Plans for editing our film

Visual Effects

We will have to add filters to the footage, as well as tampering with the brightness and contrast if the weather is bright in order to make the day seem gloomier than it was. I will go into more detail about this process in the post-production post

Long Takes

The series of establishing shots should all be rather long in order for it to be long enough for the credits scene

Titles

Titles and text will be overlaid over the establishing shots in order to display both the title and the credits

Fade In/Out

The fade out technique will be used both in the credits and at the end of the film in order to gradually transition out of their respective scenes, while the fade in technique will be used in order to gradually fade into the bar scene

Parallel Editing/Crosscutting

This editing technique will be used during the phonecall between the rookie cop and the young officer in order to show that their dialogue exchange is happening simultaneously even if they are in different locations

Action Match

Action matches will be used throughout the film, for example during the phone call between the chief and young officer. Action Matches will be used to create a continuity of action, such as occurs when the young officer dials a number on his phone which then cuts to the chief's phone ringing

Audio Match Cut

As the chief strikes the snooker balls, the sound it makes will act as a key for the young officer to snap back to reality

Ellipsis

An ellipsis will be used at the end of the docks scene to indicate the passage of time from the rookie cop's execution to the young officer reading the news in the bar

Insert

An insert will be used in the bar scene in order to abruptly cut away from the subject and show the text he had received on his phone

Article on film noir, codes and conventions

Film noir conventions and how we're following and breaking them

First off, I will discuss the stereotypical iconography and location traits of classic noir films. Noir films are known for their urban gritty locations, often in abandoned locations or rain-drecnhed alleys with gloomy lighting sometimes populated with neon lights. We will be following this convention, as we will be filming when it's dark or at least foggy, and will be filming in an empty location on the Belfast docks. Some other key locations of noir films are diners, bars, poolhalls,  nightclubs, police stations and gambling dens. We will be incorporating a dimly lit poolhall into our film, as well as an old-style bar.

As for the mise-en-scene, noir films tend to incorporate traditional attire such as bowler hats, trench coats, braces, and props such as guns, cigars and whiskey. We will be trying to match this in our film, including all of the aformentioned attire and props. As for the shot types and angles and editing, noir films have some common traits. Noir films use low angled and canted angled shots, tracking shots to follow action and bridging shots to cut back in time when the protagonist is reflecting. As for editing, noir films use action matches, eyeline matches to show the viewer what the character is looking at and parallel editing to show different characters engaged in phonecalls. As noir films tend to be slow-paced, they rarely have any over the top editing or visual effects. Similarly in our film we aim to use low and canted angled shots, action matches and parallel editing, however we aim to break conventions by using unconventional shot types such as POV shots and over the shoulder shots. Noir films tend to use moody jazz music as their film score or incidental music, which we will try to use as incidental music in the closing bar scene and during the credits. We also aim to make use of both diegetic and non-diegetic sound.

As for film characters, the archetypal noir characters are the corrupt cop, the femme fatale, the stoic detective and the hardened mobster. The prominent themes in noir films tend to be love and betrayal, urban decay and degeneracy, flashbacks and voiceover narratives and convoluted stories. As our film is supposed to be brief and only a short opening to a film, we won't have the time to elaborate on any of these characters or themes in much detail.

As for neo-noir, the conventions tend to be the same but with a modern spin. The films feature violence with more modern forms of crime such as pimping and drug dealing, with more world-weary and cynical protagonists with false accusations and betrayal, focusing more on long tracking shots, obscured frames and deep focus.

We are breaking conventions of noir and neo-noir by the way we blend them together and juxtapose them in our film. We use traditional noir attire, dialogue and characters, while also using modern props and neo-noir scenarios, such as the drug deal. We blend noir and neo-noir together the best in our dug dealer character - despite saying dialogue that seems reminiscent of an old noir film, he will be dressed like an urban youth and speak with a broad accent and their mannerisms. This juxtaposition will act as a parody.

Shooting Schedule

Shooting Schedule

Saturday 1st of April:

12:00 pm:
Scouting the locations

Saturday 8th of April:
9:00 am:
Capturing the establishing shots

11:00 am:
Scene at the docks

12:00 pm:
Scene at the bar

Saturday 15th of April:

10:00 am:
Pool hall scene

Saturday 22nd of April:
10:30 am:
Overdubbing audio

Actor Research (for our film)

Actor Research

Drug Dealer: Liam Kelly

For this role, we simply needed someone who could put on the persona of a rough intimidating urban youth. When suggested to my friends, Liam was eager to help. Liam has a working class aesthetic and his shaved head and collection of tracksuits and novelty gold chains he has for techno concerts made him the perfect choice appearance wise. Being an urban youth himself, he was able to mimic their dialect and act intimidating, and he proved himself to be more than capable at acting and playing the role. Most importantly, Liam was eager and to star in our film and no matter what we asked of him or how many times we changed schedule Liam was always enthusiastic and willing to comply without complaining.

Chief: Greg Toner

As for this role, we needed a man who could carry his dialogue confidently as well as giving off a domineering presence. Greg, my uncle, has always been a confident entertainer and has experience acting as a teenager. He is also a naturally big man, making him capable of giving off a domineering presence. As a result, I believe Greg was the perfect choice for this role and I believe that his performance proved this.

Undercover Cop: Matthew Miskimmon 

For the role of the undercover police officer we have chosen a boy in our year named Matthew Miskimmon. We decided to choose him as he is one of the only people we know with some form of acting experience, as he has acted in other A Level media projects, as well as GCSE ones. Furthermore, he has also acted for us in the past, playing the lead character in our preliminary task. He definitely showed tremendous acting ability and range while starring in that role, so we thought that he would be perfect for this part as well, as we know that he can convey a range of emotions with confidence. His level of confidence, and commanding voice definitely played a part in our decision to choose him. The character he has to play is that of a rookie police officer, in his early 20s. However, despite the fact that he is only 17, he looks much older; as he has a lot of facial hair and an incredibly deep voice. Once we were unable to get an actor of the appropriate age, we knew that Matthew would be perfect for the role anyway.

Detective: Matthew McCullough

For this role we didn't necessarily need someone with acting experience, so we asked another one of our friends. We chose our friend, Matthew McCullough, for this role. This was another case where we needed an older actor, this time for the role of a detective. However, as previously mentioned in the last paragraph, we were unable to get one, so we had to resort to using another 17 year old. Thankfully, just like with our other actor, Matthew looks a lot older, making him perfect for the role of a young detective. This character has no lines of dialogue, so the fact that he has no acting experience shouldn't be a problem, as he has the look necessary.

Shot List

Shot List (including examples of shot)

Establishing Shots

The film will open with a series of establishing shots of iconic Belfast locations in order to set the scene of the film.

Very Wide Shot

Although we will have already used establishing shots, this shot acts an establishing shot to the film plot itself. We aim to use the extreme wide shot to show how empty and barren the wasteland is, that the rookie cop is at, in order to make him feel more alone and vulnerable. The subject will be in the centre of the frame, with the wide shot then zooming in.

Medium Long Shot

This shot will be used as an establishing shot for the poolhall. The chief will be shown in the frame from the knees up, and is shown in relation to his surroundings i.e the snooker table and snooker balls. He will be in the middle of the frame and is still the main focus.

Midshots


A series of midshots are going to be used in order to show the exchange of dialogue between the rookie cop and the police chief during their phone call. These midshots will be taken from a variety of different angles to ensure that the footage doesn't seem too stagnant.

Back Shot

A back shot is going to be used to show the area in front of and around the subject, the rookie cop.

Tracking Shots

A series of tracking shots which track the moving subject throughout the frame will be used in order to add life to what would otherwise be static shots of the subjects simply standing and speaking.

Low Angled Close-Up Noddy Shot

This shot will be featured to accentuate the rookie cop's emotions and show his reaction to the news he's being told. The low angled shot makes him seem more vulnerable.

Panning Shot

The panning shot will be used to build suspense and introduce us to the second character at the docks, the drug dealer. The juxtaposition of the bright lighting of the rookie cop and the shadowy figure of the dealer contrasts their moral intentions.

Over the Shoulder Tracking Shot

This shot is going to be featured in order to follow the dealer as he approaches the rookie cop. The dealer is the centre of the frame.

Shot Reverse Shot

Will be used to show the exchange of dialogue between the rookie cop and the dealer.

Two shot

Both subjects are going to be in the centre of the frame. The single midshot will hopefully make the dialogue seem more strained and tense due to the lack of cuts.

Extreme Close-Up Noddy Shot

This shot will be used to analyze the reaction of the rookie cop as he scrutinizes the dealer, before recoiling in shock as he realizes he has a gun

POV Shot

This shot will be used to show us exactly what the rookie cop is seeing as he analyses the drug dealer. The POV shot will also capture the full subject of the drug dealer in the frame as he fires the gun, which any other shot probably won't be able to do as well.

High Angled Panning Shot

This shot is going to be used as an establishing shot to the bar scene. The panning will be used to shift the focus of the frame from the newspaper to the young officer.

Midshot

A variety of midshots are going to be used to display the young officers actions at the bar, from his lighting of a cigar to him reaching for his phone.

Insert Shot

This shot type will be used to show the text received by the chief.

Costume Research

Costume Research

Drug Deal Scene:
There is definitely a distinct difference in the outfits worn by the undercover police officer and the drug dealer, during our opening scene, despite the fact that both of them are going to be wearing tracksuits. The costume that will be worn by the drug dealer character certainly resembles that of some kind of urban youth caricature, as it may appear incredibly exaggerated, especially in comparison to the undercover cop. This is because he will be wearing a more outlandish tracksuit, as well as a ridiculous looking gold chain around his neck.Whereas the tracksuit, and overall attire, worn by the undercover police officer is a lot more toned down and inconspicuous. He is meant to blend in with the dealer, however, it will be obvious who the real drug dealer is.

A film that inspired us to mimic this aesthetic is La Haine.

Police Chief:
The character of the police chief will be wearing a more stereotypical trench coat, implying that he is part of an older generation, while also allowing him to possess a more domineering presence. By giving the chief a vintage noir attire, it allows us to juxtapose this with the tracksuit-wearing younger characters, as the chief will be on the phone to one of them. This enables us to combine elements of classic film noir with modern neo-noir.

Detective:
The detective in the bar scene will also be wearing a more stereotypical classic noir costume, as he will be wearing suspenders and a bowler hat. This really allows us to capture a vintage 1940s noir feel, as no piece of clothing would have been more common than the bowler hat. This outfit also allows for some juxtaposition with the first scene, as this outfit is also incredibly cliched and exaggerated, just like that of the modern urban youth tracksuit, once again allowing us to blend together elements of film noir and neo-noir.

Prop Research

Prop Research

1. Replica gun

We will need a fake gun or bb gun for the encounter with the drug dealer. This will have to be a handgun, so that it can be easily concealed, with the other character not being able to see it. Furthermore, as the gun will look realistic, it will definitely need to be small and easily hidden, as one of us will have to travel to and from the docks with it. We also hope to get a classic firearm, like the Colt 1911, that could help add to the traditional noir feel.

2. Cigar 
    
We decided that the man in the bar would be smoking a cigar rather than a cigarette as the cigar is a more traditional noir prop. This will be used by the detective in our film, during the bar scene, at the end of the opening. This will definitely help to capture the film noir feel, as this would have been common for a 1940s or 1950s noir hero.

3. Outfits

When looking at the mise-en-scene of traditional noir clothing, braces and bowler hats are two recurring pieces. We think they will be essential to create a noir atmosphere, and they will be worn by the detective character. The drug dealer will have a more modern and urban look, wearing gold chains and a tracksuit, helping us to blend elements of classic noir and neo-noir.

4. Mobile phones

A basic but essential prop. We will use our mobile phones to show the phonecall between the officers and the text received by the officer in the bar, once again bringing in elements of modern neo-noir to a scene, like the bar scene, that feels like something out of a 40s noir film.

5.  Pool cue

The pool cue will be present with the chief when he is in the poolhall. While not an essential prop, it will be good to add to the miss-en-scene of the poolhall.