Sound

I am the sound manager for our production; below is the different construction methods and how they will be included within our production:

The research for this was found on Ms Humplebye's blog (shown in blue)

• Diegetic / non-diegetic

Diegetic means within the 'world' of the film: captured during filming footsteps / voices/doors opening and closing

Non diegetic means added afterwards in post-production and editing - for example SFX / explosions/ a score/music/creaks and sounds impossible to record on set.

Remember there is also sound which seems to be Diegetic which in reality had to have been added non-diegetically for example animal noises when the sound technicians may not be able to capture to order on set

http://filmsound.org/terminology/diegetic.htm

Our production will only include diegetic sounds to try and recreate the style used with original Film Noirs as they were not advanced enough with technology to include SFX. Sounds such as the gunshot will be used with Foley sounds (explained below) and the diegetic sound of footsteps will be amplified to add to the mood that we are aiming to create.

• Synchronous / asynchronous

Synchronous sounds contribute to the realism of film and also help to create a particular atmosphere - for example a door clicks as it is opened on screen but HOW it does so will affect how the audience respond e.g. loudly / creaking / squeaking

Asynchronous sound effects are not matched with a visible source of the sound on screen. Such sounds are included so as to provide an appropriate emotional nuance, and they may also add to the realism - a classic example is rock and roll music over a Vietnam war scene, or an argument scene with a soundtrack that includes the audio of a television crime programme those arguing were 'watching'

http://filmsound.org/marshall/

Our production is aimed to be as realistic as possible, because of this, asynchronous sound effects will not be used. The main synchronous sound that is likely to be included is the streetlights flickering on and off to represent an 'eery' atmosphere.

• Contrapuntal/parallel  sound

(Parallel sounds are what we expect to hear with that Genre or Images / Contrapunctal sounds are sounds that do not seem to fit the Genre/Image: E.G. in a fight scene one does not expect to hear classical music but it can be used as a juxtaposition to amplify how the audience experiences emotion/reads meaning. / rock music with a fast pace over the scene would be considered Parallel sound.

Although contrapuntal will create an amplification of audience emotion, it will not meet the idea of conventionality within our production which is the aim.

• Foley Sound

The Foley Sound of the gunshot will come from a wheelie bin lid slamming close; this may need to have a change in editing. To represent the increasing heart rate of the Everyman, a finger tapping on the table has been recorded as none of us can use drums.

Mise En Scene Research - Credit to Heather McDonald

Lighting
John alton photographed more than 100 films in his career with over 20 of them being Film Noirs, including T-Men (1947), He Walked by Night (1948) and The Big Combo (1955). All three were quintessential Alton pictures, with low key lighting where often a single light source was used to get harsh crisp shadows. film noir use 3 point lighting which all focus on one point, the main light is called a key light which is the one that is most bright. you also have a fill light which is opposite the key light which helps fill in the shadows left by the key light. lastly there is a back light which separates the main focus and the background. in film noir the most prominent light is the strong key light and back light, fill lights are not as dominate as they want to exaggerate the contrast to create the low key look, however having a little bit of fill lighting will add something interesting to your shadows. film noir generally uses hard lights as it leaves sharp edge shadows. For ours we are going to film in the dark and under a street lamp and i will be smoking under and the lamp and the light will emphasis the smoke.

Costume and Props
Costume and Props in film noir you will often see cigarettes or cigars and normally the femme fatal is smoking. we also see that the femme fatal wears a smart dress which is normally black or red and the would normally wear red lipstick which shows a sign of danger and the men are dressed in smart black suits and there is normally a gun involved. With our film noir i am wearing a red dress, with red nails and red lipstick, Josh is wearing a suit and will have a gun. I will be smoking as well.

Location
Film Noir is normally set on a a dark street or in a city, sometimes they can be set in a bar or somewhere associated with the mob. Most Film Noir films are set in Los Angeles as they are based in america. For Our film Noir, our location is on a street at night with street lamps and we are also using an alleyway. 

Sound Research- Credit to Josh Coe

Below is the research that Josh Coe did for sound:

SoundTrack:
One of the areas I took charge to research was sound; to understand the sound throughout a film noir, I first looked at the actual soundtracks that feature throughout the films. I used a website which contained dozens of Film Noir soundtracks, and gave the general genre. From this, I was able to listen to the composure of the soundtracks, and their general sound to give me some sort of idea of what we need to create for our final piece.

The website I used was:
http://www.allmusic.com/album/film-noir-16-classic-tracks-from-the-dark-side-of-the-movies-mw0000068822

After looking on this website, I can see that the genre's of Film Noir soundtracks are 'jazz' and 'electronic'. We will need to create something similar to this for our final piece, or find some music that is copyright free that we are able to use.

Editing Research- Credit to Josh Coe

Josh researched the editing for our production, below is his research:

Editing:
For conventional Film Noir's, editing was limited because of the lack of technology present at the time. Most of the effects they created were used through first hand filming, with bright lights in the dark to enhance cigarette smoke, and a foggy area. In terms of editing, basic things were done such as shot reverse shot, and eye line match. For our final piece, we plan to edit in basic ways as well, incorporating a soundtrack over the top of our film, and editing the way we filmed different camera angles; we will incorporate shot reverse shot, and eye line match to use editing conventions from film Noir's.

Researching Camera in Film Noir

The cinematography of film noir shows the dark, gritty, and often deceiving visuals are a reflection of the characters, who themselves are dark, gritty, and deceiving. In noir, the cinematography is the main way to tell us about these people and the world they inhabit. As the films were often low-budget, there wasn’t time or money to fund expensive camerawork.

Camera Techniques that are conventional and will be used in our production:
High Angle
Focus Pull
Tracking
Mid shot
Over the Shoulder shot
Close up
Distorted angles
Characters and cameras positioned to clearly display shadows






Here are some examples of camera and composition that is conventional for a Film Noir; they will also feature in our production.



This over the shoulder shot allows easy conversation to take place, it can build up suspense and tension easily with the length of the take being increased.





This close up (and possibly focus pull) is displayed with a distorted angle. The use of this adds to the discomfort that is received by the audience which is conventional to Film Noirs. This is also a low angle shot, giving the person with the gun a portrayal of power.



This High angle (and also distorted) could be a POV shot as well. This angle emphasises the 'darkness' within the Film Noir which again adds to the discomfort for the audience.

Opening Title Sequence of I Wake Up Screaming

To get an idea on how to film our opening title sequence, I analysed the Film Noir 'I Wake Up Screaming' to see how generic Film Noirs create opening title sequences.

In the minute long OTS, the Fox ident is shown for 12 seconds and then there are 7 different credits shown in an urban city. The second credit is the title of the film and the fifth includes all studio idents.

The sound used is performed by an orchestra, it starts off similar to horror-like music; the music is then at a slow tempo which gradually increases throughout. This may be hard to replicate in our production as we are unable to create an orchestra ourselves.

The camera used is black and white, this is because it is filmed in 1941-a simple editing technique could be used to replicate this. Also, only one shot of the New York skyline is used throughout the sequence.

Mise en scene used in the OTS includes low key lighting and a location of an urban city (New York). It may be hard to take a photo of an urban city's skyline, but the low key lighting will be easy to replicate in our Film Noir.

The editing includes a fade from black to begin the title sequence, each credit is spelled out in lights that are superimposed over the New York skyline. Superimposing writing over an image may be difficult but after researching, we should be able to include this in our sequence.

Here is a screenshot of the Title in the Opening Title Sequence

Analysing the Codes, Conventions and Narrative of the Opening Title Sequence of Fargo

Fargo:
This neo-noir crime thriller is set in Minnesota in 1987. A man in serious debt hires two men to kidnap his wife so he can collect ransom from his wife's wealthy father to pay off his debts. However, the plan is jeopardised when the kidnappers shoot a state trooper.

From the frozen image, I can see that there are a group of men having a conversation in a bar. In the frame, one character is positioned with his back to the camera which adds a sense of mystery to him, the other two characters can be seen clearly from above the table. To draw attention to the character talking, there is strong lighting on him whilst everything around him and the other characters sort of blend together as it is dark.

All characters are shown from above the table in an over-the-shoulder shot that is a medium shot- this is so all characters involved in the scene are able to be seen. This shot suggests that the men are in some sort of negotiation but it is informal as the clothing is quite casual; the beers on the table reinforces that the location is in fact a bar and the cigarette is a conventional aspect of a Film Noir. It is likely that the shot is filmed like this as the characters are in conversation and if it was composed differently it may not keep the audience interested, the camera is behind the character sitting on his own so everyone can be seen and some of the background is included to keep the 'bar' feeling alive. If this was filmed somewhere else, the camera may be at a different angle-for example if they were in one of the character's office then he may be show from a low angle so he appears to have the power.

The camera moves from one shot to the next when the character with the back to the camera starts talking so the audience can clearly tell who is talking. It is likely to be filmed in the evening due to the low levels of lighting, the amount of beers that have been drunk and the clothing worn, it is located in a bar as it is a conventional location to meet in a Film Noir as it is a place the 'everyman' often goes to- this may be relevant to the target audience. The informal clothing suggests that the characters are likely to be working-class and they are not attending a high-level business meeting; the body language of the character on the right implies that he is not interested in the other character as he is leaning back and barely looking at him. This suggests that the characters on the right does not know the male on the left that well, if they did they would be closer to him and more engaged. This frame could be seen as a pivotal frame to the narrative as it shows the characters negotiating and planning events that will unfold later in the film, however, it does not clearly describe the characters personality or keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

Foley sound

What is 'Foley'?

The technique is named after Jack Foley, who established the basic modern techniques still used today. Like most terms that are named in honour of a person; it is customary to spell Foley with a capital "F".

Foley effects are sound effects added to the film during post production. They include sounds such as footsteps, clothes rustling, crockery clinking, paper folding, doors opening and slamming, punches hitting, glass breaking etc. In other words, many of the sounds that are needed are avoided when they naturally occur and they are then artificially added later on.
Foley is usually performed by Foley artists. Ideally they stand on a Foley stage (an area with a variety of possible surfaces and props) in a specialized sound studio. The Foley artists can clearly see a screen which displays the footage they are to add sound fx to and they watch it to get the timing perfected.

Why use 'Foley'?
When watching a film, the audience needs to hear the little sounds (such as the movement of clothes) this is for the picture to come alive. However, these sounds need to be controlled so the dialogue is clear and not obscured.
Foley can also be used to enhance comedy or action scenes. In most comedy films many of the sounds are enhanced for comic effect, and sometimes the Foley sound is the joke. As for action, most fist fights do not involve the actors really hitting each other, and even if they did a satisfying punch sound would not be included. By punching and variously molesting such objects as cabbages, celery and sides of beef, Foley artists can record unique and much more 'realistic' action sounds.

I researched this information on the website http://www.sound-ideas.com/what-is-foley.html



This is a short video showing Foley artists at work.

Research into Film Noir: Neo Noir

I decided to use Emaze to present my information on the aspects of different Neo Noirs as I was confident when using this software before.

Research into Film Noir

The Film Noir genre was first introduced in the 1940s after World War Two. During this period many of the men had been at war so they were exposed to violence and darkness. The name 'Film Noir' is French for dark film but is in French as it appears more 'attractive'. As it was post-war everyone was feeling more aggressive and women had bigger roles in the country because they had to provide for the country and men at war; many people disliked it and the films were propaganda to teach the public to return to the way things were before the war.

Here are some examples of Film Noir titles. Conventionally, it will be in black and white withe the text being big, bold and white for contrast.

 The conventional contents of a Film Noir includes violence, mystery, darkness and black and white; this is because it was a very dark era and people did not want 'jolly' films.

Expected characters are:

Femme Fatal looking 'seductive' in Double Indemnity

• The everyman (anti-hero)
• The femme fatal

Other characters that are sometimes included are:

• The villain
• Henchmen
• The girl next door

below are the characters in these three films colour coded):

The Killers                                                     Double Indemnity                                                    Black Dahlia

• The everyman (anti-hero):     'Swede'              Walter Neff                                              Dwight 'Bucky' Bleichert
• The Femme Fatal:                   Kitty                   Phyllis Dietrichson                                 Madeleine Linscott
• The Villain:                               Big Jim              N/A (nemesis of Walter is B. Keyes)     N/A
• Henchmen:                               Max and Al        N/A                                                           N/A
• Girl Next Door:                         N/A                    Lola Dietrichson                                       Katherine 'Kay' Lake

Generic conventions of Film Noir from mlevesley