FMP- Secondary Research

Along side my primary research I also conducted some secondary. I went about this by using the internet to dive a little deeper into not just the noir genre, but also gang culture in 1950s america and how these two elements can come together to help my FMP.

Film Noir

First things first, what is film noir? "A French term meaning "black film," or film of the night, inspired by classic crime novels" (Ebert R. 1995). The genre was the one of the first to make the audience know that the story was most likely to not have a happy ending. Sets and environments were all designed to "...reek of the night, of shadows, of alleys, of the back doors of fancy places, of apartment buildings with a high turnover rate, of taxi drivers and bartenders who have seen it all." (Ebert R. 1995)

There is a lot of tropes which come with the noir genre. One of the biggest has to be 
cigarettes. "Everybody in film noir is always smoking, as if to say, 'On top of everything else, I've been assigned to get through three packs today.' The best smoking movie of all time is "Out of the Past," in which Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas smoke furiously at each other. At one point Mitchum enters a room, Douglas extends a pack and says, "Cigarette?" and Mitchum, holding up this hand, says, "Smoking."."

Noir also has a very strict dress code:

"For women: low necklines, floppy hats, mascara, lipstick, dressing rooms, boudoirs, calling the doorman by his first name, high heels, red dresses, elbowlength gloves, mixing drinks, having gangsters as boyfriends, having soft spots for alcoholic private eyes, wanting a lot of someone else's women, sprawling dead on the floor with every limb meticulously arranged and every hair in place.

"For men: fedoras, suits and ties, shabby residential hotels with a neon sign blinking through the window, buying yourself a drink out of the office bottle, cars with running boards, all-night diners, protecting kids who shouldn't be playing with the big guys, being on first-name terms with homicide cops, knowing a lot of people whose descriptions end in "ies," such as bookies, newsies, junkies, alkys, jockeys and cabbies." (Ebert R. 1995)

The final key puzzle pieces to the Film noir were "women who would just as soon kill you as love you, and vice versa".  Movies are also shot in black and white or made to look like they are. A film that includes some colour is normally moved into the neo-noir.

1950s American Crime Culture

Although organised crime has always been present in the western world, it wasn't till the early 1900s when prohibition swept the united states that crime groups starting making a lot of money, and therefor grew into crime empires. They would smuggle alcohol over the boarder from Mexico and sell it in under ground clubs and "speak-easies". By the time prohibition was lifted, crime organisations were worth more than more big business, meaning they had all the money and resources they needed.

Then came the second world war. The young men that returned from the violence were trained killing machines, with no problem with doing dirty jobs. This gave crime empires a lot of fresh meat. This membership surge meant that criminals now had small armies at there disposal. In turn, violence between rival gangs grew with events like the Valentine day massacres highlighting the brutal nature of the this shady under belly.

 

FMP- Primary research

As part of my FMP I was tasked with conducting some primary research into my idea. I wanted to see what people thought of the noir style, how they would build a believable 1950s environment and how other films similar to mine achieved the look and feel that I want to mimic. To do this I utilised to methods, the first was creating a survey and putting it out online. In the questionnaire I asked for the age and gender of the participant to gauge what different demographics wanted. These were my results:



As you can see, the survey was mainly done by 18 to 21 year olds with the gender predominately being female. Next I asked them to rank a number of elements in levels of importance in creating a 1950's feel. The most important from are surveyors was clothing, with 72.7% of people putting it the essential need of the spectrum. However, all 3 choices (Clothing, Vehicles and locations) received at least 5 essential votes, showing how important all 3 elements are in creating a living breathing 50s world. The only one that got a 1 in importance was Locations. 

The final part of the survey came from watching the opening to "A touch of Evil" by Orson Welles as then answering which part of the scene caught the viewers attention most. It was clear that one element stood out above the rest. That being camera movement. The other two that share the remaining 33.4% are shadows and the set. Getting those 3 elements will be important in getting right during production.


The next part of my Primary research came from watching the aforementioned film, A touch of Evil. The classic film is famed for not only being a cinematic masterpiece but also it as hailed as the last proper noir film from the golden age of cinema. The film is directed by Orson Welles and stars Charlson Heston, Janet Leigh and Orson Welles in the crime drama. The story follows an investigation into a car bombing on the american side of the Mexico Boarder.  


What I learned for watching the film was just how affectively you can use shadows and reflections to tell a story. For example, at the very beginning of the film we see a mysterious stranger plant a bomb in a mans car. As he runs towards the Vehicle, he casts a shadow on a large wall. This shot really hammers home that this is a shady characters whos identity will remain a secret and the only way to learn that secret is to watch the film. The use of reflections was also fascinating. It was obvious that mirrors and windows were placed and used strategically to add an extra dynamic to a scene.


A good example of this technic is when Janet Leighs character opens the blinds of her motel to look out over the desert. Instead of it being a shot over her shoulder showing the view and the a reverse of her reaction, we get best of both worlds by the use of reflections. This adds a depth to the scene and visual intrigue that otherwise wouldn't exist. 

Another shot type used throughout the film is the low angle shot. Now Orson Welles is famous for using low shots, even digging a hole in the studio to get the camera lower during filming of Citizen Kane. They are used predominately to show a character as powerful and he uses it with mastery. Take the opening shot where Orson Welles character, Hank is introduced. He is meant to be an intimidating man, and therefor having the camera low emphasises that idea. 

FMP- Compare and Contrast

To best explain a new idea or concept, its normally best to compare it to a preexisting property or IP. This means people can get an idea of what your product is and it's use. The same goes for the Media industry. When selling an idea to an executive, comparing your show/movie to something that already exists (and thats more importantly is successful) gives them an idea of the genre and audience you going for.

So it seems like a good idea to get a few examples which are similar, or you can at least compare against, my film. The first property that comes to mind has to be Breaking bad. As I want the short to be apart of Tv pitch, it seems fit to start with a TV show. Breaking bad encompasses a lot of what I want to replicate. From the non-chronological order to it's look and tone, the show oozes that old school noir vibe. It does this through it's character development and unique shot types. It also has a very distinctive look with an orange tint which always accompanies desert scenes. It also follows the idea that anyone can die, and will die, when you least expect it. Similarly, we want to build that same sense that no one is safe.

Another film which could compare to are film is Quentin Tarantinos World war 2 masterpiece, Inglourious Basterds. In particular a certain scene in a small bar where the main characters stand-off against a SS officer who figures out they aren't what they seem. The suspense that Tarantino builds using just a few simply shots is amazing. You really feel the weight of the situation slowly weighing down on you as the scene progresses. This is the kind of feeling I want to replicate in our film. That feeling like everything is building to an inevitable crescendo.

The final example of what I want the film to be like is my favourite film of all time. The Coan Brothers masterclass in filmmaking, which is of course No Country for Old Men". Everything about the film is perfect from it's cinematography to spot on dialogue, it nails it. What I want to glean most for it however is it's tone. That feeling of we have just entered into a shady part of the world, one we do not understand and where normal rules don't apply. Another thing to learn from NCFOM is building up a good bady. Someone who isn't silly or over the top, but creepy and scary. The final thing that the Coans have gifted me is there use of colours. I love the grade on all of their films but No country is one of the best. Every image looks like a painting and that is down simply to angle, lighting and colouring,
 

FMP- Proposal analysis

To start of any project, you must first write a proposal. A Statement of intent if you will, on where you are planning to go and how your going to get there. This includes the idea itself, why you chose the idea, the skills you will need to achieve your desired end product and how you will assess your success at the end of it all. A proposal is a useful tool for reflection as you can compare your end product with your beginning idea, learning what had to be changed and what challenges you faced. You can then use this knowledge in future projects to better assess a production.

Looking back at my UNIT 12 research, I think my proposal is a good one. I looked into how ideas go from mind to paper to screen and a recurring theme I saw was that of using short screen tests or films to sell a bigger idea. This is exactly what my idea is and from my proposal it makes that clear. One clear strength is the kit we will be using. Giving the short a very cinematic feel will be important to selling the look of the film, as well as solidifying us as professional filmmakers in the eyes of an executive. Also, having the unique style we want for the short will help to make it stand out from the sea of wannabe TV show pilots.

Taking into consider my primary and secondary research, I believe that the proposal best reflects what I want to achieve and how I can achieve it. Granted, things will change and challenges will arise, but for now, it is a pretty tight proposal. To conclude the analysis I have produced a Strengths and weaknesses of the proposal:

IMP Directors Chronicle- Role evaluation and progression

So, all the blood sweat and tears have finally paid off. The sleepless nights and hectic days have all lead to a good end product. As a crew we worked together really well with each department puling it's weight in he uphill battle which is film making. But now is a time to reflect back on my own role as Director. In this post I hope to answer the important questions like what were the strengths & challenges and how did I overcome. Plus how I can progress in the industry in my chosen job role.

First things first likes start out with are best foot forward, Strengths. I felt that I was a very effective director when it came to putting my ideas and concepts across. As Quentin Tarantino says "being a good director isn't about being able to be good at everything to bring your vision to life, it's about explaining your vision to people that know what they are doing". I took that advice very much to heart during the production. Instead of having to think about multiply things at once (like I normally have to do when working) I instead honed on just on my role, focusing on working with the actors to get the best performances.

This wasn't easy at times as in the past I have struggled with putting the ideas in my brain into actual words that make sense but, with some practise (and some patients from my amazing crew) we managed it. My crew mates seem to agree as well which is great after the stressfulness of working so closely on a project like Scribes.

Another strength that I felt really help things along was coordination. Right from the beginning, I knew that if I wasn't organised that I would be totally overwhelmed by the task. Me and my DOP started work as early as we could on getting some test footage and storyboardings out the feel and style we wanted. Same goes with myself and the Producer during the casting process. I wanted to get the ball rolling on things as soon as possible so no to have things jump up at us when deadlines started getting tight.

My final Strength was working with the actors. As previously mentioned, I was able to really spend some time with them on set, helping them to understand their role and what I needed from them. This lead to two very good and believable performances. You can really feel that brother and sister relationship on screen, as well as Dans distress when his world starts to come crashing down around him.

However, you can't have strengths without some weaknesses. For me, my biggest weakness was my own lateness. Time keeping has always been an issue for me and this project was no different. If their is one thing I could do different from a role stand point it would be to have got everywhere an hour earlier than I did.

Unsurprisingly, with a project of this size their were a lot of challenges. One of the biggest issues we had came the night before are many studio shoot. We had purpose built a flat in a studio space but only had it for one day. However, in try film making style, one on the key cables for connection up the camera to an external monitor broke. This meant we wouldn't be able to use the camera crane the next day meaning we wouldn't have been able get a lot of the shots we needed. Nightmare! We walked around bath for hours searching high and low for a new cable but alas, nothing. That night I reserved one at a local electronics store. Then, that morning, I waited outside for them to open to be the first in to get the cable.

Overall, I have learnt a huge amount as a film maker and even more as a director. I will take away from this project the true need for team work and clear communication as well as being able to clearly put your vision into words or a media that others can understand.

FMP- Chosen production

Looking through the 3 ideas that I narrowed down there was only really one I had my heart set on. I tried to look at the 3 subjectively, but hey, it's my final major project so I am allowed to have a bias. Granted I want to make all of them at some point, but as I can only make one, I have chosen to focus in on a short film with a view to sell it has a TV show.

The reason I want to go for this is mostly because of the timing of things. Amazon Prime, a key streaming service we want to target, is priming (pardon the pun) to release it's biggest show yet, that being a car show staring ex-top gear presenters James May, Richard Hammond and Jeremy Clarkson. When the show drops, million more will be attracted the to service. By getting a show into production now, we can have it released just as the new "Top gear" finishes. With all the new hype around the service, are viewing figrues will be through the roof compared to last year.

This careful timing will hopefully allow us to build the show with a second series. Not only will it be a lot of fun and earn us a good deal of money, but it will also give me great contacts in the industry and cred to be able to proceed with more projects whether they be in TV or film.

The film is also much further through it's development stage than the other ideas. This allows me to not have to start from scratch and means that I can focus on the important things, without having to waste time tooing and frooing over the little things.

Hopefully, with any luck we will come out of this with not just a great short film, but the bases for a TV series which would be seen by millions. However, simply producing a short film does not mean a studio will pick up your project. To get my chances even higher, I will be conducting research into what makes a show attractive to a studio, the dos and don'ts of pitching a show and interviewing those who have walked through the fire and came out the other-side only slightly singed.

Harvard references

"Parenthetical referencing, also known as Harvard referencing, is a citation style in which partial citations—for example, "(Smith 2010, p. 1)"—are enclosed within parentheses and embedded in the text, either within or after a sentence.

According to an 1896 paper by Charles Sedgwick Minot of the Harvard Medical School, the origin of the author-date style is attributed to a paper by Edward Laurens Mark, Hersey professor of anatomy and director of the zoological laboratory at Harvard University, who may have copied it from the cataloguing system used then and now by the library of Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. In 1881 Mark wrote a paper on the embryogenesis of the garden slug, in which he included an author-date citation in parentheses on page 194, the first known instance of such a reference. Until then, according to Eli Chernin writing in the British Medical Journal, references had appeared in inconsistent styles in footnotes, referred to in the text using a variety of printers' symbols, including asterisks and daggers. Chernin writes that a 1903 festschr dedicated to Mark by 140 students, including Theodore Roosevelt, confirms that the author-date system is attributable to Mark. British Medical Journal in 1945, an unconfirmed anecdote is that the term "Harvard system" was introduced by an English visitor to Harvard University library, who was impressed by the citation system and dubbed it "Harvard system" upon his return to England
The festschrift pays tribute to Mark's 1881 paper, writing that it "introduced into zoology a proper fullness and accuracy of citation and a convenient and uniform method of referring from text to bibliography." According to an editorial note in the

Examples:

Kate and Jerry. (2015). Christmas 2015. Available: http://findmadeleine.com/updates/index.html. Last accessed January 2016.

Zooey Deschanel. (2013). WHERE DO I BEGIN?. Available: http://zooeydeschanel.tumblr.com/post/50379245993/upfronts-2013-with-miss-mindy-kaling. Last accessed 26th of January 2016.