Short Films

Codes and Conventions of: Short Films

 

Short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature Film. The 'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' defines a short film as:-

"An original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits".

 

ShortsTV was the first television channel dedicated to short films.

 

Shorts International and Magnolia Pictures organize an annual release of Academy Award nominated short films in theatres across the US, UK, Canada and Mexico.

 

Shorts are occasionally broadcast as filler when a feature film or other work doesn't fit the standard broadcast schedule, for example, a few animated shorts continue within mainstream commercial distribution, i.e. Pixar in associated with Disney have screened a short film along each of its feature films during its theatrical run since 1995 (producing shorts permanently since 2001).

 

However, short films generally rely on festival exhibition to reach an audience. Such movies can also be distributed via the Internet, i.e. sites such as YouTube and Vimeo have attracted large communities of artists and viewers.

 

Short film making is growing in popularity as equipment becomes cheaper and more amateurs are making movies (due to semi-professional cameras of low cost,cheap software for editing, production and DVD authorising.

Short films can span from animations, comedies to dramas and crime pieces. Here are a few examples of famous Short Films:-

 

Scene from Short Film entitled 'Glassjaw'. About an injured sportsman trying to work his way back into boxing (starring Emmett Scanlan).

Here is a well renowned Short film, entitled, 'Mebollix' which i found on youtube. It is an Irish Comedy directed by two time IFTA-winner Simon Gibney (Podge and Rodge, Bronx Bunny) and is winner of the HDFEST Deffie Award for Best Comedic HD Short Film (also stars upcoming irish actor, Emmet Scanlan).

 

 

 



Analysis of Stanley Kubrick's 'Killer Kiss' - 1955

I have created an analysis/commentary of a video format below. This video displays a chosen clip from the 1955 Film Noir entitled 'Killer Kiss'.

I have tried to create links between this film and the key codes/conventions which are an important ingredient to the genre itself.

 

 

Analysis of 'The Hitch-Hiker' - 1953

 

Film Noir Diary

Here is a brief log of the Film Noir movies i have been watching. They span from original Film Noir's from the 1940's to more modern 'Neo Noir' movies:-

The Big Sleep (1946)

Director: Howard Hanks

Studio: Warner Bro's

Actors/Actresses: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall

Plot Summary: Based on Raymond Chandler's Novel of the same name, The big sleep is the story of cynical private eye Detective, Phillip Marlowe (the films main protagonist) who is hired by a rich family to deal with various cases. Every time Marlowe turns over a stone, new information arises. Along his journey he uncovers mystery as he finds himself in scenarios of blackmail, deceit murder and a fiery, uncertain romance.  

Body Heat (1981)

Director: Lawrence Kasdan

Studio: The Ladd Company

Actors/Actresses: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner

Plot summary: the main protagonist of this story is seedy small town lawyer, Ned Racine, who, during a searing heatwave has been picked up by married Matty Walker. A passionate affair commences but it isn't long before they realise the only thing standing in their way is Matty's rich husband Edmund. A plot hatches to kill him but a journey of lies and deceit lies ahead or Ned who get used and manipulated by Femme Fatale, Matty who has more than romance up her sleeve.

The Black Dahlia (2006)

Director: Brian De Palma

Studio: Millenium Films, NU Image

Actors/Actresses: Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Aaron Eckhart, Hilary Swank 

Plot summary: Based on the Novel by James Ellroy, Two policemen see their personal and professional lives fall apart in the wake of the "Black Dahlia" murder investigation - one of the most notorious unsolved murder cases in Hollywood history.

Detour (1945)

Director: Edgar G. Ulmer

 

Actors/Actresses: Tom Neal, Ann Savage

Plot summary: In flashback, New York nightclub pianist Al Roberts hitchhikes to Hollywood to join his girlfriend, Sue. On a rainy night, the sleazy gambler he's riding with mysteriously dies; afraid of the police, Roberts takes the man's identity. But thanks to a blackmailing Femme Fatale, his every move plunges him deeper into trouble.

Film Noir Mood-Board

I have created a visual Mood-Board of typical codes and conventions present in the Film Noir genre. By researching and finding screen shots and visual examples of these conventions, i feel this will help me fully understand the stylistic/artistic way these things are used and how they transform onto film to create visually stunning imagery.

 

As you can see, i have included one of the most important codes of any Film Noir movie; Low Key Lighting. The sharp contrast of white and black is a great visual and artistic effect used in Noir to give the imagery that famous trademark style of glamour and mystery. I have also included the dutch angle or tilt which i think is a very important convention of Noir, creating unequal balance in the frame making the whole experience of watching uncomfortable and disorientating for the viewer. The photo of the woman with the gun represents the new found power that women have over men which is a very common trate of many Noir films. The props used are very important in promoting the Noir brand, i.e. Fedora hat, Mack Coat, Guns, Weapons, Cigarettes etc. Physical violence and fights are common in Noir films which are generally action packed Thrillers. Sexual frustration and Romance are also a key theme present near to all films of this genre. I have included the notorious, 'Femme Fatale' and 'Anti-Hero' that are key characters in Noir films who have a stereotypical look and characteristics, i.e. The Anti-Hero's scruffy mode of dress and The females Seductive and manipulative nature. Venetian blinds are another style used to create thick striped shadows and distinguish shady characters or goings on. Reflections through objects such as broken mirrors, water reflections or windows are a common artisticv effect, distorting and obscurring the face of a character, adding to the air of mystery and suggesting a disfunctional personality. The rain, smoke and mist seen in  the urban settings and streets where Noir films are primarily shot again adds to the mystery and fantical side of the genre.

 

 

 

Common Themes of Film Noir:-

From watching various films of this genre i have been able to come up with a few brief ideas of traditional themes that are commonly used in Film Noir. This will help give me ideas of conventional themes i could possibly persue and use in my own Film Noir short film:-

• Paranoia
• Power
• Sex
• Crime
• Greed/Corruption
• Uncertain Romance
• Loneleness
• Alienation
• Little Hope
• Bleak vision of the world
• Madness/ Despair fatalism
• Deceit/Manipulation

Film Noir: Character Profiles

Film Noir Characters: The Anti-Hero

The main character of a film Noir is nearly always male, often a detective. He is not a typical 'good guy' and is often labelled an 'Anti-Hero', meaning he carries out bad actions but for the greater good. This character is often drawn in by a seductive female character, manipulated into bad/illegal doing and left to get himself out of trouble and desperately tries to solve the problems in question and return to a state of equilibrium. 

More relevant to the original Film Noir's from the 40's/50's, the narrative was often told from the perspective of the Detective, and it was a common convention of a Film Noir to begin with an ending scene from the plot, with flash backs to the beginning of the story, allowing the protagonist to tell the story as the narrator.

The Protagonist/Anti Hero was often a tall, dark and Handsome man. He had a serious look and stance, a dark, brooding atitude and sophisticated sense of style. He is an alpha male, Ladies man, likes to feel dominant and familiar with weapons/crime. He may seem cool and collected on the exterior but is often found out to be the victim in the end (drawn in, manipulated and used by the female character).

Humphrey Bogart was an Actor who was well renowned for his appearances in various Film Noir's such as 'The Big Sleep' - 1946

Film Noir Characters: The Femme Fatale

The other main character who was present in almost every Film Noir is the 'Femme Fatale'. This character was stereotypically beautiful; usually with long, blonde hair, provocative but sophisticated clothing, glamourous and wealthy (usually covered in diamonds and make up), classy, confident and intelligent, but with an edge of vulnerability and dependance. This was her tool used to draw in the male anti hero who relished on the idea of being a dominant male who cared for and protected the 'innocent' young woman.These women with guns were empowering, deceptive, and just plain mean. They always seemed to manage to trap the hard-boiled detective into falling in love with them, just to come in at the last second and turn his world upside-down.

The Femme Fatale was a portrayal of women as they had never been seen before. Women in America had a new found freedom, confidence and were proving they were equal to men. The Gender role had changed, with the woman depicted as the stronger, smarter character (often the villain). She acts as a seductive, exciting, illicit desire of the male protagonist. She was someone who was impossible to resist, in turn, destroying the notion of family values within the structure of society. She acts like a spider, luring the male into her web (often manipulating him with her charm and sexuality to commit a murder on her own terms).   

The femme fatale was a sly character; looking appealing and innocent on the outside, unbenownst to the protagonist that this was all an act, and infact was deceitful, manipulative and unmerciful on the inside.

This is an image of Kathleen Turner in 'Body Heat' - 1981 (playing the manipulative Femme Fatale role of Matty Walker) 

Film Noir - Codes and Conventions
Film Noir directly translates to black film in French. They are stylish Hollywood crime drama films that first came into being in 1940 with the release of a movie called stranger on the 3 rd floor.

Here are a few key examples of typical codes and conventions present in the Film Noir Genre:

 

Cinematography
Film Noir Cinematography is often distorted and skewed, disorientating the viewer putting them at unease. (this reflects the tone of Noir).

Tilt Shot:-

Camera is tilted at an angle as to confuse and disorientate the viewer - usually fast paced chase scenes

High angle/ Low angle shot:-

High angle - camera is positioned above looking down (often to label a character vulnerable or in danger)



Low angle - camera is positioned below looking upwards (often to label a character powerful and threatening)

Extreme close up/ close up and Depth of field shot:-

Extreme Close up - often used to emphasize the importance of a certain feature (usually a characters eye to show emotion up close or to show the significance of a certain object such as a weapon etc.)
 

Depth of field shot - This is when the camera sense focuses only on a certain area/point of a shot (for e.g. here the end of the gun is in clear focus whilst the body of the gun is engofed in a blur)

Close up shot - this is used to bring the focus to a certain object/ character, often to depict emotion more clearly

Reflections, views and faces obscurred through objects:-

face is seen through a mirror reflection (rear view mirror, car windows, puddles etc. can also be used to create a distorted image of a character - adds to the mystery and confusion)

Dutch Tilts or irregular framing shots:-



Mise En Scene:-

Film Noir locations used the everyday urban setting to make what was happening appear even more real to the viewer (rain damp misty streets).

Gloomy, deserted atmosphere - street lights and murky fog creates an air of mystery

Old fashion architecture - wet roads and dark setting

 

Low key lighting (chiaroscuro) and high contrast images - blacks and whites:-

  

High contrast between a pure white and dark black - stylish edge and creates a very visually appealing image

Lighting adds a ghost like glow - adding to the mysterious atmosphere of the genre. The lighting emphasizes the glamourous, artistic style thats associated with Film Noir
 

Use of Venetian Blinds:-

Venetian blinds are used not only to create an artistic visual effect, but also to mirror shady characters/crime

The shadows give the effect of prison bars which reinforces the theme of murder and crime (Having charaqcters opposite sides of the blind is good for distinguishing the hero and the villian of a narrative)

Down Beat Hero:-

Often downbeat, suave, nonchalant and cool (usually seen with long coats, suits, trilby hat, cigarette, liquor, dark, tall and handsome look - Alpha male, ladies man)

Femme Fatale:-
Beautiful, sophisticated woman - alluring and desirable to men

Gloria Grahame

Sound:-

 

Film Noir sound was used to compliment the feeling of pessimism and reflect what's happening in the film:-

• Meloncholy, Down Beat Music
• Jazz, Piano, Sax
• Heavy Breathing
• Use of Quiet/Silence
• Discordant and grating music
• Sudden Noises
• Voice over of Protagonist
• Sound affects and ambiance of the city and suburbia
 

Editing:-

 

Film Noir editing follows many of the traditional crime characteristics:-

 

Non linear -starts at the end then tells the story in flash backs often

Shot day for night using filters - cheaper

Continuity editing generally, jump cuts and Jarring Juxtaposition

What is 'Film Noir'?

The History Of Film Noir

Film Noir directly translates to black film in French. They are stylish Hollywood crime drama films with a very unique style that first came into being in 1940 with the release of a movie called stranger on the 3 rd floor.The term was introduced by french film critics just after World War II after they noticed a notible change in mood and concent of American Movies . Many claimed that Hollywood had woken up to the harsh realities of the world and the horrors of war. A lot of the films were no longer light hearted, optimistic and happy tales which were an extremely prevalent style before the war. The films were darker and mysterious, dealing with subjects such as murder, deceit and various other dark themes.

Film noir went through a decline in the late 1950s. The war was over, The economy was on the rise and the dark, smuldering style of noir was less stylish and popular than it was in previous years. The introduction of television affected this highly, with peoples interests swaying more towards comedy series and light hearted technicolour films and musicals. 

From the seventies onwards, Film Noir came back into popularity with the rise of feminism and the scandal and controversy present in government

With many of the public feeling distrust towards the government, as well as the feeling of alienation, Film Noir embodied and reflected this situation (explaining their sudden increase in popularity). 

Example: - Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film, Taxi Driver

The Brief

 

For this years coursework, we are expected (as a group of 4) to create a short Film Noir (approx. 5 minutes long). So far in our lessons, we have had the chance to watch a variety of Film Noir's, ranging from 1950 all the way to 2009, including the likes of 'Body Heat', 'The Black Dahlia' and ' '. This allowed us to look more in depth at the key codes and conventions of this particular genre to inspire and help us in the near future when creating our own piece.

As well as the main task above, we are also expected (individually) to carry out 2 of the 3 available ancillary tasks:-

• A poster of the film
• A radio trailer for the film
• A film magazine review page for the film

To reach the final product, I will record all my research, planning and progress on this blog. I hope that by looking in detail at the film Noir, it will give me further insite and wider knowledge of Film Noir as a whole, and help tpwards creating a final piece which is relevant and stays true to the Genre.