Preliminary Task Evaluation

Preliminary Task Evaluation
Connor Cushingham

For our Preliminary Task we created a short video roughly under forty seconds in order to practice our camera shooting skills and to see how much we could edit in Adobe Premiere. In the short video we followed a guide on what shots to make from a small power point presentation which was printed off and given to us. Throughout the video we were not to break the 180 degree rule in order to keep continuity errors to a minimum, the shots within the video were taken around the college and show the progression of a student running around towards the entrance after receiving a phone call which was implied to be a threat.

The film remains true to the 180 degree rule, keeping quite a steady continuity throughout the short video and makes sure that the viewer knows where the next scene is relative to the last. The short video makes use of several camera angles and shots which do well to emphasise the scenes. Each shot has a decent length of time given to it so that the shots aren't too fast paced while also making sure that the shots do not drag on too much either. We added a music track over the top of the video created in garage band in order to give some volume to the short sequence and give it an atmosphere of urgency. At the end of the video we also added a green screened explosion over the top of a still image of the school, using slightly advanced forms of editing in Adobe Premiere.

While we kept to the 180 degree rule in order to avoid continuity errors and keep the viewer invested without confusion we accidently ended up with a continuity error during filming which we had not noticed until afterwards when editing. There is a shot where our character checks their phone in one hand, however when the shot changes and he goes to put his phone away the phone appears in the opposite hand he was holding it with in the last shot. This provides a continuity error as the shots were back to back and he did not move the phone to another hand through a shot, it happened instantaneously. Another bad point would come from the explosion at the end, despite it being slightly advanced editing it isn't that refined, the lighting of the image behind the explosion doesn't compliment the special effect and so green tints are evident in the explosion which are results of the green screen. The explosion also doesn't show much realism to the scene, however that much is to be expected.

I believe the continuity error would be a good place to improve, it would only require the reshooting of a single shot which was not very long. The simple thing to do would be to look over the scene prior and then replicate it however with the simple change of having the phone in the same hand as it's supposed to be evident in the scene before. Another improvement would be to change the graphic of the explosion special effect so that it better fits the dimensions of the image behind it, to give it a better sense of realism.

In conclusion I believe that the short video turned out quite well, luckily the only errors being a single minor continuity error which would be difficult to notice without closer inspection due to the fast pace of the scene in total. Throughout the short video we used techniques in order to amplify the quality of the video such as original music and imported special effects.

Film Noir Script

FADE IN:

EXT. LOCAL PARK – LATE NIGHT

 {ESTABLISHING SHOT} DETECTIVE GILBERT stands silently over a motionless corpse by the lake, holding a lit cigarette. Adorned in a trilby hat, a long dark coat trailing to his knees and his worn out black suit which appears to have been thrown on hastily. Several police cars illuminate the twilight as DETECTIVE GILBERT watches over the lifeless husk. 

DETECTIVE GILBERT (V.O): Twelve years working in this town, you’d have thought I’d seen everything, and I nearly have, but that doesn’t change the fact that this town is shrouded in sorrows. This guy makes three now. I’m sure we can conclude that this is a homicide case.

 {OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT} Detective Gilbert’s face is shrouded in darkness by the shade of his trilby hat, however the amount of expression we’re exposed to seems stern and unmoved as he watches over the body, as if expected it to get up and walk away.

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: I can’t believe this.

 {WORMS EYE VIEW SHOT} Detective Gilbert is approached from the rear by DETECTIVE PATMORE, who has a lighter aura than Gilbert, less stern about the situation in his unprofessional posture.

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Here already Gilbert? I guess nothing gets by you, huh?

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: I was called in, considering I’ve dealt with the last two just like this man in the last two weeks. {Gilbert sighs and rubs his eyes after staring at his cigarette.

 {TWO-SHOT/MID-SHOT} Detective Gilbert turns to Detective Patmore

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: So what d’ya think? Anything to go on?

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: Not exactly, the way he was murdered is pretty standard, but almost identical to earlier cases. All three cases show the bodies left in plain sight near local landmarks, this time being the small lake in the woods, a popular dog walking area. It’s like he’s showing off his work, it’s disgusting.

 {CLOSE UP OF PATMORE}

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Heh, yeah we got some right sickos in this town don’t we Detective? He was just a rookie cop too, yaknow? Couple years outta school an’ everythin’. Anyway it seems we recovered some evidence from this guy.

 {CLOSE-UP OF GILBERT}

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: Is it like before?

 {SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT OF PATMORE}

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Bingo detective, here take a look for yourself.

 {AERIAL SHOT OF DETECTIVE PATMORE} Patmore looks down and slides his hand beneath the fabrics of his long coat and his clean suit, which seems a bit more ironed than Detective Gilbert’s, it’s evident Patmore doesn’t do a lot of field work. Patmore pulls out a small pocket-sized evidence bag, sealed tightly with a beautiful ruby red ring sitting comfortably inside, as if on display.

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: It’s a ring, ruby red too. Quite a beauty, wouldn’t ya say?

 {CLOSE UP OF RING}

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: The earring, the necklace and now a ring, all ruby red. There’s no doubt now, it’s the same guy.

 {Detective Gilbert puts his hand out to the ring, gripping the evidence bag and taking it from Patmore. Gilbert holds the evidence back up to his face, examining the ring carefully with the same stern face he wore earlier}

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Detective that’s not all.

 {OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT FROM PATMORE TO GILBERT} Detective Gilbert rises his gaze from the ring and focuses on Detective Patmore

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: Was there another ring?

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Not exactly. There’s somethin’ funny about this one. A woman says this ring belongs to her.

 Gilbert acts astonished, letting a soft gasp which is almost inaudible

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: Is she here?

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: ‘Course Detective.

 {POINT OF VIEW SHOT FROM DETECTIVE PATMORE} Detective Patmore rises his hand and stretches his arm out across the local park, extending his finger and pointing to the police cars which illuminate the area around them.

 {CLOSE UP SHOT OF WOMAN} A woman with long straight blonde hair stands by the police cars, looking quite distraught and at a loss of breath as she makes inaudible conversation with a young cop next to her. She appears to be wearing a long cream fur coat and a quite desirable outfit. She’s obviously quite wealthy.

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Miss Olivia Garnet, quite a sweetheart, don’tcha think?

 DETECTIVE GILBERT: You mean from the Garnet Family?

 DETECTIVE PATMORE: Right on the money, Detective.

 DETECTIVE GILBERT (V.O): The Garnet Family, the wealthiest family in the town. Olivia’s father has had quite a few run-ins with our department, so you could say I almost know him personally. Despite this I’ve never formally met the lovely darling Olivia I can’t deny her beauty, but she’s a suspect, and that’s all I can let her be.

 

  

Film Noir Storyboard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Media Assignment: Blue Velvet

Media Assignment: Blue Velvet Analysis

The opening scene to Blue Velvet has no diegetic dialogue throughout the two minutes that it spans. Instead a non-diegetic song named “Blue Velvet” just like the film is played over the sequence as it shows several scenarios surrounded in urban happiness and bliss.

The first scene is a downwards tilt from the perfectly blue sky towards a white picket fence and a bed of red roses at a worms eye view. This shot connotes safety and happiness to the viewer due to the summer sky and the connection to nature. The white picket fence is reminiscent of those seen in early 50s generic advertisements where a dream American house would be depicted surrounded by a white picket fence. This connotes that the scene is in 50s America and is in a safe, ideal neighbourhood where nothing could go wrong. The bed of roses also connotes the idea of love and happiness due to their role as a flower to promote passion. These three things complementing each other give the scene a very pleasant and blissful aura and connotes to the viewer that the setting is calm and inviting. The scene then fades into a wide shot of a man waving with a Dalmatian dog on a very old fashioned looking fire truck, which appears to be a model used in the 50s, similar to the generic idea of a white picket fenced in America. This solidifies the idea that the opening sequence is supposed to represent a safe ideal America. The fire truck slowly drives past a white house in the background which is surrounded by the white picket fence seen in the previous shot. The house also seems reminiscent of the dream American home from the 50s. The fire truck passes by in slow motion so that the viewer can officially take in everything that is happening in the scene. The slow motion of the scene also connotes some form of eeriness as the movements are quite unnatural. The man is hanging on the side of the fire truck waving to the viewer in a docile manner, with a very relaxed Dalmatian dog sitting by his feet on the truck. Firemen have some status of authority and are thought to protect civilians and are often portrayed in very intense scenarios due to their role as firemen. To see a person riding so relaxed on the side of a fire truck connotes a large amount of safety in the area, as even the firemen seem to be under absolutely no pressure and are enjoying the sunny weather. The sequence continues to portray the town that they’re in as a very relaxed and safe place, filled with bliss where the firemen are carefree and the houses are all reminiscent of the American dream. The fireman seems to have direct eye contact with the viewer as he waves, which almost breaks the fourth wall as he stares towards you. This connotes that the fireman isn’t looking towards the camera but is more so looking directly at the viewer which gives off a very eerie atmosphere. This is further emphasised by the soft music in the background which aims to make the sequence seem calm but does an even better job at making it seem quite creepy.

The next scene is again of the white picket fence from the first shot, however this time with yellow tulips rather than red roses. This further connotes the idea of safety due to the traditional idea of a safe America through the ideal white picket fence presented in the scene. All of the shots appear to be fading into one another, which seems like a very unnatural transition in a movie. This connotes the idea that perhaps the entire sequence of the movie is unnatural. The shot then fades into a wide shot of a lollipop woman with a stop sign in the middle of a road, escorting several children across the road. This provides an atmosphere of safety and connotes to the viewer that everything is safe, the same premise which the opening sequence has been reinforcing thus far. Despite this there is still a seed of doubt placed in the viewer’s mind due to the unrealistic nature of a perfect town. The song in the background of the sequence further reinforces the idea of a creepy, eerie and unrealistic idea for a perfect town. The scene once again fades to another shot, this time of what seems to be an establishing shot of a white painted house with a white picket fence and an array of greenery. This connotes the idea of an ideal house; these kinds of houses are also always seen in generic teenage horror films or thrillers, often set in suburban American towns. The scene fades to a full body shot of what seems to be a generic old family man watering the flowers on his garden. This connotes an atmosphere of calmness and serenity, where absolutely nothing could go wrong. The shot once again fades through a transition, this time to what is assumed to be the interior of the fantasy house portrayed in the last scene. A middle shot of an elderly woman drinking tea while watching television. The atmosphere connotes a docile tone and safety, however it is soon contrasted by what is scene on the image of the television opposite of the woman. A gun is scene on the television, presumably from some form of television drama. The gun connotes immediate danger to the audience despite being only on the television, and adds a contrast to the perfect fantasy town which has been slowly built up thus far. This promotes a sense of impending danger for the audience. There is an evident contrast between the gun on the television and the town they’re living in, as the gun connotes to an impending threat however the town they’re in has been structured throughout the sequence to connote a blissful atmosphere. This implies that the town may not be what it seems on the surface layer, and the true underbelly of the town is being shown through the television to the audience temporarily. This is also quite strange because ordinarily the television is what displays a fantasy setting of perfection and unobtainable bliss while reality displays the cruel mortality of the world, however it seems switched in this sequence possibly to suggest that the town is hiding something as nothing could be this perfect. The opening shot to the entire Blue Velvet sequence may also support this idea, as the shot was a worms eye shot and could connote that it is from the perspective of a worm or somebody close to the ground, which could link to the shady underbelly of the town. As if the ugly reality of the town is looking up from below towards the blissful scenario.

The scene once again transitions through a fade back outside to the family man watering the garden with a carefree demeanour. The eerie music still playing over the music through non-diegetic sound. Gradually the music is slowly drowned out by the irritating screams of the hose faucet the man is using to water his flowers. The shot repeatedly looks towards the screaming faucet as well as a knot in the hose, causing a shortage of water to the hose. The loud noises of the hose which frequently interrupt the music or drown it out connote some form of impending danger since the sounds are rather loud, unexpected and threatening. The repetition of the screaming faucet also only builds up the idea of impending danger due to the fact that the threatening noise is not letting up and is only repeating, as if getting closer. Despite the impending danger that the hose connotes there ends up being no immediate scare, instead the man watering the flowers squeaks and frantically grabs his neck before dropping to the ground in pain. This unexpected turn connotes confusion and danger to the audience right after the build-up of the screaming hose. It is unclear why the man has fell to the floor however his actions could connote some internal injury rather than something physically hurting him which the build-up of danger had lead the audience to believe. As the man drops to the floor there is a full body shot of him lying in pain with the hose still spraying upwards, and a family dog playfully biting at the water as if it were a toy. This connotes an eerie vibe from the scene, as the non-diegetic music continues to play over the scene, still disconcerting and unusual, the dog seems to be playing right on top of the mans injured body as if nothing is wrong. The idea that the dog sees nothing wrong connotes the idea of the dog being oblivious, which may link to the entire town being completely oblivious of the dark underbelly of its own town’s happenings. The shot also zooms in on the dog attacking the hose and plays it in slow-motion, similar to the fire truck earlier in the sequence however with the added zoom on the dog. This slow down allows the audience to take in precisely what is happening without missing anything and the unusual movements of the dog in collaboration with the eerie music connotes an inhuman atmosphere.

After this the camera starts to gradually zoom towards the soil beside the man and the blue velvet music is gradually drowned out by the sound of a strange rumbling noise. The eerie rumbling connotes an impending danger, as the music that had once assured the audience that everything was safe in spite of its eerie connotations had now started to fade, and the gradual zoom in on the soil with the loud noise makes the viewer uncertain of what is going to happen, and therefore scared. As the camera continues to zoom in the scene changes to accommodate a better visual of the soil, the music completely gone and the rumbling noise slowly transitioning into what appears to be the crawling of bugs. What was once the dark soil was now the dark squirming bodies of repulsive insect’s right before the viewer. This definitely connotes an uneasy atmosphere to the viewer, connoting fear and danger due to the identity of the insects. The insects themselves represent the dark underbelly of the town, they are placed right below the family man and his blissful house to Imply that the shady dark side of the town is everywhere, it’s just right beneath them all the time, always prevalent. They are also placed there due to the fact that insects are not commonly difficult to find, similar to the dark scenario beneath the town. The blissful ignorance set up by the sequence so far implies that the townspeople themselves consciously ignore the goings on right under their noses however they turn a blind eye, enjoying their lives ignorantly.

Feedback

Connor,

the analysis of 'Blue Velvet' is thorough and accurate and an excellent de-construction of the director's intentions using subject specific terminology as appropriate.

this is very promising and your storyboards have shown an ability to think in filmic terms and apply knowldge and understanding from class sessiosn.

You could conduct further research into the director's and their work but this has not been asked for and I would hope that your interest in film will lead you to read around the subjects covered.  There are some British Film Institute books about film in the LRC you may like.

Excellent first review. You have set high standards and I expect you to aspire to the highest grades.

Media Assignment: Film Noir: Codes and Conventions

Media Assignment: Film Noir Codes and Conventions

Connor Cushingham

What are the Codes and Conventions of Film Noir?

Film Noir is quite a dark and almost edgy genre of film, it generally revolves around the heavyhearted investigations of a detective who is trying to uncover an enigma set at the beginning and is developed all the way throughout. The key aspects of a Film Noir come from the specific character traits as well as the unique uses of lighting, camera angles and Mise en Scene used within the film.

Film Noirs rely quite a lot on Iconography in order for the film to properly reflect the genre to the audience as it is usually quite recognisable. The locations of Film Noirs are often quite relatable to the viewer, an area similar to what the viewer will have most likely come across in their lifetime, which makes the film seem more realistic and relatable. These areas are typically shown to be everyday urban settings, such as a rainy damp street, alleyways or certain locations such as warehouses. Most Film Noirs are in black and white, but are obviously not limited to that style, the reason for this is mostly because the majority of Film Noirs are set in roughly the 1950s, in an era where woman were often objectified and men given the priority of power. These locations are Iconography associated with Film Noir due to their common prevalence in most Film Noir films. Other aspects such as dark lighting, gloom and fog are commonly associated with Film Noir as well due to their mysterious connotations and reflection of an enigma which would be common in a Film Noir. Certain Mise en Scene in Film Noirs is linked to Iconography as well, such as the costumes of the character which can reflect the genre. Smart suits, trench coats, trilby hats and polished shoes are often connoted to the hardboiled detective attire. Guns and cigarettes could also be linked to the detectives however the two may also connote to gangsters or some sort of villain. Red lipstick is also definitely a significant trait in Film Noirs, most likely attributed to the Femme Fatale in order to give her aspects of seduction, glamour or wealth. Gloomy effects in shots are significant to Film Noir; low key lighting used to increase the intensity of a scene is commonly attributed to the genre as well as cantered camera angles to give a distorted vibe and gloomy atmosphere to the shot. The music in Film Noirs is quite recognisable and is uncommonly associated with other genres; heavy jazz music is often common and is used to give the film an edge of sophistication as well as a type of mystery which fuels the enigma in the story.

The cinematography in Film Noirs is quite unique, often deliberate in order to throw the audience off, or make them feel uneasy. Film Noir cinematography is often quite distorted, skewed and uncomfortable to even look at, which puts the viewer at ease. The angles are often rotated slightly so they seem at a strange angle, or there is an abuse of worm’s eye view shots or aerial shots to make the size of certain objects or characters become emphasised or undermined. The intensity of the cinematography is also abused to make the viewer seem uncomfortable, extreme close ups are commonly used to display the intensity in a characters emotion. Since a lot of Film Noir is the solving of an enigma there is quite a lot of change in expression and characteristics that can be evident to the viewer to display a skew in the mood of the story, so intense close ups to emphasise emotion are very important. Shots that take advantage of deep focus are also very evident in Film Noir, there is often an object in the near foreground which seems enlarged due to its closeness to the camera, and this is what the viewer is forced to focus on despite their possibly being something completely different in the background. The background may also be distorted and blurred so that the image in the foreground is even more emphasised and guaranteed to be focused on by the viewer, and is forced to stick in the viewer’s mind due to its prevalent importance. Film Noirs often play with the distortion of images in certain shots, used to create an uncomfortable and mysterious atmosphere in the scene. This can be done with the distortion of faces through the use of objects such as broken or skewed mirrors or strange reflections. The distorted images often connote some form of danger or ingenuity in the scene, and may make the viewer uncomfortable. Dutch tilts are also common and the irregular framing of shots is very apparent and used to throw off the viewer, some shots may even be so skewed and irregular it is difficult to tell whether the image is completely vertical or horizontal at first glance and requires the viewer to pay close attention.

The Mise En Scene on its own in Film Noirs is very important and often instantly recognisable to the genre. There is a lot of chiaroscuro in Film Noirs to make the scene seem quite uneasy, if the Film Noir is in black and white which they majoritively are then the lighting is even more important since the scenes are completely filled with either one colour or the other, and few greys are left on their own. This provides intensity through the lighting. Very specific lighting placements are required in Film Noirs through Mise en Scene, these could be used to lengthen the shadows behind characters or shroud parts of their body to connote a mysterious atmosphere coming from a specific person or area. Venetian blinds are also abused during Film Noirs to provide a very specific effect of lighting upon a surface, blocking out certain traces of light to add unique shading to the scene. The lighting is often very contrasting, either black or white is very dominant and there are very few greys to add intensity, fog machines could also be useful with lighting because they can be used to provide an image of black shadows mysteriously drifting in a mist. Urban locations in Mise en Scene are often prevalent in Film Noirs, which are commonly relatable to the viewer so they become more hooked on the film since they believe it is more realistic. Dark alleyways are often filled with fog from a fog machine in order to connote mystery and potentially impending danger due to its claustrophobic connotations.

The sounds in Film Noirs may not seem to be all that unique however at a second glance there is a surprising amount to be found. There is often quite a lot of melancholy downbeat jazz music used in Film Noirs, and generally a constant soundtrack happening in scenes, the tone of which changes corresponding to the events of the sequence. Heavy breathing contrasting with the use of quiet sounds or absolute silence is quite evident in Film Noirs, since due to it being centred on solving an enigma there is quite a lot of silence and room for thought. In addition to the lack of speech there needs to be some context to scenes, so there is often a voice over from the protagonist to provide exposition and how he comes to certain conclusions after deducing evidence. Ambient sounds of the city or suburbia are used to make areas seem more realistic and relatable to the viewer, other kinds of sounds such as discordant grating music is also used. Sudden noises may also be present in Film Noirs in order to shock the viewer and make them pay more attention to the story due to the sudden change in pace or action.

Film Noirs have very interesting and signature characters, some of which are downright required for the film to even be considered Film Noir. The two characters which are almost certainly required are the down at heel Private Eye and the deadly Femme Fatale who provides the spider and the fly storyline. The detective private eye is often shrouded in flaws and can be easily swayed by the Femme Fatale’s advances; he is usually given a position of power and his role as a man grants him significant authority over women due to the general era of the 1950s which Film Noirs stem from. This character is often quite demeaning of women in the genre, objectifying them and only really appreciating them for their physical beauty rather than their personal attributes. In The Maltese Falcon this character is given to Sam Spade, a private investigator who inquires Ruth Wonderly about her predicament and aims to help the beautiful woman. Throughout his introduction to her he repetitively gives her pet names such as “darling” or “sweetheart”, this is also evident when he is addressing his secretary. The Femme Fatale is often portrayed initially as quite weak and in need of assistance while also being quite attractive, wealthy, glamorous and desirable. The Femme Fatale will often also provide an enigma for the story, some kind of mystery which the private eye and potentially other characters will attempt to solve in efforts to help the Femme Fatale. Despite her initial traits the Femme Fatale will switch her role at some point in the film and reveal to be the villain, or at least a contributor to the negative attributes to the storyline. Femme Fatale often acts quite helpless and also seductive towards the private eye in order to seduce him into aided her in her plight. Through her seductive tones she manages to manipulate the private eye and will likely sleep with him in order to get what she wants, potentially trying to cover her own footprints in a crime she committed or wants the aid of an authority figure to unknowingly help her commit a crime. In The Maltese Falcon the Femme Fatale character is given to a woman named Ruth Wonderly, a wealthy woman who comes to the protagonist Sam Spade, a private investigator about a predicament involving her sister. Wonderly acts incredibly helpless and often flabbergasted at her own predicament to seem innocent and in need of assistance, while demeaning her role as a human and succumbing to pet names from Sam Spade in order to sway him and get her own way. Several other characters are also evident in Film Noirs, such as a small division of corrupt policemen who are working in collaboration with gangsters or other members of a city’s shady underbelly to work against the system who pose a threat to the private eye. Gangsters themselves are prevalent in Film Noirs; however their style seems to be quite different to the generic teenage attributes given to modern day gangsters. Film Noir gangsters are often quite professional, running their own underground organisation against the law with their own forceful power to boot, evidently a threat to the private eye and potentially an obstacle. Another female character doesn’t have a specific name like the Femme Fatale; however her traits remain evident in several Film Noirs as a supportive role towards the private eye protagonist. She will often be quite close to the main character, either towards the start or throughout, perhaps a secretary or good willed female cop who encourages the protagonist and is potentially innocently flirtatious towards him. Despite her interest in the protagonist she is often outshined by the Femme Fatale as a candidate for the love interest category and the protagonist ignores her, while the audience may perceive this female character as being the more ideal love interest. Other characters such as a deadbeat down and out writer or other detective may be evident in such Film Noirs, often just supporting characters to provide exposition and a guide for where the storyline should turn.

Several themes are evident in Film Noirs and often reveal themselves throughout the story, and may be obstacles for certain characters to overcome. Greed, love, betrayal, jealousy, lust, revenge, corruption, murder, sex and justice are all evident themes in Film Noirs and may reveal themselves as predicaments slowly throughout the film. The narrative of a Film Noir has been shown to vary over the years as several incarnations have skewed the general idea of what a Film Noir is. Despite this there is always a main occurrence of the same variety which comes up. These include a voiceover narration commonly provided by the main character to develop exposition and context, fast forwards or flash backs to provide even more exposition, remind the viewer of certain events or to simply provide a time skip, a first person narrative from the protagonist to let us know what he is thinking without him needing to say things aloud which other characters may hear, a convoluted ending which may need some extra deduction to be quite clear to the audience and is often very dramatic and or confusing, and finally the generic good cop and bad cop scenario.

Throughout the years film noir has progressed and been altered in order to fit into modern society and conform to the more common ideals. The classic noir films still remain in the 1950s time period however there have been sub-genres invented along the years which stemmed from the Film Noir genre. These include Neo-noir, noir-science, noir comedies, noir westerns, superhero noirs and finally horror noirs. Each sub-genre has not been one hundred percent dedicated to the original Film Noir genre however incorporates its elements in collaboration with other genres for a different conclusion.

Media Assignment: Maltese Falcon

Media Assignment: Maltese Falcon Opening Sequence

Connor Cushingham/

 

The sequence opens with four establishing shots of the Golden Gate Bridge and the general skyline of San Francisco, with the first shot captioned “San Francisco” to indicate the location if the viewer did not recognise the Golden Gate Bridge as a landmark.

 

The shot then changes to a tilt downwards towards a middle shot of a man with sleek black hair preparing a cigarette, focusing deeply. The cigarette connotes to generic Film Noir traits typical of a hardboiled detective enveloped in their work. He is wearing what appears to be a smart suit with his hair gelled back, quite generic physical traits of a film noir detective. The man responds to nothing saying “Yes sweetheart” while still focusing on his cigarette, implying he was aware of his secretary’s presence in the room but didn’t make direct eye contact on purpose, this implies that he has a cool nature and is constantly aware of his surroundings, which connotes to the generic personality trait of a veteran detective. The use of the word “sweetheart” is quite patronising in reference to his secretary, it is a common pet name used in Film Noir to generally demean women and make the man seem like the stronger role. The next shot is an over the shoulder mid shot of the secretary. The lighting in the shot is coming from the right side of the room, presumably from an open window and potentially through some blinds due to the sprays of light on the secretary. The character of the secretary is quite generic to film noir and displays positive helpful characteristics aimed at the hero, implying she has an interest in him. This is also evident in the Maltese Falcon, in clichés this character would be the logical romantic choice for our detective to aim for. There is then a medium close up shot of the secretary, showing us a better look at her face and allowing us to register what kind of role she plays. The detective continues to use demeaning pet names for the secretary such as “darling”, this may connote the idea that they are involved in a relationship however that doesn’t seem to be the case due to the secretary’s reference to the incoming femme fatale character who she describes as a “knockout”. The detective’s pet names are solely for the purpose of patronising the woman, making her seem inferior to him, but also to suggest some level of understanding and friendship. The term “knockout” used by the secretary also connotes the idea that the incoming character will be quite attractive and taking from generic film noir traits the audience may be able to deduce that it is the femme fatale from this information. When the detective asks the secretary to let in the new character there is a shot which could be considered a shot reverse shot, changing from the two characters to indicate a conversation and continuity in the area.

 

As the femme fatale character enters there is another over the shoulder middle shot, however this time of the femme fatale rather than the secretary. At this point the detective stands up, while the frame still stays at his shoulder. This connotes that the femme fatale character is important as the detective is rising to greet her, whereas with his secretary he remained seated and did not even make eye contact with her once. This also connotes that the detective is disinterested in the secretary despite her ideal character traits for a romantic involvement and may imply that the detective could be more so drawn in by the femme fatale. The moment the femme fatale character arrives we can tell without even knowing her character’s role that she is quite important and probably wealthy. Her large fur coat definitely connotes some form of wealth, as well as her velvet hat which means she is quite important. The moment she opens her mouth we can sense a tint of an accent, perhaps a British accent. The British accent connotes to high class and wealth due to their relation to Queen Elizabeth and the British history of monarchy. There is a two shot of the detective and the femme fatale, showing that they are engaging in conversation.

 

The femme fatale acts very out of breath and hasty; making her seems quite frantic and inferior due to her lack of composure. This connotes a sense of helplessness due to her immediate need of assistant. The female fatale presents her enigma to the detective, which is what starts of the plotline to the movie, throughout this there is an over the shoulder shot of her from the detective’s back. Throughout her frantic explanation the woman scarcely makes eye contact with the detective, often looking around the room as she lingers on with her description. This connotes the idea that her speech is rehearsed, her tone of voice seems faked too, being constantly at a loss of breath to seem repetitively surprised to make her story seem more believable or pitiful. The femme fatale also questions her actions, asking for some approval from the detective, this connotes the stereotype of helpless woman and a commanding man who knows all the answers, needing confirmation and approval from a man. This is done on purpose from the femme fatale’s general role as a character, as she purposely makes herself out to be weak and helpless, while also wealthy and attractive so to lure in a man such as the detective and sway them to get close to themselves and feel the need to help them.