Influencial Figures (Hayden Woodcock)

Flash Card Deck created by woodcock-h-3 with GoConqr

Horror Conventions (William Guy)

Will took a brief look at some conventions of horror because our production (despite primarily being film noir) is likely to contain some elements of horror.

Inquiring about a voice actor.

It is conventional for a film noir film to have American actors and voice actors. Because we are British students and we are filming in England we have decided to make use of the resources that we have. Luckily we have a Canadian teacher at our college who might be willing to be a part of our production. It is very important for us to follow as many conventions as possible in order to make our production easily recognisable to the specific genre (Film Noir/Horror).

 

 

Genre Research: Film Noir (Hayden Woodcock)

Influential Film Noir and Horror trailers

The jazz non-diegetic soundtrack throughout this trailer is effective because it matches the time period. The upbeat fast tempo matches the tempo of the music and helps to connote a mysterious mood. I personally like the imperfections from the film, seen through the sparkly white dots because they create a pleasant old fashioned stint to the movie, positive for the older demographics for reminiscence. The black and white colour is a key convention for Film Noir and it works well with the white iconography used throughout, matching the conventional third-person voice-over.

This trailer is influential because of the old and traditional transitions, due to the lack of technological convergence and advancement at this time. However, even though some audiences dislike this, I think that they are necessary for providing a unique selling point to the film and something we can personally relate to, through identity and social solidarity. Additionally, it is clear that they have followed the idea of a Detective as a protagonist from the theme of murder and the mise-en-scene, centered around him.  Lastly, the use of the gun as a prop adds variation and a modern day twist, perhaps edging the audience towards stereotypical males, that prefer violence and the action genre.

We are planning on replacing the Film Noir conventions we will struggle with, such as: a Femme Fatale with horror conventions, to create a hybrid film, that will not require challenges that seem almost impossible to solve. Therefore, I have been completing research into Classic Film Horror trailers to keep the period similar so that we are not blending different and complicated conventions.

This trailer is influential for many reasons. Firstly, it is a 1950 film set in a black and white colour palette because of the limitations of colour at this decade. Therefore, modern day conventions are not used and this trailer ultimately follows the traditions and conventions used in all genres during this decade, meaning that it shares many similarities with a classic Film Noir. Furthermore, sans serif typography is used to clarify the action, likewise all Film Noir's use this convention. Old fashioned transitions are used and we are planning on incorporating these in order to relate to the time period and the aesthetic look we want the audience to view. Lastly, a monster is used as an antagonist in this trailer so we are planning on following this convention to replace the Femme Fatale and the stereotypical villains in a Film Noir, but we are not planning on using a monster like this for obvious reasons! Instead, we are thinking of a Vampire or another monster that can easily be played by a male.

Poster Analysis: Touch Of Evil (Hubert Osinski)

Top grossing US Film Noir films

1. Dillinger (1945)

70 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

6.6

                     

John Dillinger begins his life of crime as a petty thief, meets his future gang in prison and eventually masterminds a series of daring robberies.

Director: Max Nosseck | Stars: Lawrence Tierney, Edmund Lowe, Anne Jeffreys, Eduardo Ciannelli

Votes: 1,279 | Gross: $4.00M

2. Touch of Evil (1958)

12 | 95 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

8.1

                   

A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.

Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Charlton Heston, Orson Welles, Janet Leigh, Joseph Calleia

Votes: 73,859 | Gross: $2.24M

3. The Third Man (1949)

A | 104 min | Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller

8.3

                   

Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.

Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard

Votes: 115,209 | Gross: $0.45M

4. Brighton Rock (1947)

A | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

7.4

                   

Pinkie Brown is a small-town hoodlum whose gang runs a protection racket based at Brighton race course. When Pinkie orders the murder of a rival, Fred, the police believe it to be suicide. ... See full summary »

Director: John Boulting | Stars: Richard Attenborough, Hermione Baddeley, William Hartnell, Harcourt Williams

Votes: 3,996 | Gross: $0.22M

5. The Fallen Idol (1948)

A | 95 min | Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery

7.8

                               

A butler working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion when his wife accidentally falls to her death, the only witness being an impressionable young boy.

Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Ralph Richardson, Michèle Morgan, Sonia Dresdel, Bobby Henrey

Votes: 5,631 | Gross: $0.06M

6. Dial M for Murder (1954)

PG | 105 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller

8.2

                     

An ex-tennis pro carries out a plot to murder his wife. When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams

Votes: 108,205 | Gross: $0.01M

7. The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

A | 87 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

7.7

                     

Fascinated by gorgeous Mrs. Bannister, seaman Michael O'Hara joins a bizarre yachting cruise, and ends up mired in a complex murder plot.

Director: Orson Welles | Stars: Rita Hayworth, Orson Welles, Everett Sloane, Glenn Anders

Votes: 19,454 | Gross: $0.01M

8. It Always Rains on Sunday (1947)

A | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

7.4

                     

An escaped convict tries to hide out at his former lover's house but she has since married and is far from keen on the idea.

Director: Robert Hamer | Stars: Googie Withers, Jack Warner, John McCallum, Edward Chapman

Votes: 826 | Gross: $0.01M

9. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

A | 106 min | Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery

7.7

                   

A doomed female hitchhiker pulls Mike Hammer into a deadly whirlpool of intrigue, revolving around a mysterious "great whatsit."

Director: Robert Aldrich | Stars: Ralph Meeker, Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Juano Hernandez

Votes: 14,164 | Gross: $0.00M

10. Sunset Boulevard (1950)

PG | 110 min | Drama, Film-Noir

8.5

                   

A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.

Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson

Votes: 141,426