FMP- Research conclusions

Drawing conclusions from research is key to getting the most out of what you have been looking into. It's from your conclusion that you know the next steps to take and it's no different for me. As part of my unit 13 I have been looking into things to help further the development of my idea, a short Noir gangster film based in 1950s America. I wanted to get an idea, not just of the history of gang culture, but also the history of the film Noir genre. I also wanted to see what people thought of when it came to building a belivable 1950s America.

So what did I learn. Well, firstly lets look at gangsters. I looked into the history of gangster ism in America, focusing on events happening after the 1900s. This included prohibition and the world wars. For my research it is very clear that these men were brutal in there quest for power. One example that I highlighted was the Valentines day massacre where six mob associates and a mechanic of the North Side Irish gang led by Bugs Moran were put up against and wall and shot. This highlighted for the cut throat nature of the shady underbelly that was the criminal underworld of 1900 America.

The next thing I looked into was the Noir film genre. What I learnt from looking into this part of film history was really the key elements that were needed for a film to qualify to be Noir. It needs to be dark with every shot oozing of shade and the night. Also, there are some set conventions for how people in the film should look. For example, men should be suit wearing, clean cut, trilby toting manly men who smoke 3 packets a day. Finally, films focus on more dark themes, those being murder, sex and drugs. 

The most interesting part of my research came from my primary questionnaire. This is where I asked people what they thought was key into creating a real feeling 1950s environment. Unsurprisingly, it was clear that all 3 elements, those being vehicles, sets and clothing are key in making the feel we want.

So, all things considered, it is clear now how to proceed, but that will all be highlighted in my next blog post.