks. The narration from this character ends after he has killed the lady, the camera then zooms far out and Sin City appears. As usual, the narration in all film noirs, gives the audience and privileged view into the mind of the main character. It helps you find out how the character behaves and feels about certain things, e.g. the lady in the red dress. From the narration you discover he is passionate about woman and likes to pick out their every exquisite detail. He sounds like a decent guy when the narration commences but you eventually find out he is a killer which comes as quite a shock to the audience. The main character seems to be focused on the lady and does not take into account anything else, rain starts to pour and he does not change his mood or even realise it is there. Themes of love and also violence are created in this opening scene, which is odd as they are very seperate aspects. Love seems to be more dominant as it is shown throughout the opening sequence, even when he shoots her he says he love her. You see the love between them is strong even though they have bairly met. Tension isn't really created or maintained during this opening scene. The only real tension that may be created is when he kills the lady, this establishes a twist in the film and gets you hyped up for the rest of the movie.
Representation & Ideology - The social groups represented on screen include the idea of two young people falling in love. It shows a sense of the male's vast attraction to the lady as he has been watching her for a few days. This is also shown as the lady's lips and dress are revealed in colour to make them stand out, displaying how she shines above the rest. The killing shows how people can be something completely different to what they seem on the outside and switch between emotions instantly. You get a huge sense of mystery in the opening scene due to the surroundings as the street looks secretive as if nothing is what it seems. It is very common in film noirs to see the beautiful lady being approached by the male and how he seems so much smaller than her as he seems to be always chasing. Whereas in Sin City, you get the sense that the male is more in control as he makes her feel isolated by saying, "you're ready to face what you have to face, but you don't want to face it alone"
Media Audiences - The film Sin City is rated as a 18 due to the violence, swearing and sexual references throughout the film. Due to these explicit images the film is really aimed for anyone aged 18 to about 35 as after that the gore in the film may be deemed as unsuitable. Although the film may be rated 18 nowadays the general storyline would catch the eye of any teenager from about 15 years old. The preferred reading of Sin City is that people aren't always what they seem and may seem a nice person but on the inside they are something completely different. The murder in the film doesn't really seem very cruel as the character has been built up due to his kind comments. Audiences may see the murder as a shock and oppose of it as it may be deemed unnecessary. As a British teenager, i see this film opening as a brilliant use of effects and has a storyline that would entice me to watching more.
Institutional Context - Sin City has many main characters in the storyline, all being played by huge stars. Big names like; Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen are a few of the hollywood stars being used to play the characters. At the time this movie was produced, they were already big names in the film industry so this would only attract more and more audiences to come and watch them in another big hit. The film was co-produced by Elizabeth Avellan, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and is based on the orignal novel, Sin City. This then gave the film an extra appeal as fans of the book would flood in to see if the film was anything like as good. The biggest names were prominent on the poster: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen. All the main characters are present in black and white with Sin City in bright red writing along the bottom. Advertising the big names on the poster helped attract more people to watch the film as they will have enjoyed watching these stars in other films.
Sin City (Miller, 2005)
Genre - The film Sin City is situated in the noir genre although it has been classified as neo-noir. This is due to the film being mainly shot in black and white although there are some fantastic effects used to pick out certain colours which stand out above the rest. It includes all the distinctive characters and themes you would expect to see in a film noir, starting off with the slow jazz music slowly playing right from the start of the movie. The music is then complimented by the site of the lady in the red dress, a typical character in all film noirs. In walks the classic good-with-the-ladies male, and instantly the lady finds some attraction to him. These opening few seconds are what you expect to see in any film noir with narration over the top. Narration is another typical aspect of film noir and the voice is one of a males speaking very husky describing what he sees and hears. He talks over footage of the Sin City landscape, which is shown to be very dark and almost mysterious. It all seems very normal with the classic storyline of man meets woman and she instantly falls in love, but in Sin City there is a twist when he actually kills the woman after saying he loves her. This is what makes Sin City so unique as you don't really know what is going to happen next.
Film Language - The mise-en-scène of the opening sequence to Sin City is standard in many Film noirs. The scenery is shown as black and white although it seems very unrealistic as the shadows and light are strengthened so there are bairly any greys involved in the surroundings. The landscape is post-20st century with a couple skyscrapers and many flats along a fairly narrow street. The camera shot is filmed from a tall building over looking the city so you can get a feel of what Sin City is like. The roof of the building is very open with the misty city below with areas lit up by street lamps. The costumes and props fit the genre and the century as there are very elegant suits and dresses being worn. The soundtrack is loosely played over the movie with no real rhythm to it but livens up when anything sexual is being said or done. The narration from the main character shows he is a very passionate man and knows how to seduce a woman as he talks about all her qualities in profound detail. He knows what to say to a woman to make her happy and he seems very open about his feelings towards her. This said he finishes off the sequence with a very cheeky line after he kills the lady, "I'll cash her check in the morning." The lady's beauty is emphasised with the outstanding colour of her dress and lips as everything is shown in black and white. There is also a time where he talks about her eyes and they glow green only for a second to draw attention to them.
Narrative - The narration in the opening sequence follows the main character at the start. You don't find out what his name is but you see his face and hear how he thinks. The narration from this character ends after he has killed the lady, the camera then zooms far out and Sin City appears. As usual, the narration in all film noirs, gives the audience and privileged view into the mind of the main character. It helps you find out how the character behaves and feels about certain things, e.g. the lady in the red dress. From the narration you discover he is passionate about woman and likes to pick out their every exquisite detail. He sounds like a decent guy when the narration commences but you eventually find out he is a killer which comes as quite a shock to the audience. The main character seems to be focused on the lady and does not take into account anything else, rain starts to pour and he does not change his mood or even realise it is there. Themes of love and also violence are created in this opening scene, which is odd as they are very seperate aspects. Love seems to be more dominant as it is shown throughout the opening sequence, even when he shoots her he says he love her. You see the love between them is strong even though they have bairly met. Tension isn't really created or maintained during this opening scene. The only real tension that may be created is when he kills the lady, this establishes a twist in the film and gets you hyped up for the rest of the movie.
Representation & Ideology - The social groups represented on screen include the idea of two young people falling in love. It shows a sense of the male's vast attraction to the lady as he has been watching her for a few days. This is also shown as the lady's lips and dress are revealed in colour to make them stand out, displaying how she shines above the rest. The killing shows how people can be something completely different to what they seem on the outside and switch between emotions instantly. You get a huge sense of mystery in the opening scene due to the surroundings as the street looks secretive as if nothing is what it seems. It is very common in film noirs to see the beautiful lady being approached by the male and how he seems so much smaller than her as he seems to be always chasing. Whereas in Sin City, you get the sense that the male is more in control as he makes her feel isolated by saying, "you're ready to face what you have to face, but you don't want to face it alone"
Media Audiences - The film Sin City is rated as a 18 due to the violence, swearing and sexual references throughout the film. Due to these explicit images the film is really aimed for anyone aged 18 to about 35 as after that the gore in the film may be deemed as unsuitable. Although the film may be rated 18 nowadays the general storyline would catch the eye of any teenager from about 15 years old. The preferred reading of Sin City is that people aren't always what they seem and may seem a nice person but on the inside they are something completely different. The murder in the film doesn't really seem very cruel as the character has been built up due to his kind comments. Audiences may see the murder as a shock and oppose of it as it may be deemed unnecessary. As a British teenager, i see this film opening as a brilliant use of effects and has a storyline that would entice me to watching more.
Institutional Context - Sin City has many main characters in the storyline, all being played by huge stars. Big names like; Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen are a few of the hollywood stars being used to play the characters. At the time this movie was produced, they were already big names in the film industry so this would only attract more and more audiences to come and watch them in another big hit. The film was co-produced by Elizabeth Avellan, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and is based on the orignal novel, Sin City. This then gave the film an extra appeal as fans of the book would flood in to see if the film was anything like as good. The biggest names were prominent on the poster: Bruce Willis, Jessica Alba and Clive Owen. All the main characters are present in black and white with Sin City in bright red writing along the bottom. Advertising the big names on the poster helped attract more people to watch the film as they will have enjoyed watching these stars in other films.
Analysing an Opening Sequence - L.A. Confidential
Analysing an Opening Sequence
L.A. Confidential (Hanson, 1997)
Genre - Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential is a film of the neo-noir sub-genre: shot in colour, unlike classic noir, but making use of the gritty themes and characters that made film noir so distinctive. Immediately the viewer is faced with some jazzy music that almost seems as if it belongs in an American gangster film, which shows how thin the line between neo-noir and that genre can be. This cheerful opening may not fulfil the expectations of those who are, not unrealistically, expecting to be greeted by dark alleys and hardboiled cops on the edge right from the start. In fact, it makes a slightly mocking reference to such techniques with the television show playing on the old black and white sets in the shop windows – everyone’s watching Badge of Honour, a crime drama where the cops ‘walk on water to keep the city clean of crooks’. A serious looking cop smoking a serious looking cigarette gazes menacingly off-screen.
The noir staple of narration is made use of, although instead of a gravelly-voiced wise guy detective, it’s the instantly recognisable gravelly voice of Danny DeVito. DeVito’s presence once again nods to a crossover from the American Gangster genre, which he has many times acted in. His narration carries the sarcastic and knowing tone that narrations so often do in such a genre. He talks over footage of 1950s Los Angeles, the stereotypical images used to show the American Dream in action. The audience knows that below this squeaky-clean façade there is more than meets the eye, otherwise this wouldn’t be a neo-noir film at all. There are some expectations that are guaranteed to be met. “It’s paradise on Earth. Hehehe, that’s what they tell ya, anyway…”
Film Language – The mise-en-scène of the opening is unusual, as it is almost entirely made up of fuzzy and idealistic stock footage from 20th century L.A. It alternates between black and white footage and early colour footage, showing the clothes and technology appropriate to the time, along with the apparent optimism. Dotted in between the stock footage are shots that are newly filmed, but the costumes and props fit exactly into the era. The difference is that the new film doesn’t have scratch marks in its display. The office of Danny DeVito, as Sid Hudgens, is dark and messy. He himself is wearing the classic press attire along with thick spectacles. Many shots of newspapers and magazine envelope the screen, an oft-used technique for getting the news across in noir films. The camera never focuses on one subject for too long, and changes angles drastically depending on what the stock footage is. The jazzy soundtrack carries with it the recognisability which anchors the era that the film is set in. It is played loosely over the footage with no attempt to fit the rhythm.
Sid’s narration shows that he’s a sarcastic character who is able to cheerily talk about the opportunities for everyone in Los Angeles, and then go on to talk about how the don of crime Meyer Harris Cohen runs drugs rings, prostitution and murder without even changing the tone of his voice. He even laughs it off, saying “and the dapper little gent does it in style”. The man doesn’t seem to be too concerned about these things, but his ironic optimism is catchy and it’s hard to hate what little we know of him so far. The most prominent visual technique is certainly the use of newspaper covers and archive footage which puts the film into a setting of reality, even though all these different types of film look completely different since they were all filmed at different times by different cameras. However, since the technique is clearly intentional it isn’t at all jarring to the viewer.
Narrative – The narrative of the opening follows Sid’s narration over the footage of Los Angeles. It is revealed at the end of the opening that he is speaking aloud as he types out his story on the typewriter. Once he finishes talking, the screen fades to black and the real story begins. As usual with narration, the audience is given a special bird’s eye view into the brain of one of the characters, and the character is a smart and likeable guy who seems to know plenty about L.A. The viewer knows what L.A. is and is probably familiar with the concept of the American Dream which Sid describes, although he never mentions it by name. The thing that alienates the audience the most is the almost chilling way with which he changes the subject to crime and casually dismisses atrocious acts like murder. The world of the 1950s Los Angeles underground is going to be a new experience to most viewers, even if they can guess what went on there.
The themes of organised crime are present, along with the American Dream, murder and a view of society that is both overwhelmingly optimistic and depressingly bleak. The themes seem to contradict each other, but what better way to represent such a world of paradoxes? Tension is channelled immediately as Sid’s narration travels to the underworld. A wine cork explodes, and the don’s bodyguard instinctively reaches for his gun. Shocking murder scene photos fill the screen. “But all is not well”, Sid warns, as after Cohen is arrested that leaves a vacuum of crime and it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to fill it. These words set up the events of the film.
Representation and Ideology – The social groups shown on screen include the idea of the average American, enjoying life and the chance to make it big. Included in this are some prominent shots of the nuclear family. They pray at the dinner table and in general are shown to be having wholesome, uncontroversial fun. They live alongside luxurious movie stars, and even have the chance to be “discovered”. But in this city there also exists the mob, corrupt gangsters who run a dirty business. These groups are actually shown to be rich, successful and living the high life. However, they can be caught by the “best police force in the world”, sarcasm notably present. It seems as if the movie is glamourising organised crime. After all, it shows mob boss Cohen dancing with beautiful women and drinking expensive wine. Sid’s narration is not at all disapproving. He treats the American Dream with more than a little irony, although the footage does seem to suggest that it exists and is thriving.
It’s common for films to show organised crime as glamorous, but with short hints of the true darkness to bring the viewer back into reality. The bloodstained corpses of Cohen’s victims make sure that it’s understood that the life of crime is one that gets your hands dirty once in a while. All the same, these serious matters are playfully dismissed by the narration. Any jolly black and white footage of 20th century American life brings with it the connotations of naivety and innocence, filled with the optimism following the end of the war. Los Angeles itself carries the connotations of a thriving hub of entertainment, filled to the brim with movie star, opportunities and big ideas. Many noir films, such as The Big Sleep, have been set within its streets, which gives an added dimension of crime and seediness.
Media Audiences – The film is rated 18, so to see it in the cinema the viewers would have to be over that age for a start. Its sleazy themes may appeal to young adults, but it is adults who are likely to specifically enjoy the essence of the neo-noir. Really, anyone who is over 18 and is not easy to offend will probably find something of value in the film, giving it a wide grasp. Nowadays, its universally critically-acclaimed status many bring in viewers eager to see what makes a film win so many Academy Awards. The preferred reading is that crime hides in the most innocent-looking of places, and there is nowhere that isn’t sitting atop a criminal underworld. It seems to suggest that crime can co-exist even with the ‘Garden of Eden’. It doesn’t make much effort to deter people from crime, but it does show some gruesome crime photos that show being part of the mob isn’t all cocktail parties and jazz music. People who feel the need might take an oppositional reading that the film is either endorsing organised crime or saying that there’s nothing anyone can do about it. This view usually may seem like a foolish route to take, but it’s easy to understand in this particular film why somebody may think this. After all, Danny DeVito’s powerful cheeriness coupled with the energetic soundtrack really do make living knee-deep in crime seem like a rather pleasant experience. Somewhere in between these two views is the negotiated reading, which says that it understands that the movie isn’t actually telling viewers to go out and join the neighbourhood mafia, but still doesn’t like the way that things are being portrayed so light-heartedly. Some may say the upsides of crime shouldn’t be portrayed at all. As a British teenager, crime that may or may not have happened in another country fifty years ago doesn’t concern me too much, so I can just enjoy the film for its twisted sense of humour and neo-noir techniques.
Institutional Context – Two of the stars used in the film, Guy Pearce and Russell Crow, were not well known in America at the time, so their use was not hugely relevant. However, this is made up for by Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger, who certainly were all huge stars at the time. This instantly gave the movie colossal star power with someone for almost everyone. Although it’s true that only Danny DeVito appears in the opening, and for barely a minute, his narration runs through the entire introduction. And it doesn’t matter that his face isn’t immediately shown, because his voice is immediately recognisable for pretty much everyone over 18, and even people far younger than that. A distinctive voice is a powerful weapon.
L.A. Confidential was produced industrially by Wolper Productions and New Regency Productions, along with being distributed by Warner Bros. It was based off a book of the same name written earlier in the decade, which of course gave it an extra appeal for fans of the book. Two of the film’s biggest stars are prominent on the poster: Basinger and Spacey. The font of the title is classic noir, the only difference being that it is in deep red instead of colourless. All five main characters are present (even Danny DeVito, hastily crammed into the space below Spacey’s tuxedo). Basinger’s presence at the front suggests that the studio believed that she was the major force behind advertising, and a low-cut dress could only sweeten the deal. The other, slightly more obscure poster is two thirds blackness, with a wall of policemen and police cars in the distance. This version takes little advantage of the star power available. Director Curtis Hanson made sure to immerse Crowe and Pearce in Los Angeles culture before filming, in order to help them understand what L.A. was all about.
Although at the time Warner Brothers disagreed, Hanson wanted the film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Warner thought that the festival was biased against studio-backed films, but the Cannes critics proved them wrong and declared it a masterpiece. The film went on to be praised by nearly all critics, and it seemed that the attention paid to recreating the L.A. experience paid off, as it was voted the best film set in Los Angeles in the last 25 years by the Los Angeles Times. Watching the opening, it is almost surprising that a film with stars as big as these would have an opening that refused to show all but one of them, and with no close-ups at all.
L.A. Confidential (Hanson, 1997)
Genre - Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential is a film of the neo-noir sub-genre: shot in colour, unlike classic noir, but making use of the gritty themes and characters that made film noir so distinctive. Immediately the viewer is faced with some jazzy music that almost seems as if it belongs in an American gangster film, which shows how thin the line between neo-noir and that genre can be. This cheerful opening may not fulfil the expectations of those who are, not unrealistically, expecting to be greeted by dark alleys and hardboiled cops on the edge right from the start. In fact, it makes a slightly mocking reference to such techniques with the television show playing on the old black and white sets in the shop windows – everyone’s watching Badge of Honour, a crime drama where the cops ‘walk on water to keep the city clean of crooks’. A serious looking cop smoking a serious looking cigarette gazes menacingly off-screen.
The noir staple of narration is made use of, although instead of a gravelly-voiced wise guy detective, it’s the instantly recognisable gravelly voice of Danny DeVito. DeVito’s presence once again nods to a crossover from the American Gangster genre, which he has many times acted in. His narration carries the sarcastic and knowing tone that narrations so often do in such a genre. He talks over footage of 1950s Los Angeles, the stereotypical images used to show the American Dream in action. The audience knows that below this squeaky-clean façade there is more than meets the eye, otherwise this wouldn’t be a neo-noir film at all. There are some expectations that are guaranteed to be met. “It’s paradise on Earth. Hehehe, that’s what they tell ya, anyway…”
Film Language – The mise-en-scène of the opening is unusual, as it is almost entirely made up of fuzzy and idealistic stock footage from 20th century L.A. It alternates between black and white footage and early colour footage, showing the clothes and technology appropriate to the time, along with the apparent optimism. Dotted in between the stock footage are shots that are newly filmed, but the costumes and props fit exactly into the era. The difference is that the new film doesn’t have scratch marks in its display. The office of Danny DeVito, as Sid Hudgens, is dark and messy. He himself is wearing the classic press attire along with thick spectacles. Many shots of newspapers and magazine envelope the screen, an oft-used technique for getting the news across in noir films. The camera never focuses on one subject for too long, and changes angles drastically depending on what the stock footage is. The jazzy soundtrack carries with it the recognisability which anchors the era that the film is set in. It is played loosely over the footage with no attempt to fit the rhythm.
Sid’s narration shows that he’s a sarcastic character who is able to cheerily talk about the opportunities for everyone in Los Angeles, and then go on to talk about how the don of crime Meyer Harris Cohen runs drugs rings, prostitution and murder without even changing the tone of his voice. He even laughs it off, saying “and the dapper little gent does it in style”. The man doesn’t seem to be too concerned about these things, but his ironic optimism is catchy and it’s hard to hate what little we know of him so far. The most prominent visual technique is certainly the use of newspaper covers and archive footage which puts the film into a setting of reality, even though all these different types of film look completely different since they were all filmed at different times by different cameras. However, since the technique is clearly intentional it isn’t at all jarring to the viewer.
Narrative – The narrative of the opening follows Sid’s narration over the footage of Los Angeles. It is revealed at the end of the opening that he is speaking aloud as he types out his story on the typewriter. Once he finishes talking, the screen fades to black and the real story begins. As usual with narration, the audience is given a special bird’s eye view into the brain of one of the characters, and the character is a smart and likeable guy who seems to know plenty about L.A. The viewer knows what L.A. is and is probably familiar with the concept of the American Dream which Sid describes, although he never mentions it by name. The thing that alienates the audience the most is the almost chilling way with which he changes the subject to crime and casually dismisses atrocious acts like murder. The world of the 1950s Los Angeles underground is going to be a new experience to most viewers, even if they can guess what went on there.
The themes of organised crime are present, along with the American Dream, murder and a view of society that is both overwhelmingly optimistic and depressingly bleak. The themes seem to contradict each other, but what better way to represent such a world of paradoxes? Tension is channelled immediately as Sid’s narration travels to the underworld. A wine cork explodes, and the don’s bodyguard instinctively reaches for his gun. Shocking murder scene photos fill the screen. “But all is not well”, Sid warns, as after Cohen is arrested that leaves a vacuum of crime and it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to fill it. These words set up the events of the film.
Representation and Ideology – The social groups shown on screen include the idea of the average American, enjoying life and the chance to make it big. Included in this are some prominent shots of the nuclear family. They pray at the dinner table and in general are shown to be having wholesome, uncontroversial fun. They live alongside luxurious movie stars, and even have the chance to be “discovered”. But in this city there also exists the mob, corrupt gangsters who run a dirty business. These groups are actually shown to be rich, successful and living the high life. However, they can be caught by the “best police force in the world”, sarcasm notably present. It seems as if the movie is glamourising organised crime. After all, it shows mob boss Cohen dancing with beautiful women and drinking expensive wine. Sid’s narration is not at all disapproving. He treats the American Dream with more than a little irony, although the footage does seem to suggest that it exists and is thriving.
It’s common for films to show organised crime as glamorous, but with short hints of the true darkness to bring the viewer back into reality. The bloodstained corpses of Cohen’s victims make sure that it’s understood that the life of crime is one that gets your hands dirty once in a while. All the same, these serious matters are playfully dismissed by the narration. Any jolly black and white footage of 20th century American life brings with it the connotations of naivety and innocence, filled with the optimism following the end of the war. Los Angeles itself carries the connotations of a thriving hub of entertainment, filled to the brim with movie star, opportunities and big ideas. Many noir films, such as The Big Sleep, have been set within its streets, which gives an added dimension of crime and seediness.
Media Audiences – The film is rated 18, so to see it in the cinema the viewers would have to be over that age for a start. Its sleazy themes may appeal to young adults, but it is adults who are likely to specifically enjoy the essence of the neo-noir. Really, anyone who is over 18 and is not easy to offend will probably find something of value in the film, giving it a wide grasp. Nowadays, its universally critically-acclaimed status many bring in viewers eager to see what makes a film win so many Academy Awards. The preferred reading is that crime hides in the most innocent-looking of places, and there is nowhere that isn’t sitting atop a criminal underworld. It seems to suggest that crime can co-exist even with the ‘Garden of Eden’. It doesn’t make much effort to deter people from crime, but it does show some gruesome crime photos that show being part of the mob isn’t all cocktail parties and jazz music. People who feel the need might take an oppositional reading that the film is either endorsing organised crime or saying that there’s nothing anyone can do about it. This view usually may seem like a foolish route to take, but it’s easy to understand in this particular film why somebody may think this. After all, Danny DeVito’s powerful cheeriness coupled with the energetic soundtrack really do make living knee-deep in crime seem like a rather pleasant experience. Somewhere in between these two views is the negotiated reading, which says that it understands that the movie isn’t actually telling viewers to go out and join the neighbourhood mafia, but still doesn’t like the way that things are being portrayed so light-heartedly. Some may say the upsides of crime shouldn’t be portrayed at all. As a British teenager, crime that may or may not have happened in another country fifty years ago doesn’t concern me too much, so I can just enjoy the film for its twisted sense of humour and neo-noir techniques.
Institutional Context – Two of the stars used in the film, Guy Pearce and Russell Crow, were not well known in America at the time, so their use was not hugely relevant. However, this is made up for by Danny DeVito, Kevin Spacey and Kim Basinger, who certainly were all huge stars at the time. This instantly gave the movie colossal star power with someone for almost everyone. Although it’s true that only Danny DeVito appears in the opening, and for barely a minute, his narration runs through the entire introduction. And it doesn’t matter that his face isn’t immediately shown, because his voice is immediately recognisable for pretty much everyone over 18, and even people far younger than that. A distinctive voice is a powerful weapon.
L.A. Confidential was produced industrially by Wolper Productions and New Regency Productions, along with being distributed by Warner Bros. It was based off a book of the same name written earlier in the decade, which of course gave it an extra appeal for fans of the book. Two of the film’s biggest stars are prominent on the poster: Basinger and Spacey. The font of the title is classic noir, the only difference being that it is in deep red instead of colourless. All five main characters are present (even Danny DeVito, hastily crammed into the space below Spacey’s tuxedo). Basinger’s presence at the front suggests that the studio believed that she was the major force behind advertising, and a low-cut dress could only sweeten the deal. The other, slightly more obscure poster is two thirds blackness, with a wall of policemen and police cars in the distance. This version takes little advantage of the star power available. Director Curtis Hanson made sure to immerse Crowe and Pearce in Los Angeles culture before filming, in order to help them understand what L.A. was all about.
Although at the time Warner Brothers disagreed, Hanson wanted the film to be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Warner thought that the festival was biased against studio-backed films, but the Cannes critics proved them wrong and declared it a masterpiece. The film went on to be praised by nearly all critics, and it seemed that the attention paid to recreating the L.A. experience paid off, as it was voted the best film set in Los Angeles in the last 25 years by the Los Angeles Times. Watching the opening, it is almost surprising that a film with stars as big as these would have an opening that refused to show all but one of them, and with no close-ups at all.
Friday, 17 October 2008
Le Noir Conversation
Note: due to audio problems on the computer that we were using, some parts of the soundtrack may be inappropriately loud.
Conversation Evaluation - Filming
Before the filming, we had already picked out a room to film in, although we weren't sure whether we would be allowed to work there. Luckily, we were let in and the room was exactly what we had hoped - all the windows were covered by blinds, perfect to experiment for the film noir style we had been researching. We reorganised the furniture to fit our method of filming and to put the room into a more appropriate arrangemement for the mise-en-scene of film noir.
Our camera angles and movements were already mapped out by the storyboards, so all we had to do was recreate them. The first problem was the unavoidable noise inside the Sixth Form common room, outside out own room, where we needed to do the first part of our filming. In the end, we just got on with the filming, making three or four takes. We planned to use the one with the least background noise, although we hoped that since this shot had no dialogue it would be easy to drown out the diagetic sound with the soundtrack in the editing. The room was luckily silent, which meant that we didn't have to worry about this for the rest of the video. Even so, we recorded some sounds and dialogue multiple times in order to pick the best ones afterwards. One shot wasn't used because someone's legs were visible in a window.
We had no trouble replicating all the angles we had planned in the storyboard, as they were interesting but not massively ambitious. At one point, to gain even more height on the angle, we placed our tripod on a set of three chairs. This was about as ambitious as it got, and it was largely to make up for the fact that Mike is very tall and the tripod cannot normally see over his shoulder. We made sure at the end to return the room back to its original state and to put the camera and tripod away properly.
Our camera angles and movements were already mapped out by the storyboards, so all we had to do was recreate them. The first problem was the unavoidable noise inside the Sixth Form common room, outside out own room, where we needed to do the first part of our filming. In the end, we just got on with the filming, making three or four takes. We planned to use the one with the least background noise, although we hoped that since this shot had no dialogue it would be easy to drown out the diagetic sound with the soundtrack in the editing. The room was luckily silent, which meant that we didn't have to worry about this for the rest of the video. Even so, we recorded some sounds and dialogue multiple times in order to pick the best ones afterwards. One shot wasn't used because someone's legs were visible in a window.
We had no trouble replicating all the angles we had planned in the storyboard, as they were interesting but not massively ambitious. At one point, to gain even more height on the angle, we placed our tripod on a set of three chairs. This was about as ambitious as it got, and it was largely to make up for the fact that Mike is very tall and the tripod cannot normally see over his shoulder. We made sure at the end to return the room back to its original state and to put the camera and tripod away properly.
Conversation Evaluation - Story Pre-Production
SMR Media began production with a simple yet effective storyboard, on this storyboard we planned exactly what we were going to do, the camera angles, location and mise-en-scene, even though no extra marks were going to be awarded for this section. We decided on shooting in an office within the 6th form block, which was perfect for the kind of mise-en-scene that we are hoping to use within our two minute film opening. We also thought that we would need some kind of costume definition between actors so that some difference could be told, for this we decided to borrow a hat from the drama studio which was kindly offered to us by Mr. Alan Freeman. We were also hoping to borrow a trench coat, which would have been perfect for our 'detective' lead character within our conversation, but we were unable to obtain this due to it being in use at the particular time for which we were filming.
We got ideas for our storyboard from analysing older film openings within the genre we are going to use within our two minute film opening, including camera angles and other important factors. Overall we believe that all of the pre-production work that we experimented with helped alot when we came to officially filming our preliminary tast.
We got ideas for our storyboard from analysing older film openings within the genre we are going to use within our two minute film opening, including camera angles and other important factors. Overall we believe that all of the pre-production work that we experimented with helped alot when we came to officially filming our preliminary tast.
Conversation Evaluation - Editing
During the editing process we had to face many problems that came our way. One of the main problems we encountered was actually transferring the film onto the computer and into the Adobe Premiere. This occurred due to not enough disk space on the area we were saving it. After a lot of playing around with the settings we finally found that the film wasn't being recorded to the desired area. After this had been completed, we went on to crop each scene. We also seemed to face a couple of problems here, as we kept overlapping the other scenes due to us not knowing when the actual scene had finished.
The largest difficulty we came across was the sound. The diagetic sound we record during the filming varied in volume so we had to alter it to make it all the same. Another problem was the soundtrack, as it was a lot louder than the diagetic sound. We took a lot of time in perfecting the soundtrack to synchronise with the dialogue.
Due to our cropping errors we did not have enough angles and the lengths of our cuts were not correct. We could not solve this, but used effects to cover up some of our mistakes and make them look less jarring.
Overall our editing went well as we managed to produce the effects we wanted (e.g. Black & White) and the angles we used were perfect. We suffered from few minor problems and could easily edit the film to make it look quality.
The largest difficulty we came across was the sound. The diagetic sound we record during the filming varied in volume so we had to alter it to make it all the same. Another problem was the soundtrack, as it was a lot louder than the diagetic sound. We took a lot of time in perfecting the soundtrack to synchronise with the dialogue.
Due to our cropping errors we did not have enough angles and the lengths of our cuts were not correct. We could not solve this, but used effects to cover up some of our mistakes and make them look less jarring.
Overall our editing went well as we managed to produce the effects we wanted (e.g. Black & White) and the angles we used were perfect. We suffered from few minor problems and could easily edit the film to make it look quality.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Opening Shot Analysis - The Third Man (1949)
Shot No. 1
Duration: 25 secs.
Shot Type: extreme long shot - zoom in -mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: micheal rennie walks down very dark street at night with large enhanced shadows, then enters room throw doorway, orchestra constant, credits from start to end of the 25 secs, fades out.
Shot No. 2
Duration: 6 secs.
Shot Type: long shot
Mise-en-Scène: fades into landscape of London with buses and taxis driving past, word LONDON is directly in centre, music slows down then stops, fades out.
Shot No. 3
Duration: 13 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Face of nurse is shown as she holds patient's hand inside hospital, doctor walks up from behind and checks heartbeat, dialogue is spoken by doctor.
Shot No. 4
Duration: 17 secs
Shot Type: close up - zoom out - mid long shot - zoom in - medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: sign saying "CASUALTY DEPARTMENT", zooms out whilst panning right to focus on old man in wheelchair, room is fairly dark, then tracks nurse by panning to the left, dialogue is spoken by nurse, main character steps into room and room suddenly become a lot brighter as though someone had just turned on the lights, zooms in to medium close up of characters face.
Shot No. 5
Duration: 18 secs
Shot Type: long shot - zoom in - mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: long shot is used to capture characters and beds in the hospital, main character then walks towards the camera and turns to stand beside bed, camera pans to keep track of the character's movement, lighting is used very well to focus on the ill woman in bed, she seems to be lit up to draw your attention to her.
Shot No. 6
Duration: 6 secs
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: main character is in centre of camera view, nurse walks behind him, dialogue is spoken by nurse, and the camera follows her slightly before panning back to main character.
Shot No. 7
Duration: 3 secs
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: ill woman turns head on pillow so you can see her full on, lighting is used yet again to birghten her face.
Shot No. 8
Duration: 12 secs
Shot Type: mid shot - zoom in - close up
Mise-en-Scène: camera is in same position as in shot No. 6, dialogue is spoken by main character and then by nurse, camera pans to nurse then back onto main character.
Shot No. 9
Duration: 2 sec
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: Camera is in same position as in shot No. 7, quick glimpse of ill woman as nurse pats her head with cloth, dialogue is spoken above by main character.
Shot No. 10
Duration: 16 secs
Shot Type: mid shot - zoom in - close up
Mise-en-Scène: camera is in same position as in shot No. 6 & 8, a lot of dialogue is spoken by the main character to the nurse, as this is happening camera slowly zooms in to characters face, fades out.
Duration: 25 secs.
Shot Type: extreme long shot - zoom in -mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: micheal rennie walks down very dark street at night with large enhanced shadows, then enters room throw doorway, orchestra constant, credits from start to end of the 25 secs, fades out.
Shot No. 2
Duration: 6 secs.
Shot Type: long shot
Mise-en-Scène: fades into landscape of London with buses and taxis driving past, word LONDON is directly in centre, music slows down then stops, fades out.
Shot No. 3
Duration: 13 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Face of nurse is shown as she holds patient's hand inside hospital, doctor walks up from behind and checks heartbeat, dialogue is spoken by doctor.
Shot No. 4
Duration: 17 secs
Shot Type: close up - zoom out - mid long shot - zoom in - medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: sign saying "CASUALTY DEPARTMENT", zooms out whilst panning right to focus on old man in wheelchair, room is fairly dark, then tracks nurse by panning to the left, dialogue is spoken by nurse, main character steps into room and room suddenly become a lot brighter as though someone had just turned on the lights, zooms in to medium close up of characters face.
Shot No. 5
Duration: 18 secs
Shot Type: long shot - zoom in - mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: long shot is used to capture characters and beds in the hospital, main character then walks towards the camera and turns to stand beside bed, camera pans to keep track of the character's movement, lighting is used very well to focus on the ill woman in bed, she seems to be lit up to draw your attention to her.
Shot No. 6
Duration: 6 secs
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: main character is in centre of camera view, nurse walks behind him, dialogue is spoken by nurse, and the camera follows her slightly before panning back to main character.
Shot No. 7
Duration: 3 secs
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: ill woman turns head on pillow so you can see her full on, lighting is used yet again to birghten her face.
Shot No. 8
Duration: 12 secs
Shot Type: mid shot - zoom in - close up
Mise-en-Scène: camera is in same position as in shot No. 6, dialogue is spoken by main character and then by nurse, camera pans to nurse then back onto main character.
Shot No. 9
Duration: 2 sec
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: Camera is in same position as in shot No. 7, quick glimpse of ill woman as nurse pats her head with cloth, dialogue is spoken above by main character.
Shot No. 10
Duration: 16 secs
Shot Type: mid shot - zoom in - close up
Mise-en-Scène: camera is in same position as in shot No. 6 & 8, a lot of dialogue is spoken by the main character to the nurse, as this is happening camera slowly zooms in to characters face, fades out.
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Opening Shot Analysis - The Maltese Falcon (Huston, 1941)
Shot No. 1
Duration: 83 secs.
Shot Type: close up, zoom out, mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: falcon statue with mood enhancing shadow in background against wall, orchestra constant, credits along with passage of writing from the one minute mark onwards to 83 seconds.
Shot No. 2
Duration: 12 secs.
Shot Type: (four) establishing shots, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: San Francisco bridge, to London, and then back to San Francisco bridge, then the city is shown from a different angle in which the camera pans to the right to show a major part of the city
Shot No. 3
Duration: 11 secs.
Shot Type: establishing, ped down, mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: company name on window, Sam Spade spins round on chair rolling a cigarette, sam spade dialogue as door opens, music fades out
Shot No. 4
Duration: 4 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade has his back to camera, secretary dialogue
Shot No. 5
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: secretary dialogue
Shot No. 6
Duration: 4 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade finished rolling cigarette, Sam Spade diolgue
Shot No. 7
Duration: 12 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot, ped up
Mise-en-Scène: secretary opens door, secretary dialogue, Miss Wonderly walks in, secretary leaves, Sam Spade stands up to greet.
Shot No. 8
Duration: 9 secs.
Shot Type: long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade dialogue, Miss Wonderly dialogue etc, Miss Wonderly takes a seat
Shot No. 9
Duration: 23 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: dialogue from both characters, Sam Spade lights cigarette as Miss Wonderly explains problem, Sam Spade has his back to the camera
Shot No. 10
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: Miss Wonderly has her back to the camera, Sam Spade diologue
Shot No. 11
Duration: 16 secs.
Shot Type: close up
Mise-en-Scène: dramatic monologue from Miss Wonderly
Duration: 83 secs.
Shot Type: close up, zoom out, mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: falcon statue with mood enhancing shadow in background against wall, orchestra constant, credits along with passage of writing from the one minute mark onwards to 83 seconds.
Shot No. 2
Duration: 12 secs.
Shot Type: (four) establishing shots, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: San Francisco bridge, to London, and then back to San Francisco bridge, then the city is shown from a different angle in which the camera pans to the right to show a major part of the city
Shot No. 3
Duration: 11 secs.
Shot Type: establishing, ped down, mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: company name on window, Sam Spade spins round on chair rolling a cigarette, sam spade dialogue as door opens, music fades out
Shot No. 4
Duration: 4 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade has his back to camera, secretary dialogue
Shot No. 5
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: mid close up
Mise-en-Scène: secretary dialogue
Shot No. 6
Duration: 4 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade finished rolling cigarette, Sam Spade diolgue
Shot No. 7
Duration: 12 secs.
Shot Type: mid long shot, ped up
Mise-en-Scène: secretary opens door, secretary dialogue, Miss Wonderly walks in, secretary leaves, Sam Spade stands up to greet.
Shot No. 8
Duration: 9 secs.
Shot Type: long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Sam Spade dialogue, Miss Wonderly dialogue etc, Miss Wonderly takes a seat
Shot No. 9
Duration: 23 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: dialogue from both characters, Sam Spade lights cigarette as Miss Wonderly explains problem, Sam Spade has his back to the camera
Shot No. 10
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: mid shot
Mise-en-Scène: Miss Wonderly has her back to the camera, Sam Spade diologue
Shot No. 11
Duration: 16 secs.
Shot Type: close up
Mise-en-Scène: dramatic monologue from Miss Wonderly
Opening Shot Analysis - The Big Sleep (Hawks, 1946)
Shot No. 1
Duration: 39 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot, tilt down
Mise-en-Scène: Shadows against wall, opening credits; ashtray with smoking cigarettes in foreground; ever-present orchestra
Shot No. 2
Duration: 6 secs.
Shot Type: Close up, pan left, fade out
Mise-en-Scène: Front door plaque and hand pressing doorbell
Shot No. 3
Duration: 18 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: Front door from inside large and extravagant house, butler answers the doorbell; Marlowe enters in a suit; butler exits
Shot No. 4
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen descends large staircase into the foyer
Shot No. 5
Duration: 2 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe dialogue
Shot No. 6
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen fiddles with post on table with flowers; dialogue
Shot No. 7
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe fidgets; dialogue
Shot No. 8
Duration: 7 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot, pan left
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen approaches Marlowe; dialogue
Shot No. 9
Duration: 2 secs.
Shot Type: Medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot next to Carmen at Marlowe; dialogue
Shot No. 10
Duration: 8 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot over Marlowe’s shoulder; dialogue
Shot No. 11
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot over Carmen’s shoulder’ dialogue
Shot No. 12
Duration: 7 secs.
Shot Type: Medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: Both characters in frame; Carmen falls into Marlowe’s arms; orchestral flourish
Shot No. 13
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe and Carmen looking at each other closely; disturbed by door opening from off-screen
Duration: 39 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot, tilt down
Mise-en-Scène: Shadows against wall, opening credits; ashtray with smoking cigarettes in foreground; ever-present orchestra
Shot No. 2
Duration: 6 secs.
Shot Type: Close up, pan left, fade out
Mise-en-Scène: Front door plaque and hand pressing doorbell
Shot No. 3
Duration: 18 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: Front door from inside large and extravagant house, butler answers the doorbell; Marlowe enters in a suit; butler exits
Shot No. 4
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot, pan right
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen descends large staircase into the foyer
Shot No. 5
Duration: 2 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe dialogue
Shot No. 6
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen fiddles with post on table with flowers; dialogue
Shot No. 7
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: Long shot
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe fidgets; dialogue
Shot No. 8
Duration: 7 secs.
Shot Type: Medium shot, pan left
Mise-en-Scène: Carmen approaches Marlowe; dialogue
Shot No. 9
Duration: 2 secs.
Shot Type: Medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot next to Carmen at Marlowe; dialogue
Shot No. 10
Duration: 8 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot over Marlowe’s shoulder; dialogue
Shot No. 11
Duration: 3 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Shot over Carmen’s shoulder’ dialogue
Shot No. 12
Duration: 7 secs.
Shot Type: Medium close up
Mise-en-Scène: Both characters in frame; Carmen falls into Marlowe’s arms; orchestral flourish
Shot No. 13
Duration: 5 secs.
Shot Type: Close up
Mise-en-Scène: Marlowe and Carmen looking at each other closely; disturbed by door opening from off-screen
Friday, 10 October 2008
Director
I am going to be the Director of SMR Media which the entire group agreed on. Despite the fact that i am the director i will actually be taking part in all the activities but with a less dependent role.
Being a director, i will have to control resources and expenditures during the shoot of the film. I will also be supurvising the actors and directing the action in the production of the show. Basically I will be directing the making of the film and making sure everything is safe during the shots.
Being a director, i will have to control resources and expenditures during the shoot of the film. I will also be supurvising the actors and directing the action in the production of the show. Basically I will be directing the making of the film and making sure everything is safe during the shots.
Editor
I will be SMR Media's editor. As a group we all agreed upon our preferred positions, which thankfully worked out quite well. Even though I'm the editor, everyone in the group will take part in the footage editing, as it is a vital part of the work. Just the same, I'll help in the directing and producing as well, to a lesser degree.
As the editor, it will be my job to cut unneeded or erroneous footage from the film using Adobe Premiere. I will also be checking for continuity as well as deciding the final shot lengths and adding a soundtrack. Maybe the order of the footage will be coinciding in some way with the beat of the music. Whatever the case, I will need to arrange a final cut that has synergy, and does not look awkward, which the whole group agrees on.
As the editor, it will be my job to cut unneeded or erroneous footage from the film using Adobe Premiere. I will also be checking for continuity as well as deciding the final shot lengths and adding a soundtrack. Maybe the order of the footage will be coinciding in some way with the beat of the music. Whatever the case, I will need to arrange a final cut that has synergy, and does not look awkward, which the whole group agrees on.
Producer
I have chosen to be the producer of SMR Media, we came to the decision as a group and i feel that in this position i will be able to help out most. Although i am the producer, the team have made a conscious decision to all have a say in each of the three jobs, but main responsibilities for certain production activities will be given to me to keep on top of.
As producer, it will be my job to keep some sort of organisation within the group, by supervising all of the activities and playing a part in particular jobs like perfecting camera shots and angles, i will be responsible for the artistic direction and administration side of the film opening. But the main part of my job will be controlling presentation, which is very important to the group.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Analysing an Opening Sequence - The Stranger
Analysing an Opening Sequence
The Stranger (Welles, 1946)
The Stranger is situated in the genre, film noir due to all the conventions it has included during the film. I feel it is a fantastic example of film noir as it is shot in black and white and consists of many brilliant uses of shadows, high angle shots and low key lighting schemes. The opening sequence contains large amounts of crabbing as it slowly follows the main character around. The first main character you witness is a very powerful figure played by Orson Welles. He is shown as a dominant male and acts aggressive during the first minute. The second character we come across is named Wilson played expertly by Edward G. Robinson who works for the United Nations War Crimes Commission. He is an investigator and is shown as quite a feeble and anxious man as he repeats his lines to himself. The opening scene includes a man talking amongst a group of group of people from different countries, it then goes on to Wilson getting off a boat in Spain, and being pursued by a woman sent from an anonymous man. The scene ends with Wilson receiving a photo telling him directions of where to go. The opening sequence helps build up tension for the rest of the film as it is very mysterious during the first 4 minutes.
The lighting makes the movie seem very dark and mystifying which creates the perfect setting for a film noir. The music generates quite a spooky atmosphere as it is your typical thriller type soundtrack. Credits are the first thing used in the introduction and appear right at the beginning of the film. It shows the actors names, producers and of course the title. Orson Welles uses brilliant camera movement and technique to emphasise each line being said, such as when the man slams his pipe down. As shown in other film noir movies, tension is built by some characters’ faces not actually being fully revealed until the opening sequence has finished. There are many people you don’t completely see in the first sequence and this really creates a feel of mystery but also gives you the idea of good and evil as many of the evil characters faces are not shown. The audience is privileged, as they get an insight into what a detective has to go through during his job and how he has to take risks when he asks the photographer about a man he is looking for. The opening sequence then finishes when the tension is at peek and sets up the movie perfectly.
The film begins with a view from almost birds-eye and then zooms out and down to see one of the main character’s faces. Orson Welles has used fantastic camera movement as it combines with the lighting to make the room look larger than it is and has made the main character seem in control. These effects and movements set the movie up very well as they are so precise and incredibly done, so the audience is expecting the film to be magnificent.
The Stranger is not actually rated but is suitable for all ages as there is nothing rude or distasteful for the audience’s viewing. As the film is generally a thriller, younger children may feel quite frightened or confused by the whole detective idea so the film is really aimed for teenagers or above, as we can fully understand the plot and gaze upon this amazing example of a film noir. This style of film attracts a certain type of audience; it is not for everyone as it conveys a specified meaning in the way that it has been filmed and written. The preferred reading of The Stranger is that a detective’s job can be very dangerous, but it is very difficult to attach a reading as there is little dialogue but it would seem that the woman is being used to investigate Wilson. As a young British teenager, born about 50 years after it was produced, I would see this film as another investigation movie that captivates the audience as you can almost get involved with the film. I find the camera techniques combined with the lighting are the most impressive part of the opening sequence as they are so brilliantly united.
The lead character, Edward G. Robinson, starred in many great movies before The Stranger. Two very famous film appearances he made where in, “Double Indemnity” and “The Woman in the Window” which only helped attract more audiences for The Stranger as he was such an idol to others. Him and Orson Welles both were huge hits and had huge talent in the movie industry. Orson Welles also co-starred in the film, as well as writing and directing it, before Touch of Evil he wrote such timeless stories as War of the Worlds and in 1941, he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Citizen Kane, often chosen in polls of film critics as the greatest film ever made.
The film, The Stranger, was produced by Sam Spiegel and was distributed by International Pictures/RKO Pictures. The film was another success created by Orson Welles and at the time was voted as one of the best Film Noir thrillers of the era. There were many posters and advertisements put up to attract audiences, the poster includes a large picture of Edward G. Robinson’s face at the side of large clock where in front of stands a man and woman holding each other. The characters names are also listed at the top with the title shooting out across the middle. The colour scheme used is fairly mysterious as there are a mixture of browns and dark reds attacked by a yellow lightning bolt style outline of the characters. The use of the large picture of Edward G. Robinson would help attract audiences as he is a very famous and familiar face in movies so people would be interested in seeing him in another film. This is probably the most famous poster of The Stranger as it shows all three of the lead characters in one poster. The film was rated as one the greatest film noir thrillers of it time and has remained a classic since then.
The Stranger (Welles, 1946)
The Stranger is situated in the genre, film noir due to all the conventions it has included during the film. I feel it is a fantastic example of film noir as it is shot in black and white and consists of many brilliant uses of shadows, high angle shots and low key lighting schemes. The opening sequence contains large amounts of crabbing as it slowly follows the main character around. The first main character you witness is a very powerful figure played by Orson Welles. He is shown as a dominant male and acts aggressive during the first minute. The second character we come across is named Wilson played expertly by Edward G. Robinson who works for the United Nations War Crimes Commission. He is an investigator and is shown as quite a feeble and anxious man as he repeats his lines to himself. The opening scene includes a man talking amongst a group of group of people from different countries, it then goes on to Wilson getting off a boat in Spain, and being pursued by a woman sent from an anonymous man. The scene ends with Wilson receiving a photo telling him directions of where to go. The opening sequence helps build up tension for the rest of the film as it is very mysterious during the first 4 minutes.
The lighting makes the movie seem very dark and mystifying which creates the perfect setting for a film noir. The music generates quite a spooky atmosphere as it is your typical thriller type soundtrack. Credits are the first thing used in the introduction and appear right at the beginning of the film. It shows the actors names, producers and of course the title. Orson Welles uses brilliant camera movement and technique to emphasise each line being said, such as when the man slams his pipe down. As shown in other film noir movies, tension is built by some characters’ faces not actually being fully revealed until the opening sequence has finished. There are many people you don’t completely see in the first sequence and this really creates a feel of mystery but also gives you the idea of good and evil as many of the evil characters faces are not shown. The audience is privileged, as they get an insight into what a detective has to go through during his job and how he has to take risks when he asks the photographer about a man he is looking for. The opening sequence then finishes when the tension is at peek and sets up the movie perfectly.
The film begins with a view from almost birds-eye and then zooms out and down to see one of the main character’s faces. Orson Welles has used fantastic camera movement as it combines with the lighting to make the room look larger than it is and has made the main character seem in control. These effects and movements set the movie up very well as they are so precise and incredibly done, so the audience is expecting the film to be magnificent.
The Stranger is not actually rated but is suitable for all ages as there is nothing rude or distasteful for the audience’s viewing. As the film is generally a thriller, younger children may feel quite frightened or confused by the whole detective idea so the film is really aimed for teenagers or above, as we can fully understand the plot and gaze upon this amazing example of a film noir. This style of film attracts a certain type of audience; it is not for everyone as it conveys a specified meaning in the way that it has been filmed and written. The preferred reading of The Stranger is that a detective’s job can be very dangerous, but it is very difficult to attach a reading as there is little dialogue but it would seem that the woman is being used to investigate Wilson. As a young British teenager, born about 50 years after it was produced, I would see this film as another investigation movie that captivates the audience as you can almost get involved with the film. I find the camera techniques combined with the lighting are the most impressive part of the opening sequence as they are so brilliantly united.
The lead character, Edward G. Robinson, starred in many great movies before The Stranger. Two very famous film appearances he made where in, “Double Indemnity” and “The Woman in the Window” which only helped attract more audiences for The Stranger as he was such an idol to others. Him and Orson Welles both were huge hits and had huge talent in the movie industry. Orson Welles also co-starred in the film, as well as writing and directing it, before Touch of Evil he wrote such timeless stories as War of the Worlds and in 1941, he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Citizen Kane, often chosen in polls of film critics as the greatest film ever made.
The film, The Stranger, was produced by Sam Spiegel and was distributed by International Pictures/RKO Pictures. The film was another success created by Orson Welles and at the time was voted as one of the best Film Noir thrillers of the era. There were many posters and advertisements put up to attract audiences, the poster includes a large picture of Edward G. Robinson’s face at the side of large clock where in front of stands a man and woman holding each other. The characters names are also listed at the top with the title shooting out across the middle. The colour scheme used is fairly mysterious as there are a mixture of browns and dark reds attacked by a yellow lightning bolt style outline of the characters. The use of the large picture of Edward G. Robinson would help attract audiences as he is a very famous and familiar face in movies so people would be interested in seeing him in another film. This is probably the most famous poster of The Stranger as it shows all three of the lead characters in one poster. The film was rated as one the greatest film noir thrillers of it time and has remained a classic since then.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Analysing an Opening Sequence - Touch of Evil
Analysing an Opening Sequence
Touch of Evil (Welles, 1958)
Touch of evil is most certainly situated within the film noir thriller genre, containing many of the conventions needed, it is a fantastic advertisement for this style of film. Shot in black and white with the wonderful use of shadows, high angle shots, and unbelievable low key lighting schemes, has enabled this film to be seen as one of the last examples of film noir thriller in the genre’s classic era, from the early 1940’s, to the late 1950’s. The opening sequence is set on the Mexico/US border, the home of the deceit and violence that is about to take place within these opening three and a half minutes. The film’s introduction contains one of the most famous crane shots of all time capturing incredible and perfect images that can in a way only be described as art. The main character that is tracked within this opening sequence is beautifully presented as a stereotypical film noir lead character, he is immediately liked, as he is shown as a caring, smart man, dressed in a suit, with his arm around his wife walking her down the gritty streets of Mexico, occasionally stopping to kiss her. The opening scene consists of a man placing a bomb in a car, and then that car’s journey towards the US border, following alongside the newlyweds Mike and Suzie Vargas. The Scene ends with the couple kissing and then the car exploding within the US. This film noir thriller is truly one of the classics of it’s time, beyond the technical perfection the tension is incredible and it all explodes off screen this justly makes the film a model opening sequence.
The colour scheme used is very dark, there are barely any light colours within the introductory three and half minutes, this puts the viewer into the perfect state of mind to begin watching this typical film noir thriller. Set on the musky streets of Mexico, it brings alive action sequences and its mood setting Jazz music lightly played in the background also makes the opening sequence as effective as it is. No credits are used within the introduction, and this forces the viewer to pay even more attention to the events unfolding before their eyes. The only shot within the opening that isn’t made with a crane is the one at the very end of the car exploding, this enables the viewer to appreciate Orson Welles’ spectacular camera techniques, if he was given full control of the making of ‘Touch of Evil’ it could well have been one of his greatest creations. As shown in other film noir movies, tension is built by the lead character’s face not actually being shown until way past the one minute mark, played by Charlton Heston this moment is when the viewer begins to pay attention to the car as it pulls up alongside him and his wife with a bomb in the trunk. You then see the car pull up and the American citizens inside talk to an official with the newlyweds walking on in the background, the woman in the car then hints that she can ‘hear a ticking noise in her head’, and it is almost comical in the sense that she is laughed at by the official and told to drive on when in reality she is the talking sense. The viewers are then put in a privileged position by where we receive a close up of Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh kissing then looking up in astonishment as there is a cut to the car exploding, this is where the opening scene ends, with tension at its peek and the viewers asking questions about what will come next, it is almost as if the objectives of directing and writing have been achieved perfectly by Orson Welles.
The film begins with a man holding a bomb, the timer is set, then he sneaks up to a car and places it in the trunk, incredible shadow techniques are used for this sequence, and this thirty second piece where no man’s face is seen sets the entire film up with extreme pace. The crane camera technique really does begin the film at an enormously high standard, and gives the rest of the movie a lot to live up to.
Touch of Evil is rated PG and apart from the explosion at the end it is most probably viewable for all ages, with its artistically shot sequences and comedic edge within the opening sequence, but this may not interest younger children as it contains slight influences of violence and deep performances, so the film’s target audience could be seen as from the teenage generation upwards as it needs more mature viewers to appreciate the work that has gone into it and it’s astounding storyline. This style of film attracts a certain audience, it is not for everyone as it conveys a specified meaning in the way that it has been filmed and written. The preferred reading of Touch of evil, is that crime really does pay, it is difficult to actually attach a reading to this film as there is very little dialogue but it would seem as if the oppositional view of the film is that the woman is ignored, ‘they disregard women’ and then finally the negotiated view, this would have be seen as ‘yes, crime really does pay, but it shouldn’t be presented in a film in that particular way’. As a British male teenager, born exactly 50 years after this film was created, it seems to be almost cheesy in the sense that he is so in love with his wife, but this was not its intention back in the late 50’s. In this day and age a teenager’s uncensored mind would see the car blowing up as almost insignificant compared to modern action films in which large cities are destroyed. What is most appealing about Touch of Evil in my point of view is the way it is beautifully shot, three and a half minutes of a crane shot is simply impressive, with its spectacular low key lighting schemes, it sets the movie up almost perfectly.
Charlton Heston, the lead character in Touch of Evil, had starred in many films before this, such as ‘The Ten Commandments’ and ‘Three Violent People’ he was an idol, and this only attracted more and more viewers, but Touch of Evil, directed, written and co-starred by Orson Welles was one of his most memorable performances that 10 years later earned him a chance to act in ‘Planet of the Apes’ a global phenomenon. Janet Leigh had also an equally impressive list of films before she was cast for Touch of Evil, starring in such classics as Houdini, after her spectacular performance in Touch of Evil, she lead on to acting in such famous horrors as Psycho, for which she received a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award. Orson Welles also co-starred in the film, as well as writing and directing it, before Touch of Evil he wrote such timeless stories as War of the Worlds and in 1941, he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Citizen Kane, often chosen in polls of film critics as the greatest film ever made. This glorious cast that had been put together almost guaranteed the film success.
Touch of Evil was produced by Albert Zugsmith and Rick Schmidlin and was distributed by the world famous Universal Studios, the film added to a long list of successes that Orson Welles had achieved as at that point in time it was considered justly as one of the greatest film noir thrillers of all time. The posters and advertisements of the film were representative of the 1950’s, Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh kissing with Orson Welles standing in the background, a colourful scheme is used to attract attention which is unusual for film noir. (normally dull and shaded colours are the conventions) The characters names are listed to also add emphasis. This is the most popular poster of the film, showing all three of the main and famous actors in the cartoon style. Since 1958 the film has remained a classic and in 1993, Touch of Evil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film was placed number 64 on American Film Institute's 100 Years, 100 Thrills.
Touch of Evil (Welles, 1958)
Touch of evil is most certainly situated within the film noir thriller genre, containing many of the conventions needed, it is a fantastic advertisement for this style of film. Shot in black and white with the wonderful use of shadows, high angle shots, and unbelievable low key lighting schemes, has enabled this film to be seen as one of the last examples of film noir thriller in the genre’s classic era, from the early 1940’s, to the late 1950’s. The opening sequence is set on the Mexico/US border, the home of the deceit and violence that is about to take place within these opening three and a half minutes. The film’s introduction contains one of the most famous crane shots of all time capturing incredible and perfect images that can in a way only be described as art. The main character that is tracked within this opening sequence is beautifully presented as a stereotypical film noir lead character, he is immediately liked, as he is shown as a caring, smart man, dressed in a suit, with his arm around his wife walking her down the gritty streets of Mexico, occasionally stopping to kiss her. The opening scene consists of a man placing a bomb in a car, and then that car’s journey towards the US border, following alongside the newlyweds Mike and Suzie Vargas. The Scene ends with the couple kissing and then the car exploding within the US. This film noir thriller is truly one of the classics of it’s time, beyond the technical perfection the tension is incredible and it all explodes off screen this justly makes the film a model opening sequence.
The colour scheme used is very dark, there are barely any light colours within the introductory three and half minutes, this puts the viewer into the perfect state of mind to begin watching this typical film noir thriller. Set on the musky streets of Mexico, it brings alive action sequences and its mood setting Jazz music lightly played in the background also makes the opening sequence as effective as it is. No credits are used within the introduction, and this forces the viewer to pay even more attention to the events unfolding before their eyes. The only shot within the opening that isn’t made with a crane is the one at the very end of the car exploding, this enables the viewer to appreciate Orson Welles’ spectacular camera techniques, if he was given full control of the making of ‘Touch of Evil’ it could well have been one of his greatest creations. As shown in other film noir movies, tension is built by the lead character’s face not actually being shown until way past the one minute mark, played by Charlton Heston this moment is when the viewer begins to pay attention to the car as it pulls up alongside him and his wife with a bomb in the trunk. You then see the car pull up and the American citizens inside talk to an official with the newlyweds walking on in the background, the woman in the car then hints that she can ‘hear a ticking noise in her head’, and it is almost comical in the sense that she is laughed at by the official and told to drive on when in reality she is the talking sense. The viewers are then put in a privileged position by where we receive a close up of Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh kissing then looking up in astonishment as there is a cut to the car exploding, this is where the opening scene ends, with tension at its peek and the viewers asking questions about what will come next, it is almost as if the objectives of directing and writing have been achieved perfectly by Orson Welles.
The film begins with a man holding a bomb, the timer is set, then he sneaks up to a car and places it in the trunk, incredible shadow techniques are used for this sequence, and this thirty second piece where no man’s face is seen sets the entire film up with extreme pace. The crane camera technique really does begin the film at an enormously high standard, and gives the rest of the movie a lot to live up to.
Touch of Evil is rated PG and apart from the explosion at the end it is most probably viewable for all ages, with its artistically shot sequences and comedic edge within the opening sequence, but this may not interest younger children as it contains slight influences of violence and deep performances, so the film’s target audience could be seen as from the teenage generation upwards as it needs more mature viewers to appreciate the work that has gone into it and it’s astounding storyline. This style of film attracts a certain audience, it is not for everyone as it conveys a specified meaning in the way that it has been filmed and written. The preferred reading of Touch of evil, is that crime really does pay, it is difficult to actually attach a reading to this film as there is very little dialogue but it would seem as if the oppositional view of the film is that the woman is ignored, ‘they disregard women’ and then finally the negotiated view, this would have be seen as ‘yes, crime really does pay, but it shouldn’t be presented in a film in that particular way’. As a British male teenager, born exactly 50 years after this film was created, it seems to be almost cheesy in the sense that he is so in love with his wife, but this was not its intention back in the late 50’s. In this day and age a teenager’s uncensored mind would see the car blowing up as almost insignificant compared to modern action films in which large cities are destroyed. What is most appealing about Touch of Evil in my point of view is the way it is beautifully shot, three and a half minutes of a crane shot is simply impressive, with its spectacular low key lighting schemes, it sets the movie up almost perfectly.
Charlton Heston, the lead character in Touch of Evil, had starred in many films before this, such as ‘The Ten Commandments’ and ‘Three Violent People’ he was an idol, and this only attracted more and more viewers, but Touch of Evil, directed, written and co-starred by Orson Welles was one of his most memorable performances that 10 years later earned him a chance to act in ‘Planet of the Apes’ a global phenomenon. Janet Leigh had also an equally impressive list of films before she was cast for Touch of Evil, starring in such classics as Houdini, after her spectacular performance in Touch of Evil, she lead on to acting in such famous horrors as Psycho, for which she received a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Academy Award. Orson Welles also co-starred in the film, as well as writing and directing it, before Touch of Evil he wrote such timeless stories as War of the Worlds and in 1941, he co-wrote, directed, produced and starred in Citizen Kane, often chosen in polls of film critics as the greatest film ever made. This glorious cast that had been put together almost guaranteed the film success.
Touch of Evil was produced by Albert Zugsmith and Rick Schmidlin and was distributed by the world famous Universal Studios, the film added to a long list of successes that Orson Welles had achieved as at that point in time it was considered justly as one of the greatest film noir thrillers of all time. The posters and advertisements of the film were representative of the 1950’s, Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh kissing with Orson Welles standing in the background, a colourful scheme is used to attract attention which is unusual for film noir. (normally dull and shaded colours are the conventions) The characters names are listed to also add emphasis. This is the most popular poster of the film, showing all three of the main and famous actors in the cartoon style. Since 1958 the film has remained a classic and in 1993, Touch of Evil was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film was placed number 64 on American Film Institute's 100 Years, 100 Thrills.
Monday, 6 October 2008
Analysing an Opening Sequence - Double Indemnity
Analysing an Opening Sequence
Double Indemnity (Wilder, 1944)
Double Indemnity is most certainly a film noir thriller – a perfect example of the genre, in fact. It’s heavy on the shadows and the intrigue; it’s not so heavy on the colour. Here, the pleasantly grainy streets of Los Angeles are the home of vice, hard-boiled men of the street, flaming metal garbage drums and black-and-white treachery. The main character, insurance salesman Walter Neff, is familiar enough to warm the heart of any fan of the genre. His trenchcoat and hat are the staple attire of the hardboiled noir lead. However, Neff has not always been this way, as shown in the following flashback. The flashback itself is an oft-used technique of film noir, and it gives a good reason for the use of narration. In this case, the narration is explained by the Dictaphone that Neff is spilling his story into. Although looking back nowadays the film is such perfect noir that it almost seems like a parody, that is not its intention.
The lack of colour in the city streets immediately sets the viewer into the right mindset. The short credits sequence is accompanied by an ever-present orchestral soundtrack which continues throughout the entire opening. The camera plays few tricks, staying mostly with mid-shots and tracking Neff’s progress, first in his car, then in his office. However, it takes nearly a minute and a half from Neff’s entrance onto the screen for his face to be shown – even longer for his face to be shown in close-up. The camera stays behind him; the viewer only sees the back of his hat and hears his distinctive voice. As he enters his office, the room is almost entirely in darkness. It’s difficult to pick out what’s going on until Neff turns on his desk lamp, illuminating the room and casting heavy shadows. The orchestra plays softly but menacingly in the background. When Neff’s face is finally seen from a medium close-up he is revealed to be soaked in sweat. In the Dietrichson household, the living room windows are naturally covered by Venetian blinds which cast barcode shadows across the floor, walls, and Neff. Double Indemnity was actually one of the first films to make use of this classic noir technique. Here, Neff comments on his surroundings through the narration, describing what the viewer can see in fairly explicit detail.
The film starts with an assumedly-white background, the credits fading in and out over the top in a period-appropriate font. Behind, the silhouette of a man on crutches lumbers closer and closer to the camera. The music increases in intensity. Just as the silhouette is about to engulf the screen, the picture fades quickly into Los Angeles, where Neff’s car is zooming down the street in a fashion that almost seems purposefully sped-up and is reminiscent of a ‘caper’ film.
The opening is structured to be the set-up to the main story, which actually happened in the past. As Neff arrives in his office, the events of the rest of the film have already happened. He picks up the Dictaphone and proceeds to explain his story, which is when the film fades into flashback. He is addressing his confession (“I don’t like the word ‘confession’”) to a colleague, Keyes, although since the audience is listening in he may as well be addressing it to them. Listening in as his sinful story unfolds, the audience is intrigued. Neff doesn’t seem like a bad man, but his shaken exterior gives away the fact that he’s done something bad. The question is, what? “You said it wasn’t an accident. Check.” This line is a fantastic creator of tension, ramped up by the following one: “You said it wasn’t suicide. Check.” Neff doesn’t need to say the next line for the audience to get the message, but he does anyway. “You said it was murder… Check.”
Neff is an insurance salesman, a job which carries with it certain connotations of legal grey areas and dodgy dealings. He is monosyllabic at first, giving little attention to the enthusiastic and balding porter who greets him at the door. The little man claims that the company don’t tell him anything, although he doesn’t seem to mind very much. In the flashback, Neff is greeted by an un-co-operative maid, who makes the assumption that he is simply selling something. She is brushed off by the introduction of the film’s femme fatale: Phyllis Dietrichson. Phyllis enters the frame dressed in only a towel and is all too keen to answer Neff’s call. She wastes no time in flirting with him. A classic femme fatale, Phyllis has her own agenda and has no intention of letting any men get in her way. In its very characteristics, film noir is filled with these flawed, human characters, and although Neff confesses for the whole world to hear that he was involved in murder, the audience can predict that there was more to the crime than simple malice. By watching the film, they may find him to be relatable, reasonable, or simply betrayed. The maid comments that he’s probably after the liquor cabinet. When it comes to semiotics, there are plenty of parts of the opening that carry specific meanings. As already mentioned, Neff is identifiable as the hardboiled lead even before he says a word, simply thanks to his specific choice of hat and coat combination. There is also no doubt that the streets at night are not without their seedy connotations. At the time of the film’s release, Los Angeles was a hotbed for motion picture industry and a familiar sight for cinemagoers. To viewers watching nowadays, the thought that springs to mind after seeing that the picture is not in colour is most likely going to be the image of film noir – grizzled detectives prowling through smoky alleyways and newspaper headlines spinning towards the screen.
The film is rated PG, as it is generally viewable for all despite its dark themes. Although this is true, it is not a film that children would be interested in due to its heavy themes of drama and psychology. It is more intended for adults, from the late twenties and beyond. That said, film noir attracts a cult audience in this day and age, and Double Indemnity holds a nostalgic grip on those who remember seeing it in the pictures back in the day. The phrase ‘they don’t make ‘em like this any more’ walks hand in hand with this film. The preferred reading would be that in this world where the shade is more grey than simply black or white, the average man can resort to crimes he never would have imagined he was capable of, but he will be punished for them. Not everyone is going to agree with this, however, and these people may take an oppositional view that the film is giving out a message of “the world is corrupt, just roll with it!” They may even think that the film is rotting the morals of society. Of course, to take this view you would have to ignore the ending where Neff pays for his crimes, but not everyone is going to finish the movie before they make up their minds on whether they agree with it or not. The negotiated view is somewhere in between, with the understanding that the consequences of crime can outweigh the benefits, but it’s not really right to show an ordinary man sinking to murder for the sake of a beautiful woman. Speaking of women, there are two sides of the argument concerning Mrs. Phyllis Dietrichson. Some may argue that as an independent woman who twists men around her little finger, she is a liberating force for her gender. Despite this, there is always the lingering view that it is wrong that a woman should use her sex appeal in such a way. As a male, British teenager born nearly fifty years after the film’s release, times have changed and the sex references and murder plots seem tame in comparison to the content that gets through nowadays. What is most interesting about the film is its wonderful noir appeal – a quaint snapshot of a movie from a different time.
The main acting trio of the film took a lot of difficulty to bring together, mostly because its need for flawed characters. Fred MacMurray, a.k.a. Walter Neff, had starred in genuinely dozens of films before his appearance in Double Indemnity. He was a star, but Double Indemnity has become one of his most iconic performances for being cast outside of his usual ‘nice guy’ type. Barbera Stanwyck had an equally impressive filmography, even more so, when she was cast. In fact, she also had little history of playing killers, which made her nervous at the time. She needn’t have been, as her performance got her nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 1944. Just to round off the trio of bruisers, Edward G. Robinson (not seen in the opening, but his character, Keyes, is who Neff is addressing in his recording) had an even bigger filmography at the time of release – he officially acted in fifty films before Double Indemnity. There was no problem of an obscure cast.
The film was produced ‘industrially’ by Paramount Pictures and it was the film which established Billy Wilder as a directorial juggernaut. It was actually based off of a book written a year earlier by James M. Cain, which was in turn based off of a real crime that happened a few decades before. There is always an audience for films based off of a true story, and likewise people will faithfully flock to see a film adaption of a book they have read. In both the book and the film, Double Indemnity’s adulterous themes were quite controversial at the time, and unpopular with the censors. The film’s advertising campaign boldly stated “‘Double Indemnity'—the two most important words since D.W. Griffith's 'Broken Blossoms.” The posters for the movie are typical of the time: a painting of MacMurray and Stanwick embracing, over the top of a pink background (an unusual colour for noir). Robinson looks on with interest from the left. This is by far the most common poster for the film, although others do exist, with variations on the theme but always displaying all three of the stars. By 1939, Wilder had already received one Academy Award Nomination and had directed number of box office hits. After its release in 1944, Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Disappointingly, it won none of them. Since then, it has gone on to be considered an absolute classic and is frequently a part of “Best 100…” film competitions.
Double Indemnity (Wilder, 1944)
Double Indemnity is most certainly a film noir thriller – a perfect example of the genre, in fact. It’s heavy on the shadows and the intrigue; it’s not so heavy on the colour. Here, the pleasantly grainy streets of Los Angeles are the home of vice, hard-boiled men of the street, flaming metal garbage drums and black-and-white treachery. The main character, insurance salesman Walter Neff, is familiar enough to warm the heart of any fan of the genre. His trenchcoat and hat are the staple attire of the hardboiled noir lead. However, Neff has not always been this way, as shown in the following flashback. The flashback itself is an oft-used technique of film noir, and it gives a good reason for the use of narration. In this case, the narration is explained by the Dictaphone that Neff is spilling his story into. Although looking back nowadays the film is such perfect noir that it almost seems like a parody, that is not its intention.
The lack of colour in the city streets immediately sets the viewer into the right mindset. The short credits sequence is accompanied by an ever-present orchestral soundtrack which continues throughout the entire opening. The camera plays few tricks, staying mostly with mid-shots and tracking Neff’s progress, first in his car, then in his office. However, it takes nearly a minute and a half from Neff’s entrance onto the screen for his face to be shown – even longer for his face to be shown in close-up. The camera stays behind him; the viewer only sees the back of his hat and hears his distinctive voice. As he enters his office, the room is almost entirely in darkness. It’s difficult to pick out what’s going on until Neff turns on his desk lamp, illuminating the room and casting heavy shadows. The orchestra plays softly but menacingly in the background. When Neff’s face is finally seen from a medium close-up he is revealed to be soaked in sweat. In the Dietrichson household, the living room windows are naturally covered by Venetian blinds which cast barcode shadows across the floor, walls, and Neff. Double Indemnity was actually one of the first films to make use of this classic noir technique. Here, Neff comments on his surroundings through the narration, describing what the viewer can see in fairly explicit detail.
The film starts with an assumedly-white background, the credits fading in and out over the top in a period-appropriate font. Behind, the silhouette of a man on crutches lumbers closer and closer to the camera. The music increases in intensity. Just as the silhouette is about to engulf the screen, the picture fades quickly into Los Angeles, where Neff’s car is zooming down the street in a fashion that almost seems purposefully sped-up and is reminiscent of a ‘caper’ film.
The opening is structured to be the set-up to the main story, which actually happened in the past. As Neff arrives in his office, the events of the rest of the film have already happened. He picks up the Dictaphone and proceeds to explain his story, which is when the film fades into flashback. He is addressing his confession (“I don’t like the word ‘confession’”) to a colleague, Keyes, although since the audience is listening in he may as well be addressing it to them. Listening in as his sinful story unfolds, the audience is intrigued. Neff doesn’t seem like a bad man, but his shaken exterior gives away the fact that he’s done something bad. The question is, what? “You said it wasn’t an accident. Check.” This line is a fantastic creator of tension, ramped up by the following one: “You said it wasn’t suicide. Check.” Neff doesn’t need to say the next line for the audience to get the message, but he does anyway. “You said it was murder… Check.”
Neff is an insurance salesman, a job which carries with it certain connotations of legal grey areas and dodgy dealings. He is monosyllabic at first, giving little attention to the enthusiastic and balding porter who greets him at the door. The little man claims that the company don’t tell him anything, although he doesn’t seem to mind very much. In the flashback, Neff is greeted by an un-co-operative maid, who makes the assumption that he is simply selling something. She is brushed off by the introduction of the film’s femme fatale: Phyllis Dietrichson. Phyllis enters the frame dressed in only a towel and is all too keen to answer Neff’s call. She wastes no time in flirting with him. A classic femme fatale, Phyllis has her own agenda and has no intention of letting any men get in her way. In its very characteristics, film noir is filled with these flawed, human characters, and although Neff confesses for the whole world to hear that he was involved in murder, the audience can predict that there was more to the crime than simple malice. By watching the film, they may find him to be relatable, reasonable, or simply betrayed. The maid comments that he’s probably after the liquor cabinet. When it comes to semiotics, there are plenty of parts of the opening that carry specific meanings. As already mentioned, Neff is identifiable as the hardboiled lead even before he says a word, simply thanks to his specific choice of hat and coat combination. There is also no doubt that the streets at night are not without their seedy connotations. At the time of the film’s release, Los Angeles was a hotbed for motion picture industry and a familiar sight for cinemagoers. To viewers watching nowadays, the thought that springs to mind after seeing that the picture is not in colour is most likely going to be the image of film noir – grizzled detectives prowling through smoky alleyways and newspaper headlines spinning towards the screen.
The film is rated PG, as it is generally viewable for all despite its dark themes. Although this is true, it is not a film that children would be interested in due to its heavy themes of drama and psychology. It is more intended for adults, from the late twenties and beyond. That said, film noir attracts a cult audience in this day and age, and Double Indemnity holds a nostalgic grip on those who remember seeing it in the pictures back in the day. The phrase ‘they don’t make ‘em like this any more’ walks hand in hand with this film. The preferred reading would be that in this world where the shade is more grey than simply black or white, the average man can resort to crimes he never would have imagined he was capable of, but he will be punished for them. Not everyone is going to agree with this, however, and these people may take an oppositional view that the film is giving out a message of “the world is corrupt, just roll with it!” They may even think that the film is rotting the morals of society. Of course, to take this view you would have to ignore the ending where Neff pays for his crimes, but not everyone is going to finish the movie before they make up their minds on whether they agree with it or not. The negotiated view is somewhere in between, with the understanding that the consequences of crime can outweigh the benefits, but it’s not really right to show an ordinary man sinking to murder for the sake of a beautiful woman. Speaking of women, there are two sides of the argument concerning Mrs. Phyllis Dietrichson. Some may argue that as an independent woman who twists men around her little finger, she is a liberating force for her gender. Despite this, there is always the lingering view that it is wrong that a woman should use her sex appeal in such a way. As a male, British teenager born nearly fifty years after the film’s release, times have changed and the sex references and murder plots seem tame in comparison to the content that gets through nowadays. What is most interesting about the film is its wonderful noir appeal – a quaint snapshot of a movie from a different time.
The main acting trio of the film took a lot of difficulty to bring together, mostly because its need for flawed characters. Fred MacMurray, a.k.a. Walter Neff, had starred in genuinely dozens of films before his appearance in Double Indemnity. He was a star, but Double Indemnity has become one of his most iconic performances for being cast outside of his usual ‘nice guy’ type. Barbera Stanwyck had an equally impressive filmography, even more so, when she was cast. In fact, she also had little history of playing killers, which made her nervous at the time. She needn’t have been, as her performance got her nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 1944. Just to round off the trio of bruisers, Edward G. Robinson (not seen in the opening, but his character, Keyes, is who Neff is addressing in his recording) had an even bigger filmography at the time of release – he officially acted in fifty films before Double Indemnity. There was no problem of an obscure cast.
The film was produced ‘industrially’ by Paramount Pictures and it was the film which established Billy Wilder as a directorial juggernaut. It was actually based off of a book written a year earlier by James M. Cain, which was in turn based off of a real crime that happened a few decades before. There is always an audience for films based off of a true story, and likewise people will faithfully flock to see a film adaption of a book they have read. In both the book and the film, Double Indemnity’s adulterous themes were quite controversial at the time, and unpopular with the censors. The film’s advertising campaign boldly stated “‘Double Indemnity'—the two most important words since D.W. Griffith's 'Broken Blossoms.” The posters for the movie are typical of the time: a painting of MacMurray and Stanwick embracing, over the top of a pink background (an unusual colour for noir). Robinson looks on with interest from the left. This is by far the most common poster for the film, although others do exist, with variations on the theme but always displaying all three of the stars. By 1939, Wilder had already received one Academy Award Nomination and had directed number of box office hits. After its release in 1944, Double Indemnity was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Disappointingly, it won none of them. Since then, it has gone on to be considered an absolute classic and is frequently a part of “Best 100…” film competitions.
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