KS: Film Noir

Film noir, is a term describing stylish Hollywood crime dramas, primarily films which emphasize moral ambiguity and sexual motivation, in the classic noir period of 1940s/50s. Although our film genre is slightly different based on horror and thriller elements rather than the traditional crime drama, we should consider using some of the classic visual techniques for our opening such as the low key lighting producing dark contrasts and stark light. I particularly like how noir films create dramatic shadow patterning, where characters faces are obscured by darkness. Another element of film noir we are thinking of using in our film opening is the use of canted angles and low angle shots which will be particularly successful for our horror themes to create an intense feel for the audience. Wide angle lenses are also used to create a sense of disorientation, particularly reflected in one or multiple mirrors, a shot I liked after seeing it in 'Black Swan' (Aronofsky,2011), also possibly shooting through curved or frosted glass to distort the setting. I think we should shoot some of our footage through a kaleidoscope  to create a disjointed surreality.

Film noir elements we are also thinking of using includes, night-for-night shooting, and the use of flash backs and voice over narration. Lilli, we haven't considered using flash-forwards which I think could suit our story line very well, as a technique not widely used.