Neo-Noir

Brief Overview

Neo-noir films are noir films with a twist. Neo-noir films could mean that they still consist of the same type of characters - the everyman, femme fatal etc, Neo-noir films could also mean that they still have a similar plot as Noir films. These types of films may have twist which could be that the everyman would be portrayed as a woman like in the neo-noir film called 'Bound' or like in the movie 'Blade Runner' as it is set in the future,

Blade Runner
The Blade Runner is a neo-noir film as it has an everyman. The setting is set at night time in an urban city. It sets the dark mood of a film noir as it is set in the dark with rain. The film is American which is typical for a film noir as most is American. At the beginning of the neo-noir film, they have guns and smoke.

The Blade Runner is not a typical film noir as it is set in the future which consists of flying cars and robots: this is completely the opposite of a typical film noir as typical film noirs are normally set around the 1940's. In typical film noirs, jazz and classical music are normally used but in this case in the movie Blade Runner, it uses an electronically produced music which is not typical and this is why it is classed as a neo-noir, known for having twists, The Blade Runner is also not shot in black and white.

Red Riding Trilogy

The Red Riding Trilogy has a very typical beginning as it starts with the end which is common in most film noirs. This film is a typical neo-noir film as it has some of the main conventions of a film noir which is applied to this film; it consists of the typical character costumes (mise-en-scene)

Example of a Film Noir

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity is an example of one of a film noir we studied in class. Double Indemnity has a structure where it starts at the ending and ends in the beginning - this follows the traditional film noir narrative rules. In the film, the femme fatale is portrayed as a 'jail bait' character - we can see this in the scene where she standing at the top of the stairs wearing nothing but a towel: this is typical for the femme fatale as the femme fatal character is always shown as 'sexy' in every film noir. This scene was for the purpose of the everyman seeing the femme fatal as 'glamorous'.

This scene was new to the audience when it was created and the audience was quite shocked with the scene as they have never seen one like it. The femme fatale in Double Indemnity is a major character as she is shown as the 'flirt' which made her dominant to the film and audience. The femme fatal was eye-catching to the audience as the scene was introduced for the first time.

WHAT IS FOLEY?

 Below is a video about an introduction to what foley really is; foleying is used in mostly all films to create sound effects using simple objects. The video explains how foleying is used and how it is created.

Top 10 Films

Sweded Film Props

In order for our sweded film to be successful we needed a few props. Heather Mcdonald created the main object for our sweded film, the ouija board.

Sweded Film Script

OUIJA

(FRONT PORCH)

Heather
what’s going on?

Lydia
I just don’t wanna go out tonight

Heather
Are you sure you don’t wanna come?

Lydia
I'm good.

Go, go have fun (voice over)

(TABLE)

Heather
Never feel like even after someone you love has died there’s still a way you can talk to them

Matt
you want to talk to Debbie?

Heather
Yeah

(FRONT PORCH)

This is where Debbie died

(DINING ROOM)

Matt
I don’t think this is a good idea

Heather
As friends we've gathered hearts are true, spirits near we call to you

If you can hear us, Debbie I miss you

Jakey
Calm down it’s an old house

Josh
this is a joke

Matt
Come on you guys who’s doing that?

Heather
Sarah cut it out

Josh
I'm not pushing

Ish
It just spelt "hi friend"

Matt
Okay this is freaking me out, I’m done with this

(BEDROOM)

Lydia
I found something. I found something. I want to get this on camera...

(Camera) I found something in my house,

 Weird things started happening as soon as I found the board (voice over)

(LOCKERS)

Heather
Debbie found the board in her house, she woke something up

(TUNNEL)

Jakey
is somebody there?

(LOCKERS)

Jakey
this thing, it’s haunting us

(INDOORS)

Heather
Hello?

(Scream)

(TOILET)

Jakey
it’s coming for all of us (voice over)

So who's next?

Matt
Mmmm

(OUTSIDE)

Josh
how do we stop this?

(LIVING ROOM)

Cam
you have to break the connection or it will keep coming for you

(INDOORS)

Heather
we have to play the game again, one last time (voice over)

Everyone
as friends we've gathered hearts are true, spirits near we call to you (voice over)

(DINING ROOM)

Heather
Can you show us a sign?

(Scream) did you kill Debbie?! We’re done. We’re not playing anymore

Josh
it’s not even real ok? Cheers to them

Everyone
(scream)

Generic Conventions

Camera and Composition

There are various of different camera angles and the use of composition within a film noir to make it more interesting to watch; low angle shots are commonly used in a film noir to make the character more powerful, this is usually used for portraying the everyman and femme-fatal. Another camera angle which is within a film noir is called framming. Also another camera angle is called Dutch angle shots, this is where the camera is tilted rather than horizontal or vertical, the effect that this camera angle gives us as sense of anxiousness to the other characters in a film noir.

Noir Task

Our task was to create noir still images based on a storyline we have created.

Film Noir

Film noir is french for 'dark film' and was created by America and was introduced after the second World War; film noir mainly consists of flashbacks, cynical heroes and intricate plots. Film noir also consists of dark and stylistic detective films.

A film noir mainly consists of the following characters:
- The Everyman (anti-hero)
- Femme Fatal
- The Villain
- The Henchman/henchmen
- The Girl Next Door

The Everyman is the main character in a film noir and has usually have a bad history (sent to prison) but in the end he usually redeems himself. The Anti-hero normally falls in the love with the Femme Fatal which the Femme Fatal seduces him. The Femme Fatal is normally portrayed as a 'sexy' woman wearing red lipstick and high heels which attracts the everyman into their secret plots. The outcome of this is mainly negative where the everyman normally gets caught and the femme fatal gets killed. The villan and the henchman/ henchmen are obviously the bad ones trying to hurt or kill the anti-hero and the girl next door is the opposite of the femme fatal. the girl next door is what the everyman really wants but does not realize it.

MEDIA and ME