Conventions of Film Noir

        Since most of our short film will be in black and white, I've decided that it is essential to research the conventions of Film Noir, or 'black film' in French. Classic film noir developed during and after World War II, taking advantage of the post-war ambience of anxiety, pessimism, and suspicion. Psychological thrillers and crime fiction plot lines take viewers through vile storylines featuring adultery, lies, instinctual fears, and murder, etc. Our film deals with 3/4 of these concepts. All classic Film Noir’s most distinctive qualities include: The anti-hero protagonist, The femme fatale, Quick-witted, no nonsense dialogue, and High-contrast mise-en-scène. Our film is set to include all of those elements.
        Darkness, gloom, and fog is also associated with film noir. More technical elements associated with film noir include: blocking shots (typically through shutters/blinds),  Low key lighting, shots through mirrors, low angles, high angles, shadows, silhouette, and darkness. Lighting, especially helps with the feeling of tension, gloom, or potential danger. Common themes of film noir include: jealousy, anger, greed, betrayal, lust, revenge, murder, justice, corruption, etc, Psycho and Double Indemnity are two a great examples of film noir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WtDmbr9xyY&t=21s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKrrAa2o9Eg

Sources:

10 great American film noirs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-american-film-noirs

Emmahowe345 Follow. (2012, October 18). Conventions of film noir. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/Emmahowe345/conventions-of-film-noir-14784407

Film Noir. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.filmsite.org/filmnoir.html

Sehayek, M. (2016, August 18). The Dark And Distinctive Elements Of Film Noir. Retrieved from https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/the-dark-and-distinctive-elements-of-film-noir/