Production post (purchasing the props needed)

     I found both the fake cigarettes and lighter that will enhance the look of the film in order to make it look more professional. 

(props being purchased)

      Both the lighter and the fake cigarettes should come by Tuesday, March 4th. Once the props are delivered I can start filming with the actors. The vintage lighter is a key part for the film as its a key component in letting the audience know that the film is taking place during the 40's and 50's. 

     

       Along side with the lighter the "fake" cigarettes will further push the time period to the audience. Since smoking was such a huge activity during the 40s and 50s, having the actors smoke fake cigarettes will reinforce what time period the film is taking place. Also the smoke coming out of the fake cigarette creates a foggy atmosphere which is perfect for film noir. 

Planning post

     While in Colombia, my room had curtains that reminded me a lot of the curtains in film noir movies but just a little more modern. 

(Example of the curtains)

    At first I wanted to see how the curtains looked with an basic opening. As the light penetrated through the curtains, I observed the shadow it looked very accurate to how it does in the films. Shortly after I realized that in order to achieve the best look or a sharper look with the shadows I will need a strong light in a controlled environment.         

    Realizing this I realized that I would need to hang the curtains in a dark room by itself with a Harsh light, creating the iconic shadows. Purchasing the venetian blinds by it self from a hardware will insure a smooth process in recording the needed shots for the opening. Or instead of buying the curtains I can simply purchase carboard and make individual slits. 

(Curtain with different vanes)

      I also tried seeing how the curtain's shadow would look if the vanes of the curtains were closed more shut. Overall the shadow that was created by the different vanes didn't look as good as the original one. In the end I am going to use the original look of the curtain but create the shadows using a piece of paper or carboard having horizontal slits

(Curtain with different vanes)

Character development

(List of names from 1940s)

     Many ideas popped up when I was trying to come up for a name for the protagonist. I was mainly trying to come up with a name that sounded cool in order to match his character. Like I'm not gonna name the protagonist Gerrald. I started to look at lists of names and boom Ace popped up. Shortly after I thought of the name "Ace" I realized Ace doesn't suit the times of the 1940s/50s. So I decided with the name James Howard.     

    As for the dead Body, he doesn't have a huge impact in the opening minutes of the film but he holds a lot of mystery towards him as a character. As for that I think Norman Walker sounds pretty mysteriorius  

     For the serial killer I was lookin through a list of names of that were popular in the 1940s and Bonnie Vanderbilt is perfect. It is classily, powerful, and can be seductive, which perfectly matches her character as she lures her victims with her looks then kills them shortly after.  

Audio that wil be used in film opening

     For the opening I will be using royalty free soundtracks, foley sounds, and also sound effects from audio databases

    

(website)

    The way that I would attain royalty free soundtracks is going to be from websites such as ALIBI. ALIBI is a website that provides its users with thousands of soundtracks ranging from all types of moods. ALIBI has is so reliable and useful that multiple big time productions have used their website such as Inside out 2, Dunkin Donuts for their commercials, Stranger Things season 2, Febreze, Oppenheimer, and many more. 

(The way I would capture the rain sounds)

 

    For my foley sounds, I would record them using a high definition microphone, ensuring the best possible capture for the audio. Some of the foley sounds I'm considering on making is the sound of knocking and also the sound for rainfall. For knocking it would be as simple as recording me knocking on a door, but for the rain I would record food frying on a pan. The food frying gives a accurate representation on how rain sounds like. 

(Pixabay)

    The audio databases that I would be utilizing for my project would be both Bensound and Pixabay. Both Bensound and Pixabay are great sources for sound effects. A feature that Bensound offers that I particularly enjoy is that you can filter the energy level which can be especially useful for when you want to create a mood or tone in a film. Pixabay includes over 90,000 sound effects that are completely free to use. These two websites are going to help me a big time when it comes to audio. 

(Baysound)

Costumes for film opening

     The time period where the opening is gonna take place is during the late 1940s/early 1950s in the busy city of New York.   

(Clear representation
of how I want the 
outfit to look)

    

    After looking at a lot of pictures of what New Yorkers wore, the outfit for the detective is comprised of a suit(dark blue), a fedora, black dress shoes, and obviously a beige trenchcoat. This look will further enhance the time period and the detective vibe. An other look that the detective will have is a PJ look. This will be comprised up of a basic button shirt with pants matching the color. 

(PJ look)

    

    

    For the dead body, I want him to be wearing basically the same as the detective but without the trenchcoat and with out the top half of the suit. Essentially for the dead body he would be wearing suit pants a white button shirt, and suspenders. Reason for this is because the dead body just got back from work and was getting unready but got killed during the process.

(The one on the right)

 Lastly for the female serial killer she would be wearing a dress that about knee length with a trench coat over her dress. She would also be wearing basic black heels. Her look is very simple but still manages to bring the 1940s/50s time period. 

(Example of the outfit)

Props for opening

     For the film opening to be executed good, the use of props is an import factor. Some props that I'm considering on using are fake cigarettes, empty alcohol bottles, lighters, and a news paper.

(Fake cigarettes that
look like Marlboro)

    

    The cigarette was a object that was seen everywhere during the 1940s/50s. With the film opening taking place during that time period it only seems right to have cigarettes in the opening. Since the actors in the film opening are minors and can't smoke. The use of fake cigarettes are essential in creating the right look in the opening. The fake cigarettes don't contain any nicotine but rather made up of herbal blends  such as marshmallow root, red clover flowers, rose petals, honey, and fruit juice. 

     

(News paper template that
I will be using)

 

     For the rest of the props such as the alcohol bottles, lighters and newspapers they will just be in the scene solely to enhance the idea that the main character drinks and smokes. For the news papers i'm planning on using a  news paper template and having a story on the news paper talking about a serial killer on the loose. On the news paper I would also include a police sketch of the serial killer. The implication of the sketch on the newspaper will create a mood of uneasiness because in the film the detective would face the serial killer face to face realizing that she is the killer. I got this idea from watching a short film  labeled Miss Barton's Famous Cakes - Film Noir Shor   created by People Zoo.

    Citations 

“Miss Barton’s Famous Cakes - Noir Short Film.” Www.youtube.com, 31 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiLLsfpRZls. Accessed 13 Feb. 2022. 

“     Do actors Really Smoke?” Backstage.com, 29 July 2022, www.backstage.com/magazine/article/do-actors-really-smoke-75370/.

Storyboard

 

Short blog post today but these are some of the shots that I will most definitely use in my film opening. I will use the storyboard as a guideline while filming my opening. I will implement various types of shots to increase their length and meaning. 

Project Idea

    The story for the opening starts off by showing our protagonist in a motel room smoking a cigarette while investigating a recent murder victim who has a crumbled-up paper in his hand reading "Don't trust her"

(An example of how the protagonist
will be positioned)

    While the protagonist is investigating the victim the motel room window will have flashes of light that represent lighting and also water droplets indicating that it is raining. As the protagonist is reading the note the door would have someone behind it knocking. As this happens the camera pans to the door revealing the title card "Don't Trust Her" This is the overall plot of the opening just summarized. The opening will have shots that lengthen the film but don't have
significance for the opening. 

    

(Sketch of how the motel room would look like)

(Mood that I want to create
in opening)

    

Media Theory that I want to integrate

(Media theory chart where I got
my information from)

    The media theory that I will be implementing into my film opening will be Character theory, proposed by Vladimir Propp stating that characters can be classified into specific roles. These roles would consist of a protagonist, antagonist(a character working against the protagonist), dispatcher(a character who sends the protagonist on their journey), helper(a character who helps the protagonist), donner(a character who provides the protagonist something to help them succeed, princess( the motivation or prize for the protagonist), and the false hero(a character who may not be initially set up as a villain but who works to prevent the protagonist from succeeding). In the opening, I would use characters such as the protagonist and a false hero.  

(An example of proairetic code)

    Another media theory that I would like to utilize is narrative codes. The type of narrative code that I would like to use is the proairetic or action code. Brought up by Roland Barthes, proairetic codes are plot points that lead to other actions and make the audience wonder what could come next. An example of this would be a car chase or a character staring at another character and cracking their necks and knuckles. The way that I would use this would be the protagonist staring at a dead body with a note reading "don't trust her" and shortly after hearing a knock on the door.  

(Another example of proairetic code)

Group meeting #1

     Today, I had my first group meeting. We discussed ideas, our blog posts, and the plot/genre of our film opening. We helped each other brainstorm different ideas and techniques that we could utilize to improve our film opening.

(some notes I took during our meeting)

    The first member (Brynn) wants to make a romantic comedy. The basic outline of the plot of her film opening is that there would be a girl who gets a call from a guy who likes her but does not want her to find out who he is, so he plays a game of 21 questions with her to figure out who he is. She wants to incorporate pov shots and many shots inside the house and phone screens. Some themes that she would incorporate would be themes of unknown and nervous anticipation. She also talked about wanting to use vibrant colors in her opening.

    The second member (Sofia) wants to do a mystery comedy. The plot would be that the main character's sister went missing but no one else cares besides the main character.  A prop that she would like to incorporate in her opening is a detective board. I found this idea really helpful for my own opening. She told the rest of the group that YouTube audio is good for using free audio. Sofie also wants to use a color pallet similar to the one used in Knives Out to make the film seem more cinematic.

(The other page of notes)

    The third member (Gabriel) wants to do an opening similar to a spy movie.  An outline for his opening would be about an assign who has to go into a house for a mission but later gets betrayed. He wants the color scheme of his opening to be dark, using colors like black and red. Is deciding on whether he wants to do an establishing shot of his house to show the audience where the mission is taking place. Also wants to make the setting rain. To achieve this he would add rain sounds to his opening. This idea also inspired me to add rain to my opening to create a mood.

    The fourth member (Santiago) still doesn't know what to do for his plot but wants to create a suspenseful film. Wants to implement the use of tracking shots in his openings. One key aspect that he would like to add to his film opening is a monster that would attack the main characters. For the monster, he wants to use a shadow to outline the size of the monster. He also wants to include a group to be in his film. 

(My group in our meeting)

Analyzing film openings

(A scene in The Letter,1947)

     The first film opening comes from The Letter, 1940. The opening starts off showcasing a hut with a bunch of individuals sleeping in hammocks and playing cards. This is filmed using master shots throughout the opening. As the camera passes by the people it later showcases a woman shooting a man multiple times ending the opening. 

(Touch Of Evil 1958)

     The second film opening is from Touch Of Evil, 1958. The film opening is filmed using a master shot all the way till near the end. It starts off with a close-up of a man starting the clock to a bomb. It later does a quick pan showing an old couple walking through a hallway. We start to follow the same man who started the clock on the bomb placing it into the car which the couple owns. The camera follows the car as it drives through the city. We later get introduced to another couple who get passed by the couple who was originally in the car. While the camera is following the couple that's walking they are filmed using a long shot. As the couple stops walking, the master shot ends with a cut of the car that the old couple was in, blowing up. The shot cuts back to the couple distressed. As the couple starts going to the car they are filmed using the hand-held technique and shot at a low angle. This emphasizes the feeling of chaos that goes on throughout the opening 

(Citizen Kane 1941)

         The third film, the opening is from Citizen Kane, 1941. The opening begins with two production companies RKO Radio Pictures and Mercury Productions Inc. Then we see the title card of the film in bold neon font. Shortly after we hear non-diegetic audio of a suspenseful instrumental with a visual of a sign on a fence reading "No Trespassing" As the scene evolves the camera travels upwards upon the gate until it fades to a wide shot showing a cage with monkeys and a castle behind them. As the scene continues, we get many shots from different angles with different props in each shot showcasing the castle. After those shots we see a room filmed in a long shot with the light on but moments after the light turns off. As the light turns off the score in the background also abruptly stops. Shortly after the light turns back on and the score resumes again but with a different tone. We get a zoomed-in visual of a house inside a snow globe, and we find out it is in a snow globe because the camera zooms out to reveal that it is a snow globe. As it zooms out we get a close-up of a mouth saying "rosebud" As he says this he drops the snow globe, causing it to shatter. We get a fisheye lens shot of a nurse walking into the room where the man is, crossing his arms. This tells the viewers that the man has just died. The opening scene then ends with a shot of the window light still being lit on.

Schedule illustration

     This is the illustration for my portfolio schedule.

 

I will follow this schedule to stay on task with all my blog posts and other assignments that are due. The checkmark in the first week represents the assignments that I have completed. This is a very short blog post, but tomorrow, we will analyze three film noir openings.

3 title credit sequence film noir

(Lady In The Lake 1947)

      The first title credit sequence is from Lady In The Lake, 1947. It starts with the iconic Metro-Golden-Mayer production logo with Christmas music introducing the scene.  The title sequence starts off with an over-the-head shot, zooming into the pile of cards on the table. As the sequence continues we see a hand removing the cards one by one. The cards have text crediting the producers, actors, and everyone involved. As the hand pulls the last card it is revealed that there is a gun. The score also changes to a more dramatic instrumental as soon as the gun is shown. The title sequence ends shortly after the gun is introduced  

(The Untouchables 1987)

    

The second title sequence comes from The Untouchables, 1987. The title sequence is fairly basic, it begins with a text introducing paramount pictures. The whole title credit sequence is the fairly same, it shows the shadow of the title while presenting the credits. The title starts to move away, later disappearing from the screen.  Near the end of the title sequence, we get presented with an over-the-headshot showcasing a room filled with men looking over a man who lies on a bed and seems to be getting a pedicure.  

(The Third Man 1949)

        The third title credit sequence starts with a film censor from the British board. Then the title sequence introduces the production company "A London Film Production" with a visual of Big Ben next to the text. The title sequence moves on to introduce all the individuals who were involved in the making of the film, with a background of a guitar string getting played. While having the strings played the background music has a guitar instrumental playing. 
 

Researching lighting techniques

                                                                

    For Film Noir, lighting is a major aspect of the production of the genre. In Film Noir some of the most prominent lighting are going to be strong key lights and very strong back lights. These two lighting techniques allow for high-contrast lighting also known as chiaroscuro lighting. Combined with the heavy use of  low-key lighting it emphasizes deep shadows to create the dramatic moody atmosphere.

(Three-point lighting set up)

    Lighting tools 

      Film Noir utilizes the use of tools such as cucoloris and gobos. Cucoloris and gobos are both light tools that control light shape. Cucoloris are placed in front of the light source and between the subject (a cutout placed in front of the light source). Gobos are placed inside or in front of the light source. This difference leads to the cucoloris being used to achieve a more natural look and simulate movement. While the Gobo is used to create patterns or textures onto a surface   

    

(lighting effect with a cucoloris) 

(Lighting effect with a Gobo)

      Low Key Lighting 

(Example using low-key lighting)

   Low key lighting is an essential technique used in film noir, it highlights shadows which creates a visual with contrast. Using strong focused light sources can add depth and textures to scenes, leading to an emphasis on mystery in the film. Low key lighting also puts an emphasis on facial features making them noticeable against the darkness. This technique is used to reveal the emotions and motivations of the character subtly.  

   

 

 High Key Lighting 

(Example in film noir using high-key lighting) 

  While low-key lighting creates contrasts, high-key lighting balances light and shadows. Although when using high-key lighting shadows are less noticeable, they can still add depth and dimension to the film. High-key lighting can project a optimistic tone while it contrasts with the traditional gloomy weather seen in film noir.   

My two possible genre choices.

    Two possible genre choices that I would be considering for the film's opening would be i=Indie or hardboiled fiction. The reasons why I'm considering both of these genres are due to the specific characteristics that they each have. The Indie genre has unique storytelling, strong character development, and creative freedom for the director. Hardboiled fiction on the other hand involves violence, an urban setting, corruption, femmes fatale, and detectives. 

(Example of a Hardboiled fiction)

     

    

                                                                 Basic research

(Snapshot from Juno 2007)

    Indie films are known for their unique storytelling and their artistic expression. Normally produced outside of a major film studio system. Created with lower budgets than major studio films. Also, filmmakers often have greater control which allows for exploration into themes and storylines that usually are unconventional. Indie films are usually distributed through independent companies, film festivals, or digital platforms. Overall Indie films are characterized by their outside-the-box thinking and artistic view of films.

(Another example of Hardboiled fiction)

    Hardboiled films are known for their gritty realism, complex characters, and a prominent focus on crime and corruption. Hardboiled films often depict a world of violence, typically including detectives or anti-heroes. These stories focus on showing the harsh realities of urban life and the consequences of a corrupted society. Most of the time Hardboiled films are filmed in black and white. 

 

Initial plans for my film opening

          Film Opening: Ideas and approaches

    We are beginning our portfolio project for Cambridge this week. The important part of the portfolio project is the film opening. As soon as I heard that we had to do a film opening for our final, I instantly thought about creating a film opening based on 1920s detective films. I really enjoy the monochrome look and love the score in these films.     

    

    If I were to go forward with these ideas then a key aspect that I would need to get down would be the mise-en-scene. To do this I would have to do research on how people dressed in the 1920s, what the insides of buildings looked like, and the specific lighting used in films during the 1920s. Overall I would love to do a film opening based around that genre as it would not only be fun to make but also unique as very few people ever film in black and white in the 21st century. 

    Another idea that came to my head for my film opening is to do a postmodern-style film opening. The reason for this is mainly due to Wes Anderson and how he directs his movies. I really enjoy the color gradient in all his films and the heavy use of symmetry.     

    I do not know yet what the story would be yet for this opening but I would like to use techniques heavily inspired by Wes Anderson. One of the many variables that I would need to focus on would be color, movement with the camera, the soundtrack, and most importantly symmetry.          

                                            More Examples of the two ideas