Actors

Character : Damien Crowe
Actor : Joseph Murry

Origionally Damien Crowe was going to be played by two other different actors, however logistics got in the way and Joseph Murray kindly stepped in for the role who is another media student. Changing actors to Joe did not effect the character profile as he is still appears to be a smartly dressed young man and can give the enigma illusion, especially with his hood up which Joe had suggested during post production of filming the sequence. He was able to protray Damien's emotions for the close-ups well, and it also helped that he was not camera shy due to experience of being filmed for his own personal projects.

Costume choice was kept to a big dark coat which covered most of his body so he could blend into the shadows easily and dark trousers to match. The hood we did not ask for, however worked well and came in handy; a nice idea on Joe's part.

Character : Ms River
Actor : Alicia Arnold

Ms River appears in Damien's flashbacks for not a long period of time, however acting was required due to the close-ups on her face. We also needed someone with enough confidence to be able to portray this strong, seducing woman. Alicia was the perfect choice because she has the pretty appearance with her fare skin and long blond hair (this was before we decided to put this scene in black and white). Alicia took drama GCSE and passed with an A grade so she was able to perform in front of the camera and not be camera shy.

Costume stayed to traditional Femme Fatale, the fur coat for glamour, pear necklace for class which Alicia suggested for the character.

Character : Iga
Actor : Iga Madejowska

Iga Madejowska was always originally going to play 'Iga' within the opening sequence of our thriller and the character was styled on her. As she was the main character on screen a lot of acting was required which she was able to do and achieve what was wanted.

Iga decided on the quirky leggings so she is always recognisable on screen.

Character : Veronica
Actor : Megan Edwards

Veronica was a small character who we needed Iga to interact with and pass on the confidential note for the story looked like it was going somewhere. Megan, a member of my group, offered to play the role. A lot of acting was not required as not close-ups were required and when she was on the screen the focus was not on her, but the transaction between herself and Iga. However this being said, she did do a good job.

Question 1

Question 1.pptx by ChalkieMay

Question 7

Question 7

Very first thing I learnt in the preliminary task was the vital importance of the 180 degree rule, before filming started, and how important it is to follow it to avoid confusion and disorientation to the audience; by crossing the line, the actor appears to have moved from facing one direction, to the other. This rule in camera work is always seen in sports television programme. The camera stays on one side of the pitch so the players don’t appear to always be running in opposite directions making the game easier to follow.

Next I learnt how to keep the audience entertained based only on camera work; variety. Having the camera in one place with no movement or editing will make the scene look extremely dull and not very entertaining. Even if the scene is of one person talking performing a monologue, theoretically the camera could stay on that one person throughout, however it wouldn’t make the scene very interesting. In conversation, the speaker always has pauses unconsciously, which is why the variety of shots is important to breakdown a scene. Within the preliminary task, I learnt how to take a variety of shots well; not cutting off someone’s arm, or part of their head.

After the preliminary task, I felt like I had enough knowledge to make a good opening to the thriller with my new editing, and camera work skills and thought things would go smoothly; this was ignorance. At the start of the film project, very quickly I learnt planning ahead for any complications is a very good idea. The locations my group had chosen, for the opening establishing shots especially, are quite populated areas. Choosing the right time to film was a skill we had to require in order to get the shot we wanted. Having the shot over populated didn’t give off the right mood we were trying to aim for. The simple solution would have been to stay out in Norwich for late hours when no one is around. Few things wrong with this idea, first being no one liked the idea of staying out late on school nights, and on weekends was even more unappealing as that’s is when the majority of Norwich is out drinking. The second was that one of our locations involved being in an alley next to a gambling club and a pub. To resolve this as we had no intention to change locations as the one we found was perfect, we started to film as soon as it appeared dark enough to give the illusion it was late at night but wait for the rush for getting home was over so there was minimal chance of people walking through the shot when they were not wanted.

During the preliminary task lighting was not a factor we really took into consideration we filmed within a building, in one room where the artificial light source was bright enough to light up the whole room and we had not thought of using it for any effect. During the thriller it was different; lighting can be used to create harsh shadowing for an unsettling mood. Within our thriller, we discovered that it could be used to give an impression off for a certain character as being morally ambiguous; by only lighting up one side of the actors face by using a black light angled at whichever side that it is you, as a director, would think will work best.

Personally, I did not find editing to be that much of a struggle and grasped the technique rather quickly. However, I did learn that through editing the length of time a scene is on the screen, it changes the pace of the thriller dramatically, and can give and edgy mood. For example towards the end of my thriller ‘Crowe’, jump cuts worked extremely well as he is walking away from the scene of the crime. It gave him the sense of enigma which we had initially been trying to portray.

Rough Cut

  Looking at the rough cut of our thriller there are a few things i would like to change. .

The soundtrack at the beginning seems to be missing, i would like to put it from the start so the tone and mood is established right at the beginning, and so it continues thought the opening sequence.  

A fade transition into Damien's thoughts would be more recognisable as a flashback, and if we changed the scenes to black and white, or faded colour it could get the message across to the audience more easily that this is a memory/

A change of sound within' the flashbacks could also make it more clear in if it's good, or bad. For example during Iga we would have singing birds, and Ms River whispers.

Not all of the titles came through during rendering, and my name seemed to have been left out during editing.

Like "Layer Cake" Megan suggested that we put the music earlier than the clip starts so we're already in the mood before the opening sequence starts.

This being said, the rough cut went well and i am particularly pleased with the jump cuts at the end of the opening, and the disjointed editing at the begining of the thriller and it really sets the enigmatic mood.

Question 2

Question 3

LA Noire

Title and Fonts
First thing we can deduct from the title of this Film Noir style video game is how feminised it has become to be glamorise and appealing.

The 'show biz' lighting along the lettering adding the desirability factor, however the flickering half broken light can be taken as an underlying message of the seediness and destruction yet to come. This connects to Film Noir style films as it holds many of the themes such as deception. (The flickering lights showing the inlaying message of the glamorised lettering)

Main Menu
The Main Menu has key mise-en-scene conventions of Film Niore such as the bright red lipstick, a symbol of femme fatale; a character later to be introduced within the game, a cigarette; a stereotypical habit for a 1940's detective to have taken up which set both the genre of police detective/crime by an indication of the characters and supports the extreme detective feel of the location the main menu is set.




Opening sequences
At the beginning of the montage clip at the start of the game, we are shown the glamorised side of Hollywood, advertising it as 'the place to be, where dreams come true!', which is stereotypically used to attract tourists. The trendy' must have vehicles of their day with the shot suggests that the easy-going 'american dream' lifestyle is achieve able. The 'happy', 'joyful' and 'yerning' life is complimented and emphasised by the jazz music which became popular within the 1950's. The setting is also made to look like a bright to reinforce the sunny California state. This also makes the location look appealing and safe. However there are hidden messages of the underlying 'nitty gritty' theme of the video game. For example within the opening first seven seconds we are introduced with the typical 'Film Noir' characters; the business man, wearing the traditional suit complete with the trilby hat! We are also introduced to other characters such as the 'good cop' with his wife 'the good woman'. The 'cop' career relating back to the motifs of crime, law and justice. The 'good woman' the polar opposite to the femme fatale.

As well as this, we have a narrator explaining the story; we have another classic noir trait. The voice contradicts what the opening is trying to portray, made to try and sound opening and appealing to the audience with quotes such as "City of dreams" (an ambiguous statement to make), however the underlying huskiness is also another hint of the crime with comes hand-in-hand with the Film Noir genre. The voice over also contradicts itself;  It makes promises of the American dream becoming a reality in Hollywood however with then proceed to say "The city of undercuts, where not everything is as it seems" . I feel that this could be related back to the 'dirty business man' trait with at least one character has within a Film Noir styled film. Deceiving the people around them to achieve their goal/want.

The Game
You can chose from a selection of cases (games), but what is instantly recognisable is the extreme contrast between the opening sequence and  actual game; where as the opening sequence glamorised Hollywood, the game showed a completely different side. Gritty, dirty, seedy Hollywood.

Locations stay to the typical film Noir theme with low key and artificial lighting: businesses, alleyways, streets which create the sense of claustrophobia - the tall buildings, wet/damp setting, fog and camera angles with vanishing points.

props stay typically the same, with the use of a gun, nook or knife as the murder weapon with the victim dying a horrible dramatic death. The smoking detective always seen with a cigarette, and the femme fatale is never without red lipstick.